The Watson Community Association produces a quarterly newsletter which is delivered by volunteers to every street address in Watson.
From Edition 124 (Winter 2025) this newsletter has moved to a hybrid version, with the traditional printed Watzon complemented by an online version.
The Watzon is produced and distributed by a volunteer team.
We are permitted by our constitution and policies to accept advertising from businesses within a one suburb radius of Watson - Hackett, Downer and Mitchell. Advertising is accepted at the discretion of the WCA. While we don't charge a fee, we do suggest a suitable donation.
Contributions of articles for Watzon can be sent to the editing team at watzoneditor@gmail.com.
Unfortunately the Australian Catholic University is no longer able to continue the free printing service we have enjoyed for many years. The WCA committee has decided to switch to a hybrid model with print and online versions of the Watzon, and is continuing to explore funding options for future editions. You can support the printing of the Watzon by donating to our Go Fund Me - just click this link or the image below to get started.
Watzon 126 - Summer 2025
The Watson Community Association Inc. acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of Canberra and pays respect to their Elders past, present and emerging. We recognise that many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples from across Australia now call Canberra home, and we celebrate their cultures, diversity and contributions to the ACT and region.
Please note that the views expressed in this Newsletter are those of the authors and
do not necessarily reflect the views of the Watson Community Association.
Welcome From Your Chair
By Merinda Nash
Chair of Watson Community Association
It's been a busy month for the WCA.
Local planning issues are once again demanding attention. The WCA has lodged submissions on two significant proposals: Draft Major Plan Amendment DPA-09 (Northern Gateway), which proposes increased housing density along streets backing Northbourne Avenue, and the expansion plans for the Academy of Interactive Entertainment on the former Watson High School site.
Our Northern Gateway submission raised serious concerns about increased traffic congestion, pressure on local schools and services, loss of larger family homes, fundamental changes to our suburban character, and the destruction of mature tree canopy. Similar concerns about tree canopy loss were highlighted in our AIE submission.
The proposed Thoroughbred Park rezoning (DPA-08), allowing mixed commercial and residential development, is open for comment until 1 December. Thoroughbred Park CEO Darren Pearce and an ACT Government representative presented the plans at our 11 November meeting, fielding questions on everything from noise abatement to waste management. Fun fact: the racecourse runs its own worm farm, turning horse manure into compost!
Looking to get involved locally? The Friends of Watson Greenspace (beautifying the area beside the 'dog dam') run activities for all ages, while the Friends of Mount Majura conduct regular conservation work. We also welcome your engagement on planning issues.
For those interested in community safety, we're establishing a working group to maintain proactive engagement with the ACT Government, ensuring Watson remains safe for all residents, especially our older and more vulnerable community members.
Have a happy and safe Christmas everyone
Editor’s Note
By Nora C. | Editor of Watzon Newsletter
I think I might have jinxed the weather in my last editor’s piece — I’m writing this one in a hoodie and long pants. I refused to turn the heater on because that would be ridiculous… but here we are. My bad!
You may have noticed the newsletter has been a bit thinner since Issue #124. The pages might be light, but the force is strong. I appreciate all feedback on the hybrid format. It’s been a steep learning curve for me, but a worthwhile one. I can’t speak on behalf of Mary, but I do want to give her a proper shoutout — a huge amount of work goes into adapting our printed content for the webpage, and she does it with such care.
Thank you all for your ongoing support — your feedback, GoFundMe donations, and the time many of you give to delivery truly keep this little newsletter running. Also a big pat on the shoulder to my partner, Dan, who remains my technical support when I run into formatting issues.
With new apartment blocks popping up around Watson, we’re also welcoming new neighbours into the community. And if I’m not wrong, we’re still the only suburb in Canberra with a printed newsletter — so I hope this one shows up in your mailbox as a small, pleasant surprise.
Here’s to rolling with the changes and seeing what 2026 has in store!
Youth With A Mission (YWAM) Spring Fair
By Rosalie Ariston | Youth With A Mission
It is always heartwarming when neighbours come together and connect like they did at YWAM's Spring Fair (Sun Oct 12). Some memorable 'snaphots' were of the girls selling creatively decorated cupcakes, while their brother sold his pre-loved toys; of Vince, the former local bus driver, skirling bagpipe tunes; and of Anayah on her violin with a moving rendition of Pachelbel’s Canon. Kudos to WCA for meeting & greeting both familiar & new faces; the gardeners from the YWAM community garden informing interested green thumbs of available plots; and Watson Early Childhood Education and Care Centre showcasing their centre located just across the street. Such fun to see young ones happily tearing open their 'lucky dip' from Betty's Craft stall & the teens rush to play water balloon volleyball! A sold out favourite was Hazel’s home made lemon butter - funds raised go towards projects working with the marginalized in India and Haiti. Tracey (a professional hairdresser who volunteers her time at The Pantry at YWAM on Thursdays) raised funds towards 'Breeze of Hope', a project to help women prisoners in the Philippines acquire basic hairdressing skills. And good on Ned for setting up his makeshift key cutting work table by the entrance.
Connecting with each other, having coffee with mates, catching up with neighbours - that's community. Thank to all those who came along and supported the Fair in some way (can’t name them all). We hope the free coffee & scones warmed you against that chilly breeze and you got some good Christmas stocking stuffers, and maybe even blessed the young boy from the neighbourhood who was probably looking for some profitable margins :) Hope to see you next year!
web ywamcanberra.com | instagram @ywamcanberra
Watson Buzz
By Aileen Conroy
🐝 How do bees discern temperature and humidity, so they can decide when to cluster around their brood to keep it close to 34 degrees or to spray water and fan their wings to cool their hive? Their antennae sense this and much more!
🐝 When worker bees are scouting for nectar, pollen, water and ingredients for propolis, their antennae guide them by sensing odour, then their five eyes search for colours. The antenna’s taste sensors are more sensitive than those on the bee’s tongue.
🐝 Antennae also sense flight speed and this contributes to bees’ clever ability to navigate accurately for kilometres with a tiny brain the size of a sesame seed.
🐝 Bees do not have ears but their antennae sense vibration in stereo helping them to locate the source of the sound.
🐝 Touching their antennae to one another bees communicate pheromone messages and tastes of nectar to the thousands of bees in their colony.
🐝 Bees have a specially designed cleaning hook lined with stiff hair on their front legs to groom these vital sense organs (see diagram). Grains of pollen from flowers and dust are carefully combed off.
🐝 By planting a variety of nectar rich plants which flower throughout the year you will attract bees, butterflies and other pollinators. Bees sense of smell is 100 times more sensitive than humans so they will find you.
🐝 Please avoid using pesticides, especially the neonicotinoid class and organophosphates which are highly toxic to bees
Honeybee using her antenae
Bee leg showing the antenna cleaner
From Buzzaboutbees.net
The Concept of Giving
By Living Streets Association
In the ideal community, people use their energy towards helping others and enjoy contributing to creating a sense of belonging, happiness, and well-being in their community. The spirit of reciprocity and sharing can be achieved through the work of community building in urban residential cities.
Dr. Thomas W. Nielsen believes that young people need to learn to ‘give’ to become a complete person, and says that “one of the healthiest things we can do is to give, as this leads us to be healthier, happier and possibly even to living longer”. Pointing out the need for children to have the opportunity to give daily, he says that, “giving is also a strong predictor of increased mental and physical health into adulthood and reduced adolescent depression and suicide risk,” and that, “there is increasing research evidence supporting the view that being something for others creates unparalleled wellbeing and resilience in children”.
Living Streets Association believes that anyone can practice this concept of giving and volunteering within their neighbourhoods, regardless of their age. Living Streets Youth, an initiative under the Living Streets Association, was established to encourage and inspire young people to actively engage with their neighbourhoods and extend their impact to the broader community. These community events provide an opportunity for adolescents to serve as contributors, take on leadership roles, engage with younger children, and participate in meetings with their peers to plan future events. Through youth-led community events, the experience of connecting with others can be enhanced, and young people’s social competence and social responsibility can be developed.
We also see so many examples of selfless giving in the Watson community; in the committed members of Majura P&C, the volunteers across the various local community groups, the people laying out stepping stones, clearing paths or planting flowers and bushes in our parks and Microforest, the bike enthusiasts carving out mini pump tracks, the book lovers building street libraries, the dog lovers building stick libraries, the neighbours offering their toys, sports equipment, or outdoor seats for people to enjoy, and many others who are quietly contributing to the beauty and community of our suburb.
What are some ways that you could practice giving within your street and neighbourhood?
Discover what’s happening on Mount Majura—news, nature, and community updates on our website.
Majura Café Poets
Bet You Can't
I can change a flat tyre on a ute in a bog
without so much as blinkin'
I can kick goals blindfold and drunk
without knowing which way I'm facin'
I can solve third order differential equations
without even resorting to thinkin'
But I can't fill an electric jug
in a motel bathroom basin.
Laurie McDonald
Near
Near to me
your breath whispering
gentle as a morning's breeze
so near your lips
smiling an inner glow
so near your happiness
spreading hope
in a world of doubt
so near angels can be heard
singing hallelujah
to be near you again.
David Turbayne
Old McDonald
I once was full of go
never knew the word slow
Now I'm old McDonald
and there ain't no farm
EIEIO
Old McDonald's creativity's gone
he's got no more poems to show
Will have to resort to Artificial Intelligence
AIAIO
Laurie McDonald
Monitor, Yuraygir National Park
Sleepy monitor, slowly staring
From an ancient yesterday,
Moving from a time-warp mirror,
Primeval owner of this land.
Stretched along the tall angophora,
Placid lord of all below,
Gum-grey, bark-brown banding
Binds him hard to somnolence.
Beneath the leather stripes of strength
Tapering to a slender whip,
Cling spotted tendrils poised to strike
A rival for his branch on earth.
Blood-warmed by a solar fire,
The same ever-burning light
Inflaming his ancestral giants,
To lumber through the jungle swamps.
Now, speed evolves from smaller frame,
So bursting from apparent sloth
Dart fiery sparks of steely swiftness,
Unleashing anger to defend.
Jenny Burgess
Murrumbidgee Wombats
I sit beside the Murrumbidgee,
Tracing a lonely wombat
As it shuffles by so close to me.
I breathe a sigh, it’s cute as a cat!
I want to stroke and draw it to me,
A bundle of love, as round as a vat
Hairy and gentle soul I see,
Adorable hugs. But no, I shan’t!
It meanders and struts along, it veers
To a deep and cavernous pit.
Another whiskered nose appears
Two wombats closely fit.
They merge as one, together again,
In their snug little home, their very own den.
Ruth Chipman
Visit
Visit a place from the Dreamtime
wild and remote
with fast flowing rivers, ancient rocks
majestic forests reaching to the sky
Visit a place where constellations of stars glow
where myriad birds sing their songs
animals prowl into the night
Visit a place where spirits of ancestors dwell
a place of inner peace
where Nature nurtures the soul.
David Turbayne
Other People’s Pegs. . .and Mine
My daughter’s pegs
Quietly emanate
Environmentally friendly vibes.
But in these sunny climes
My fingers sweat and slip
And fail to grip
The shiny metal.
Like little butterfly sculptures,
Fluttered down from rainforest trees,
They rest their silver frames
Along the green line.
Judy Smith
Shine
Happiness: how to achieve?
A thousand books guide us
To this popular goal.
A state of Utopia
Or the top of the ladder?
Permanent bliss?
No! It’s fluid, evasive,
Sand through your fingers,
Sometimes you glimpse it
From the corner of your eye,
A tiny scene, transient.
Or a quote from a book,
A brilliant poem,
An act of kindness
Which pierces your heart.
A love letter,
A blue wren at your window,
A golden sunset,
Dew on a leaf,
A lacey web.
Grey shadows come
To darken our lives
Yet through the gloom
A tiny spark
Bursts into flame
And our soul shines.
Jenny Burgess
Watson Property Sales
Kindly Provided by Home by Holly
Address | Price |
|---|---|
1/23 Tay Street WATSON, ACT 2602 | $497,000 |
10 Dickinson Street WATSON, ACT 2602 | $955,000 |
10/35 Tay Street WATSON, ACT 2602 | $378,000 |
10/7 Buninyong Street WATSON, ACT 2602 | $920,000 |
106/215 Aspinall Street WATSON, ACT 2602 | $882,000 |
108 Irvine Street WATSON, ACT 2602 | $1,400,000 |
11 Dickinson Street WATSON, ACT 2602 | $1,270,000 |
11 Street Place WATSON, ACT 2602 | $1,049,000 |
113/215 Aspinall Street WATSON, ACT 2602 | $882,000 |
116 Irvine Street WATSON, ACT 2602 | $1,075,000 |
123/395 Antill Street WATSON, ACT 2602 | $855,000 |
125 Knox Street WATSON, ACT 2602 | $1,265,000 |
135/395 Antill Street WATSON, ACT 2602 | $598,000 |
14 Stow Place WATSON, ACT 2602 | $1,020,000 |
14/3 Buninyong Street WATSON, ACT 2602 | $417,500 |
15 Ehrlich Circuit WATSON, ACT 2602 | $840,000 |
163/395 Antill Street WATSON, ACT 2602 | $530,000 |
17 A'beckett Street WATSON, ACT 2602 | $1,100,000 |
17 Mcclemans Street WATSON, ACT 2602 | $1,431,000 |
17 Molesworth Street WATSON, ACT 2602 | $1,100,000 |
18 Manning Street WATSON, ACT 2602 | $1,425,000 |
2 Therry Place WATSON, ACT 2602 | $1,277,500 |
20 A'Beckett Street WATSON, ACT 2602 | $1,606,000 |
20/18 Negus Crescent WATSON, ACT 2602 | $1,000,000 |
20/28 Beechworth Street WATSON, ACT 2602 | $450,000 |
207 Aspinall Street WATSON, ACT 2602 | $950,000 |
22 Kerferd Street WATSON, ACT 2602 | $1,045,000 |
23 Piddington Street, Watson | $2,210,000 |
26 Carcoar Terrace WATSON, ACT 2602 | $700,000 |
26 Phippard Court WATSON, ACT 2602 | $1,200,000 |
26/15 Aspinall Street WATSON, ACT 2602 | $730,000 |
27 Ehrlich Circuit WATSON, ACT 2602 | $700,000 |
28 Windeyer Street WATSON, ACT 2602 | $1,000,000 |
28A Molesworth Street WATSON, ACT 2602 | $837,500 |
29 Williams Street WATSON, ACT 2602 | $1,000,000 |
29 Woolcock Street WATSON, ACT 2602 | $1,100,000 |
30 Kilduff Street WATSON, ACT 2602 | $1,225,000 |
315 Antill Street WATSON, ACT 2602 | $1,160,000 |
32 Aspinall Street WATSON, ACT 2602 | $980,000 |
32 Blair Street WATSON, ACT 2602 | $1,197,000 |
32/15 Aspinall Street WATSON, ACT 2602 | $690,000 |
34 A'Beckett Street WATSON, ACT 2602 | $1,175,000 |
37 Ehrlich Circuit WATSON, ACT 2602 | $1,025,000 |
37/23 Aspinall Street WATSON, ACT 2602 | $560,000 |
38 Irvine Street WATSON, ACT 2602 | $1,300,000 |
4 Beechworth Street WATSON, ACT 2602 | $810,000 |
4/20 Federal Highway WATSON, ACT 2602 | $405,000 |
4/6 Bicheno Mews WATSON, ACT 2602 | $810,000 |
43/1 Buninyong Street WATSON, ACT 2602 | $619,900 |
44 Williams Street WATSON, ACT 2602 | $1,400,000 |
44/15 Aspinall Street WATSON, ACT 2602 | $592,500 |
44/25 Aspinall Street WATSON, ACT 2602 | $543,000 |
47/23 Aspinall Street WATSON, ACT 2602 | $395,000 |
48 Ian Nicol Street WATSON, ACT 2602 | $690,000 |
5 Blair Street WATSON, ACT 2602 | $1,180,000 |
53 Cullen Street WATSON, ACT 2602 | $1,620,000 |
56/1 Buninyong Street WATSON, ACT 2602 | $- |
57� Ehrlich Circuit WATSON, ACT 2602 | $999,000 |
6 Harding Street WATSON, ACT 2602 | $2,200,000 |
6/25 Aspinall Street WATSON, ACT 2602 | $820,000 |
63/20 Federal Highway WATSON, ACT 2602 | $450,000 |
63/23 Aspinall Street WATSON, ACT 2602 | $540,000 |
7 Simpson Street WATSON, ACT 2602 | $1,471,000 |
70 Whitmore Crescent WATSON, ACT 2602 | $688,000 |
73/215 Aspinall Street WATSON, ACT 2602 | $885,000 |
8/113 Knox Street WATSON, ACT 2602 | $380,000 |
8/115 Knox Street WATSON, ACT 2602 | $380,000 |
8/156 Knox Street WATSON, ACT 2602 | $200,000 |
8/25 Aspinall Street WATSON, ACT 2602 | $750,000 |
80 Irvine Street WATSON, ACT 2602 | $1,177,000 |
Support Our Local Businesses
Watzon 125 - Spring 2025
The Watson Community Association Inc. acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of Canberra and pays respect to their Elders past, present and emerging. We recognise that many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples from across Australia now call Canberra home, and we celebrate their cultures, diversity and contributions to the ACT and region.
Please note that the views expressed in this Newsletter are those of the authors and
do not necessarily reflect the views of the Watson Community Association.
Welcome From Your Chair
By Merinda Nash
Chair of Watson Community Association
It’s been another busy few months in Watson. Top of the list has been the opening of the new playground beside the Academy of Interactive Entertainment (AIE) (For those old timers like me- still referred to as the old Watson Highschool). This has proven popular from the moment the fences started coming down, with people and kids flocking in like seagulls to a picnic. The official opening day was jam-packed. Kids, grandparents, dogs politicians. Chief Minister Andrew Barr, and Rachael Stephen-Smith MLA, acting Minister for City and Government Services, spoke to the co-design process with the community. The AIE CEO excited us all with plans for the open-air amphitheater, under design and due for construction around 2027. The Majura Scouts ran another very popular sausage sizzle. And the beautiful spring-edge weather was a gift.
WCA had a stand at the opening, and we spoke with many Watsonites, hearing about concerns regarding community safety and other local issues. We also received much encouragement to continue with the printed version of The Watzon.
Several weeks prior to the opening, WCA wrote to various ACT ministers and the local police, asking about community safety plans for the new playground, particularly around the toilet. We are awaiting formal responses, however, on the opening day I did a walk and talk with Rachel Stephen-Smith and she explained their plans for active monitoring, daily checks of the playground ground facilities and design elements intended to mitigate crime risk. She also offered to attend a WCA meeting to engage in more detail. WCA has reached out to arrange a date. Watch this space for a date.
Vacancy on the WCA committee: Simon Clarke, a longstanding committee member is stepping down and we are looking for keen locals interested in being involved at a committee level. We thank Simon for his extraordinary work over the past years engaging in all thing’s planning related. Simon was an integral part of advocating for the new playground area to be kept as a community space rather than converted to apartment blocks. If you have an interest in local issues and joining the committee, please contact WCA Watsoncommunityassociation666@gmail.com for more details.
That’s the wrap. Happy Spring everyone!
Editor’s Note- Longer Days, Lighter Layers (Hopefully!)
By Nora C. | Editor of Watzon Newsletter
The days are slowly stretching out and warming up—dare I say, spring is around the corner? I hope I haven’t jinxed it and summoned another cold blast… Though I’m definitely not as rugged up as I was just a few weeks ago when heading out in the early morning chill.
Like many locals, I take the light rail into work during the week, and one thing that has brightened up my commute—aside from the sun rising earlier—is the annual Rail Safety Week poster competition. Last year’s student submissions made me smile and made my mornings a little less miserable. Have you spotted any that caught your eye this year?
By the time this issue of Watzon reaches your letterbox, the winner of the 2025 People’s Choice award should have been announced. I can’t wait to see who takes the top spot—check out Transport Canberra’s socials to find out!
Stay warm (or cool?) out there—Canberra weather keeps us on our toes
Here are the four designs that were in the running for the people's choice award, created by
-
Amelia Bobbin and Paddy Collins from Dickson College
-
Lailani Arizapa and Liam Osborn from Daramalan College.
GP Coming soon: Watson General Practice revamp
By Dr Andrew Palfreman | Watson General Practice
Did you know that your local general practice has been at 34 Windeyer Street (across from the shops) since the mid-1980s? The building last had a facelift in 2012 and our ten regular GPs currently hot desk around only four consulting rooms. It’s been great, but like our suburb it’s time to grow.
You may have heard about some planned extensions and renovations. Well, we’re proud to announce that we have a builder engaged and we are in the very final stages of approvals so you should see some movement very soon.
We’ll have an additional 2 rooms added to the front; the existing consultation rooms enlarged and finally have a separate office space for Practice Manager Maddy (who currently sits in a corner of the tearoom!). There’ll be a new air purification heating/cooling system to keep you safe and comfortable, and we finally get to go solar in line with our practice value of sustainability (FYI our other values are empathy, thoroughness, respect and loyalty).
So please forgive us if things are a bit disrupted for a few months while it all happens. We’ll continue to offer as many appointments as we can, including telehealth when we can’t see you onsite. Hopefully the revamped practice will be all done by early in 2026. We look forward to welcoming you in, old patients and new😊
Watson Buzz
By Aileen Conroy
🐝 Rapid vibration of bee’s wings at up to 230 beats per second results in buzzing sounds.
🐝 Larger bees such as native blue banded bees have a lower pitched buzz. Some plants such as tomatoes require “buzz pollination” (also called sonication) which can only be achieved by buzz pollinators such as native blue banded bees.
🐝 Buzzing results from contraction of muscles connecting the wings to a bee’s thorax.
🐝 Beekeepers learn to differentiate between the sound of flight buzz, pollination buzz and agitation buzz (which means we’re feeling threatened and will soon sting).
🐝 With practice various native bees, flies and wasps can also be recognised by their distinctive buzz.
🐝 A passionate citizen scientist in NSW has recoded and studied the pitch of bee buzz. It revealed pitches varying an octave from middle C.
🐝 Spring is an ideal time to plant some more flowers for beauty and to feed pollinators. They will then help feed us!! Planting near your vegetables attracts them to increase the number and size of your produce. Please hover your camera over the QR code for guidance.
Fun fact: the honeybee is the only insect which creates food humans can eat
Bee pollinating Aileen's Lemon tree
Watson Street Celebrates a Festive Christmas in July
By Rowan L. | Living Streets Association
On Friday, 5 July, the families of a Watson street came together for a heart-warming Christmas in July celebration that was full of laughter, good food, and festive spirit. With 13 children and 13 adults in attendance, the event was the perfect blend of community connection and holiday cheer.
The afternoon was a vibrant mix of activities and shared meals. The children, dressed in colourful outfits and festive accessories, played together while the adults caught up over delicious food and warm drinks. Tables were adorned with Christmas-themed tablecloths and decorations, creating a cosy and joyful atmosphere reminiscent of the December holiday season – but with the mid-year twist of winter warmth.
One of the highlights was the sense of togetherness. Neighbours who might usually just wave hello in passing had the chance to relax and enjoy each other’s company. Conversations flowed easily, new friendships were made, and the kids’ laughter filled the air, proving that community events like this are invaluable for strengthening local bonds.
The event also featured plenty of photo-worthy moments – from children posing together after a shared meal to a tiny puppy stealing hearts as it explored the festivities.
By the end of the day, everyone left with full bellies, big smiles, and a renewed sense of belonging. The Christmas in July gathering was more than just a fun afternoon – it was a reminder of how important it is to connect with those around us and celebrate the simple joys of community life
Discover what’s happening on Mount Majura—news, nature, and community updates on our website.
Majura Café Poets
US, OR YOU AND ME?
when we are worlds apart
how do you measure the world?
we have only one
lonely inhabited planet
in solitude amongst stars
my world
an imaginary space
clashing against
the fenced opinions
of what should be
your world
a space in a different zone
maybe
an open field of dreams?
perhaps
we could run
towards a bridge
however narrow
where
hands joined
we can treasure our space
together.
Belinda Ketley
Bulldozer
Church Street, Goulburn
They have sent the bulldozer
into our old garden.
Peony petals fall
on forget-me-not carpets,
rose bushes planted a hundred years ago
are crushed to the ground,
their thorns cannot protect them
All shade disappears
as silver pears and scarlet maples
lie mangled in the sun.
Jaunty Hollyhocks and Canterbury Bells
wilt on cobble stones
The beast crawls forward,
butts the verandah,
carved wooden columns fall
onto the mounds of felled flowers
Next the house
that held six generations,
thick stone walls
offer their resistance.
The chimney topples
Our son once played beneath these trees,
turned on taps to flood the garden,
kicked a ball and chased the bees
Today our civic fathers
park their cars
on the glare of shiny concrete,
amble to their council meetings,
grandly impose a Heritage Order
Jenny Burgess
Mandala
I made a mandala
of tile chips
and chipped tin
to cover
a hole
in a wall
letting in cold air
rather than mend
I chose
to transform
a cover
become art
in its own voice.
Belinda Ketley
A haiku
Daffodils yellow
heralding Spring's first dances
winter chill lingers
David Turbayne
‘Watson the Roundabout'?
Only a Majuran could know the cool green stripes
Of a metal seat looking over the school to our gentle mountain!
Try shopping in the late winter night for dinner...
The perfume of the early plum blossom
Wafting through big spreading casuarina
And the silhouettes of tall deciduous trees
Still pricking the softening sky.
Dogs are quieter and engines of returning workers purr
With their children ready for baths and stories,
Whilst workshops and conversation of thoughtful birds
Bring blessings to close their Watson day.
Jill Sutton
Solstice
Solstice to solstice
the world leans this way
and the world leans that.
Curious, the ancients build
structures aligning with this
shadows aligning with that
dreaming up calendars
and answers to why.
Does this revolve around that
or does that revolve around this?
Who will die for proving this
and who will persecute who
on behalf of that?
I wonder who wondered first.
I wonder was he ever allowed
to wonder again
or did the emperor, in his wisdom
behead the wonderer?
Sometimes you lean this way
sometimes I lean that.
Do I revolve around you
or do you revolve around me?
I hope I don’t die wondering.
Laurie McDonald
Visit
Visit a place from the Dreamtime
wild and remote
with fast flowing rivers, ancient rocks
majestic forests reaching to the sky
Visit a place where constellations of stars glow
where myriad birds sing their songs
animals prowl into the night
Visit a place where spirits of ancestors dwell
a place of inner peace
where Nature nurtures the soul.
David Turbayne
Watson Planning Snippets- Spring 2025
By Simon Clarke
WCA Committee | Planning Group Convenor | planning2602@gmail.com
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Inner North Play Space
Have you tried it out yet? It seems to be getting a resounding tick of approval from the important people – our kids! The opening was very well attended and a great display of Watson community spirit. I have heard 3 big questions being asked so let’s try to answer them.
1. Why only one toilet? – The original plan has no toilets and we were repeatedly told we had no chance of getting toilets! One toilet is not optimal but it’s far better than none at all.
2. What about parking? A fair slab of the open space on the A’Beckett St side has been earmarked as a future car park. The Planners were working with a limited budget and made the decision to optimise facilities now rather than spending up to half their budget on car parking. So keep emailing access Canberra and try to get a Budget allocation in future budgets.
3. There’s not much shade? The planning decision was to try to limit engineered shade and instead plant for shade. It’s not ideal now but it will be great in 5-10 year’s time – remember the Arboretum in the early days?
Block 76
The works to allow access and subdivision are starting in September and will go into 2026. Our friends at CoHousing Canberra have their bid before the Gov’t being assessed. We wish them well and support their efforts to explore different ways of creating housing.
Car-o-tel Site
Their application for a Territory Plan Variation has been approved and came into effect in May. So now we watch!
Planning Laws
The North Canberra Community Council has put in an excellent submission regarding the Missing Middle Planning Reforms. It’s available on the WCA’s new improved website! – Thanks Mary! https://www.watson.org.au/
Farewell
This is my last Watzon as I have had to resign from WCA committee and my planning role. I have loved my 7 years of involvement and urge you all to consider getting involved. You’ll get back far more than you give as being involved in community is very rewarding.
Enjoy the new shoots of spring and keep supporting your WCA
Loneliness By Degrees
I have mixed feelings about voluntary redundancies. Was an employee smart to accept a payout, or ‘deadwood’? And in accepting one, would a stigma follow me?
Some called me brave. But I’d had health issues — an MRI to eliminate dementia — and rationalised accepting a payout made sense. I’d lost the taste for work; I’d write. Like ‘The Alchemist’, the universe was leading me to my heart’s longings!
When the writing expectations joined forces with the shame, the paralysis arrived. I couldn’t write. I struggled to do anything.
Of course, no one could know. So I’d head off to my cafe, like I had my shit together, swapping lazy adjectives for nouns with grunt, wrestling with voices saying I didn’t deserve to spend my fixed income on an editor because my writing was shit. I was in a bind. I couldn’t will myself forward, and I couldn’t go back. I stood perfectly still, taking shallow gasps.
Without work, this world was lonely, surrounded by neighbours I’d ignored. Easier to rush, head down, from driveway to door.
The thing gladdening my heart was my succulents, forcing me to use my hands, choosing design, colour, pattern. I did with my succulents what I couldn’t with my writing, longing to display it. After all those COVID years out back, something drew me towards the front garden.
I followed my nose, joining my local ‘buy nothing’ group, collecting pots, demanding cuttings, dragging a table out front.
And one day, I decided to invite my neighbours over.
The entry price? Succulent cuttings!
I talked myself into adding my mobile number to the invites, brushing off the neighbours’ texts: ‘Sorry, busy’. I breathed deep, baked a cake and dressed the table. Even if just me, it’d be worth it.
But I was never so relieved as when the first of seven households arrived, in our street of twenty.
Tibetan nun Pema Chodron writes that ‘hot’ loneliness keeps to itself, feeling shame, wanting no one else to see your insides, while ‘cool’ loneliness accepts what is, creating space for other lonely souls to enter.
There is no shame in ‘cool loneliness’. Only the hope that a loneliness warrior following their nose might, in the next breath, encounter another lonely warrior.
And guess what? The nation’s capital, Canberra — my home — records the highest levels of loneliness in Australia.
Breathe deep, fellow loneliness warriors, for we have work to do.
Watson Property Sales
Kindly Provided by Home by Holly
Address | Sold Price |
|---|---|
1/10 Irvine Street WATSON, ACT 2602 | $325,000.00 |
18/35 Tay Street WATSON, ACT 2602 | $350,000.00 |
42/23 Aspinall Street WATSON, ACT 2602 | $357,000.00 |
17/23 Aspinall Street WATSON, ACT 2602 | $360,350.00 |
9/115 Knox Street WATSON, ACT 2602 | $362,000.00 |
19/21 Aspinall Street WATSON, ACT 2602 | $363,000.00 |
73/20 Federal Highway WATSON, ACT 2602 | $420,000.00 |
29/1 Buninyong Street WATSON, ACT 2602 | $430,000.00 |
Negus Crescent WATSON, ACT 2602 | $430,000.00 |
31/20 Federal Highway WATSON, ACT 2602 | $440,000.00 |
8/35 Tay Street WATSON, ACT 2602 | $455,000.00 |
32/3 Buninyong Street WATSON, ACT 2602 | $459,900.00 |
28/28 Beechworth Street WATSON, ACT 2602 | $475,200.00 |
24/1 Buninyong Street WATSON, ACT 2602 | $494,900.00 |
23/21 Aspinall Street WATSON, ACT 2602 | $495,000.00 |
Negus Crescent WATSON, ACT 2602 | $509,900.00 |
15/28 Beechworth Street WATSON, ACT 2602 | $575,000.00 |
135/395 Antill Street WATSON, ACT 2602 | $598,000.00 |
43/1 Buninyong Street WATSON, ACT 2602 | $619,900.00 |
64/1 Buninyong Street WATSON, ACT 2602 | $663,000.00 |
84 Beechworth Street WATSON, ACT 2602 | $680,000.00 |
47/14 Federal Highway WATSON, ACT 2602 | $690,000.00 |
65 Ian Nicol Street WATSON, ACT 2602 | $707,500.00 |
19/10 Federal Highway WATSON, ACT 2602 | $720,000.00 |
23/19 Aspinall Street WATSON, ACT 2602 | $720,000.00 |
6/10 Federal Highway WATSON, ACT 2602 | $735,000.00 |
1/408 Antill Street WATSON, ACT 2602 | $740,000.00 |
22 Tay Street WATSON, ACT 2602 | $740,000.00 |
34/28 Beechworth Street WATSON, ACT 2602 | $740,000.00 |
1/404 Antill Street WATSON, ACT 2602 | $750,000.00 |
404 Antill Street WATSON, ACT 2602 | $750,000.00 |
5/21 Aspinall Street WATSON, ACT 2602 | $750,000.00 |
434 Antill Street WATSON, ACT 2602 | $755,000.00 |
4 Beechworth Street WATSON, ACT 2602 | $810,000.00 |
83/45 Negus Crescent WATSON, ACT 2602 | $830,000.00 |
106/215 Aspinall Street WATSON, ACT 2602 | $882,000.00 |
13/45 Negus Crescent WATSON, ACT 2602 | $900,000.00 |
82/215 Aspinall Street WATSON, ACT 2602 | $916,000.00 |
116/215 Aspinall Street WATSON, ACT 2602 | $919,000.00 |
116/395 Antill Street WATSON, ACT 2602 | $919,000.00 |
24 Cullen Street WATSON, ACT 2602 | $920,000.00 |
56/215 Aspinall Street WATSON, ACT 2602 | $950,000.00 |
56/395 Antill Street WATSON, ACT 2602 | $950,000.00 |
237 Antill Street WATSON, ACT 2602 | $995,000.00 |
84 A'beckett Street WATSON, ACT 2602 | $1,025,000.00 |
285 Antill Street WATSON, ACT 2602 | $1,100,000.00 |
6 Stow Place WATSON, ACT 2602 | $1,130,000.00 |
3 McCawley Street WATSON, ACT 2602 | $1,150,000.00 |
14 Phippard Court WATSON, ACT 2602 | $1,160,000.00 |
319 Antill Street WATSON, ACT 2602 | $1,160,000.00 |
2 Stow Place WATSON, ACT 2602 | $1,185,000.00 |
11 Dickinson Street WATSON, ACT 2602 | $1,270,000.00 |
14 Windeyer Street WATSON, ACT 2602 | $1,270,000.00 |
99 Phillip Avenue WATSON, ACT 2602 | $1,275,000.00 |
6 Peden Place WATSON, ACT 2602 | $1,400,000.00 |
17 Mcclemans Street WATSON, ACT 2602 | $1,431,000.00 |
25 Ada Evans Street WATSON, ACT 2602 | $1,453,000.00 |
6 Harding Street WATSON, ACT 2602 | $2,200,000.00 |
77/1 Buninyong Street WATSON, ACT 2602 | $4,300,000.00 |
11/62 Beechworth Street WATSON, ACT 2602 | Contact agent |
21/28 Beechworth Street WATSON, ACT 2602 | Contact agent |
Support Our Local Businesses
Watzon 124 - Winter 2025
The Watson Community Association Inc. acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of Canberra and pays respect to their Elders past, present and emerging. We recognise that many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples from across Australia now call Canberra home, and we celebrate their cultures, diversity and contributions to the ACT and region.
Please note that the views expressed in this Newsletter are those of the authors and
do not necessarily reflect the views of the Watson Community Association.
Welcome From Your New Chair
By Merinda Nash
Chair of Watson Community Association
Happy Autumn
Firstly, I start by extending a giant thank you to our outgoing Chair Geoff Murray-Prior. He has been a steady and experienced hand steering the WCA over the past few years. Geoff has been generous with both his time and expertise. Highlights include supporting establishment of the new Greenspace by the dog dam, facilitating the organisation of our first ever Watson Day in 2024, and leading representations to the ACT Government seeking action to address increased local crime issues.
Did you know that the object of the WCA is to promote the social, economic and environmental amenity of Watson residents? As a long term Watson resident I have enjoyed the amenities our suburb has to offer, and as the new chair of WCA I am keen to play a role in ensuring the great things about our suburb continue for the benefit of all Watson residents.
When I first moved into Watson many years ago, as a struggling single mother with a baby and a dog, I didn't realise it would be the start of a love affair with this gorgeous suburb and it's surrounds. It's due to the work of previous WCA members that we have retained such beautiful landscapes within and around our suburb.
With ongoing development planned for Watson, and an ever growing and changing population, WCA will continue to be an important voice for residents. If you have an interest in local issues, joining the WCA is a great way to become more involved in events affecting us locals. All folks are welcomed.
It's been a busy for months for the WCA. The recent Watson Day, held on March 31st on the grass beside the shops, was well attended, bringing lots of locals together and raised nearly $700 towards the continued production of the printed Watson newsletter (we now have a 'Go Fund Me' QR code for donations to Watzon printing costs). Thanks to Andy at our Watson Supabarn Express, for donating sausages, Majura Scouts for cooking and all the supporting volunteers.
The fabulous new super-sized playground on Windeyer street is progressing at a pace and apparently due to open before Spring. We look forward to that.
Explore Our Shops - Coco's Hair and Beauty
By P. Lean
On the corner next to Knox Café is Coco’s Hair & Beauty. The owner, Vera, has been in the industry for 40 years and has been running the salon in Watson for 15.
She employs six wonderful staff—experienced senior stylists, emerging graduates, and two apprentices—and offers everything from cuts, colours, and foils to hair extensions and perms.
All staff attend regular training to stay up to date with the latest techniques and ensure you receive the best personalised treatment for your hair.
I’m extremely grateful for the kind and thoughtful way they supported me during my recovery after an accident. Coco’s Hair & Beauty welcomes clients of all genders and ages
Canberra Potters has been a proud part of the Watson community since 1975. It began with a group of 13 graduates from the Canberra School of Art who set out to create a shared space where they could make, learn, and support each other’s work with clay. From those early days, it has grown into a place that welcomes people of all ages, abilities and skill levels to explore pottery at their own pace.
Over nearly five decades, we’ve become part of the rhythm of the neighbourhood. Local families bring children to holiday classes, friends share a term of evening pottery together or attend a workshop or event and visitors often stop by the gallery or shop to see what’s new.
Today, we continue to foster a sense of belonging by bringing people together through shared creative practice and conversation. Our studios and gallery host local, national, and international artists, while our programs offer space to explore, develop, and share a love of ceramics.
As a not-for-profit arts organisation supported by the ACT Government, we’re proud to provide a space where art, learning, and community meet, offering a place where creativity is part of everyday life.
As we celebrate our 50th anniversary in 2025, we’re reflecting on the many hands that have shaped our story and the role ceramics continues to play in building community, curiosity, and care
50 years of Connecting through Clay
By Sue Cant
Acting CEO Canberra Potters
Watson Buzz- Bee Stingers
By Aileen Conroy
🐝 Honeybees don’t bite…..they sting. Only the female workers and they give their lives to defend their colony – usually from bees from other colonies robbing their honey stores.
🐝 The queen can sting repeatedly but only fights and stings emerging rival queens within her colony.
🐝 Bee stingers are a design marvel and are being studied at ANU to inform the design of implanted medical devices. Stingers are barbed, so once embedded the bee’s abdomen ruptures when she begins to fly. They continue to pump venom and penetrate deeper using tiny, attached muscles.
🐝 Only 1% of the population has an anaphylactic response to stings. Despite our bee suits and use of smoke, beekeepers get a few. Some experienced beekeepers do not even use gloves. Pain is minimised by immediately scraping out the stinger sideways.
🐝 To avoid stings, stay calm …. Bees are controlled by pheromones, and they literally smell fear! Don’t swipe, scream or run, but walk away from the hive entrance. Avoid cutting grass nearby which can trigger release of alarm pheromone.
🐝 In warm climates, native stingless bees form colonies. My friend takes her hive inside on chilly nights.
🐝 Amazingly Apitherapy uses bee venom as medicine. There is a course in Romania.
7 yr olds know about bee stingers!
Celebrating Community at Watson Day
By Lucy Astolfi
Volunteer, Living Streets Association
On the 30th of March, Living Streets took part in Watson Day where the community came together to share art, culture, stories, and sausages.
Living Streets’ prompt to attendees was to “share a heartwarming story about community that has touched your life.” We encouraged people to write their stories and pin them to our pinboard for others to become inspired to write their own. We had many touching stories from the Watson community and beyond. The stories were inspiring and uplifting and encouraged people to participate in their community.
We met many different community day participants who shared their stories with us. We met a talented artist by the name of Sophie ‘Art’ Baker who shared that a “lady out walking stopped to say hi and encourage me to keep painting,” as Sophie was painting for her exhibition. The SES who had a stall bringing attention to fire prevention, shared a heartwarming story of when they “turned up to houses where neighbours called in damage for people who were away.” They added, “It’s nice to see people look out for each other”.
Watson Day was an inspiring reminder that community is built on small acts of kindness, shared creativity, and looking out for one another. Whether through art, a simple hello, or lending a hand in times of need, the stories we heard showed the power of connection. We left the day feeling inspired by the generosity and warmth of the Watson community – and grateful to be part of such a vibrant, caring network of people.
Discover what’s happening on Mount Majura—news, nature, and community updates on our website.
Majura Café Poets
I sit watching
Leaves frolic across the bitumen
as autumn sweeps under my jacket.
Orange road cones capture spaces
as they dance amongst the leaves.
The buskers are singing in Braddon
strumming dreams and aspirations.
Sound waves echo in the doorways
as they dance among the leaves.
The guitar picks a sound check
in sync with voices shouting.
Heartfelt words swept by the wind
as they dance among the leaves.
Denise Burton
World Goes Round
The world goes round
Till it’s upside down
It’s a struggle just keeping
Both feet on the ground
When it comes back up
For another go round
Somehow you’re one lap behind.
So you grab a new tread
Hanging on by a thread
There’s a fifteen ring circus
Inside your head
When it comes back round
It’s just as you dread
Now you’re two laps behind.
If this whirling stampede
Should ever concede
That it wants to consider
Just what I need
It can back off from
Its breakneck speed
And darn well…slow down
…To mine.
Laurie McDonald
Please, a picnic and a thermos
I saw that a picnic had gone missing
From the Watson micro forest.
I thought perhaps it was hiding
Behind the potter’s art centre
Next to the pond.
(You know the picnic table there
In the hollow under the power lines?)
I searched around the bright green-painted benches
In the triangle of trees and dogs
That befriend our shops
But there were no picnics.
I tried to join a ‘Watson Picnics Association’
But I felt shy at proving
Its inaugural member.
A missing picnic can be a terrible thing
But wait… I wonder if it has been uncovered
In our ‘destination playground’,
Its diligent diggings revealing
A fossilized thermos.
Jill Sutton
The Pointing Arm
Close to the highway
a dead tree. It can almost
be reached by leaning over
the barbed wire fence. Only useful
for firewood.
It’s had a good life, trunk
once reaching as high
as a poem.
Just one arm, and that
reaching out from the hulk
of a trunk as if pointing
To the Watson shops
Christopher Dorman
Watson Planning Snippets- Winter 2025
By Simon Clarke
WCA Committee | Planning Group Convenor | planning2602@gmail.com
Inner North Play Space
It’s almost there, isn’t it? My sources tell me that it’s on target to be completed by the end of July. Look forward to a big opening in August. Keep an eye on the WCA webpage and Facebook page for more updates.
Block 76
Our friends at CoHousing Canberra are busy preparing their plans etc as they bid for the segment of Block 76 set aside for “Demonstration Housing.” We wish them well and support their efforts to help us accept different ways of creating housing.
Planning Laws
Housing is a hot topic, isn’t it? So it should be as everyone deserves to be decently housed. However thought bubbles like “missing middle”, “medium density” and “human scale” are no use if they’re not backed up by sensible legislation and a recognition that all sectors need a say. The current approach seems more like “wishing and hoping.”
There are no quick fixes but there are answers if the political will is there. However we need to be able to see beyond the electoral cycle to get results. We’ve created this problem over the past 40 years – it’s not going to be solved in 3 years! Stay warm this winter and stay in touch.
Watson Property Sales
Kindly Provided by Home by Holly
Address | Contract Date | Sold Price |
|---|---|---|
7 Watson Place WATSON, ACT 2602 | 9/04/2025 | |
25 Blair Street WATSON, ACT 2602 | 1/05/2025 | |
6 Cullen Street WATSON, ACT 2602 | 13/03/2025 | |
53 Roma Mitchell Crescent WATSON, ACT 2602 | 1/03/2025 | |
35 Kilduff Street WATSON, ACT 2602 | 27/03/2025 | |
22 Kilduff Street WATSON, ACT 2602 | 13/05/2025 | |
7 Kilduff Street WATSON, ACT 2602 | 13/03/2025 | |
46 A'beckett Street WATSON, ACT 2602 | 24/02/2025 | |
20 Flos Greig Street WATSON, ACT 2602 | 8/04/2025 | |
5 Kerferd Street WATSON, ACT 2602 | 15/04/2025 | |
8 Adams Place WATSON, ACT 2602 | 17/03/2025 | |
9 Hood Place WATSON, ACT 2602 | 8/04/2025 | |
60 A'beckett Street WATSON, ACT 2602 | 19/03/2025 | |
24 Piddington Street WATSON, ACT 2602 | 7/03/2025 | |
75 A'Beckett Street WATSON, ACT 2602 | 12/03/2025 | |
9 Phillip Avenue WATSON, ACT 2602 | 27/02/2025 | |
11 Stow Place WATSON, ACT 2602 | 15/03/2025 | |
4 Andrews Street WATSON, ACT 2602 | 17/04/2025 | |
39/215 Aspinall Street WATSON, ACT 2602 | 6/03/2025 | |
39/395 Antill Street WATSON, ACT 2602 | 6/03/2025 | |
19/215 Aspinall Street WATSON, ACT 2602 | 1/05/2025 | |
78 Higinbotham Street WATSON, ACT 2602 | 20/02/2025 | |
59 Bettie Mcnee Street WATSON, ACT 2602 | 22/04/2025 | |
17 Ehrlich Circuit WATSON, ACT 2602 | 29/04/2025 | |
9/2 Carcoar Terrace WATSON, ACT 2602 | 12/02/2025 | |
10 Stow Place WATSON, ACT 2602 | 7/04/2025 | |
10/86 Beechworth Street WATSON, ACT 2602 | 17/04/2025 | |
6/62 Beechworth Street WATSON, ACT 2602 | 6/03/2025 | |
94 Beechworth Street WATSON, ACT 2602 | 6/03/2025 | |
12 Whitmore Crescent WATSON, ACT 2602 | 22/02/2025 | |
12/15 Aspinall Street WATSON, ACT 2602 | 25/03/2025 | |
24 Beechworth Street WATSON, ACT 2602 | 17/04/2025 | |
14/19 Aspinall Street WATSON, ACT 2602 | 7/03/2025 | |
11/19A Negus Crescent WATSON, ACT 2602 | 17/03/2025 | |
25B Negus Crescent WATSON, ACT 2602 | 18/03/2025 | |
161/395 Antill Street WATSON, ACT 2602 | 19/03/2025 | |
38/23 Aspinall Street WATSON, ACT 2602 | 14/03/2025 | |
35/23 Aspinall Street WATSON, ACT 2602 | 14/02/2025 | |
29/23 Tay Street WATSON, ACT 2602 | 27/03/2025 | |
33/1 Buninyong Street WATSON, ACT 2602 | 17/03/2025 | |
6/18 Whitmore Crescent WATSON, ACT 2602 | 17/03/2025 | |
52/21 Aspinall Street WATSON, ACT 2602 | 15/05/2025 | |
23/1 Buninyong Street WATSON, ACT 2602 | 20/03/2025 | |
8/20 Federal Highway WATSON, ACT 2602 | 5/05/2025 | |
5/27 Ian Nicol Street WATSON, ACT 2602 | 12/02/2025 | |
71/20 Federal Highway WATSON, ACT 2602 | 2/04/2025 | |
9/10 Irvine Street WATSON, ACT 2602 | 20/03/2025 | |
9/8 Irvine Street WATSON, ACT 2602 | 20/03/2025 | |
12B/109 Knox Street WATSON, ACT 2602 | 1/04/2025 | |
27/109 Knox Street WATSON, ACT 2602 | 1/04/2025 | |
9/109 Knox Street WATSON, ACT 2602 | 6/03/2025 | |
7C/6 Irvine Street WATSON, ACT 2602 | 15/05/2025 |
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