South Bruce waterhole - 1967 to 1983

There used to be a waterhole in South Bruce. It was created in 1967 to provide water for sheep. In 1983, it was filled in with earth and replanted. 

The waterhole was located at the foot of Fitzherbert Place. 

A news story about the waterhole appeared in The Canberra Times (Wed 27 Jul 1983, Page 11), titled "Residents lose their battle for Bruce waterhole". (The article is accessible on the National Library of Australia's Trove system, link).

The text of the story is:

Residents lose their battle

for Bruce waterhole

By GRAHAM D0WNIE

Workmen will begin filling in a stock watering hole this week after a group of South Bruce residents lost their battle to save it.

The residents began their fight to save the waterhole in April. The Department of Territories and Local Government had said it believed that the unprotected waterhole was a danger to young children.

The residents argued that children enjoyed playing in the area and that it provided a water source for animals and birds.

In a recent letter to one of the residents, a spokesman for the department said that options had been considered for the development and subsequent management of the site.

With the waterhole being close to a residential development and a busy cycle path, the department's primary concern was for the safety of small children.

This view was shared by an officer from the Australian Federal Police, who had inspected the area.

The spokesman said that the waterhole had been hastily dug during the 1967 drought to provide water for sheep. It had been supplied by water tanker.

The waterhole was not permanent and had "often" been dry. If it was to be left as a pond, a mains water supply would have to be provided.

For a viable aquatic ecosystem to be established, considerable capital works would be necessary. These would include emptying the pond, regrading the base and covering it with top-soil and the introduction of aquatic plants.

The department had decided instead to level the area and to plant native trees and shrubs, thus returning the area to its natural state. It believed that this would enhance the area and screen the suburb from the busy arterial roads which bound it.

A spokesman for the residents who wanted the waterhole retained said it was believed that it had only once been dry — at the end of the recent drought.

Residents did not think it would go dry again. "This simply reflects the ebb and flow of the seasons," the spokesman said.

 Here are some views of the site of the waterhole today:

Thank you to our members Julia, Kerry, Pamela & Bill for the information presented here.  

2024-25 Financial Statements

 The 2024-25 financial statements of the South Bruce Residents Association have been prepared and reviewed. They are presented here for the information of members. (Thumbnail below.)

2023-24 Financial Statements

The 2023-24 financial statements of the South Bruce Residents Association have been prepared and reviewed. They are presented here for the information of members. (Thumbnail below.)

South Bruce Residents Association saves Flea Bog Flat - May 2001

Eileen and Greg Dunstone have unearthed this May 2001 report from the ACT Standing Committee on Planning and Urban Services about the proposal for residential development at Flea Bog Flat. 

 

The report mentions that:

• South Bruce Residents’ Association members appeared at a public hearing in March 2001. 
• SBRA members opposed the residential development, and referred to topics such as:
• noise
• woodland eco-system and a the mini-wetland
• absence of an ecological study
• loss of amenity.
• SBRA stated that "‘a meeting of our Residents’ Association on 19 November [2000], attended by most residents of the suburb, unanimously supported a resolution to have the site included in
  Canberra Nature Park, as well as the other two adjoining blocks [the site of today's Calvary Haydon Retirement Community] because they are an essential link towards Black Mountain and Bruce Ridge"
• SBRA considers that Block 4 [the northern edge of Calvary Haydon Retirement Community]‘is a vital east-west corridor between the Bruce Ridge and Gossan Hill in the Canberra Nature Park system… [and so should] be designated permanently as Canberra Nature Park… [It is] a species-rich zone of more than 70 identified local native plant species [and] at least 60 species of birds… [and] serves as habitat for kangaroos, wallaby, echidna, birds, lizards, snakes, frogs, butterflies (12 species) and many others’. Further, Block 4 ‘serves as a human corridor to commuters, students, hikers, athletes, joggers, walkers, naturalists and residents’.

The committee recommended "that no residential development occur on Block 3 of Section 21" [ie, Flea Bog Flat].

Jaeger Circuit, October 1982

Brenda Lander has provided some neighbourhood photos from October 1982. She writes:

"This is our block while building 25 Jaeger Cct. Purchased in October 1982."

"25 Jaeger block with 23 Jaeger complete beside and looks up towards Timbertop court in the background"

 

 

 "Rooftops of Goldsworthy place and new builds in Isles Place"

South Bruce Sales Brochure 1980s

 Barbara Peek provided these images from a 1980s sales brochure. She says,

"This was the brochure from the Jennings office when we bought one of the 21
blocks (1 Isles Place). Sue Wickham (Jennings Sales Person) was selling
the blocks.  Interesting to see how the plans changed.  It was the first
development undertaken by a private company in Canberra."

South Bruce vacant land sales 1983

Eileen and Greg Dunstone provided this interesting snippet of local history.

I came across this recently - a list of those that purchased "land only"
from Jennings, instead of "house & land". Presumably all constructed
non-Jennings houses. The  historical lease prices are shown!

The Department of Territories, had contracted Jennings to develop our suburb
with the requirement that they sell "house & land" packages.

In phase 1 (Portus to Weatherburn)  Jennings requested approval to sell a
number of "land only" leases (presumably to solve a cash flow issue). The
Department gave them permission to sell 20 only blocks, but Jennings entered
contracts with a lot more than 20.

The government allowed those in the attached list to settle their purchases
- 21 of them -  but then refused subsequent settlements. Some Jennings land
only customers then bought Jennings houses, but 3 of us in Portus Place
fought on until the Government terminated the leases because Jennings hadn't
complied with the lease conditions.  A Supreme Court case was then involved
and eventually the 3 of us got the blocks and build non- Jennings homes.

I'm not sure if and  how any non Jennings homes were constructed in Phase 2
(Weatherburn to Clews)

There's been quite some appreciation in unimproved values of South Bruce blocks. Some blocks with 1983 values of $32,000 have values of $1,080,000 in 2024 (a compounding growth rate of more than 9%pa).