Why on earth do people who live in Wanniassa love it so much?

There are people who love the suburb they live in and then there are people from Wanniassa. The more Canberrans I’ve met from 2903 over the years, the more intriguing it’s become. They rave about living there but they never really quite say why. On the surface, it looks remarkably like any other working class suburb in the Tuggeranong Valley (sorry people who live in Wanniassa Hills) but Wanniassans are way more vocal about how good it is.

So what’s the secret sauce? The extensive range of schools on offer (which draw in students from right across the ACT)? Great amenities? I did some digging last week and discovered this: life in Wanniassa sounds distinctly like life in a small town I know only too well.

“It’s honestly like a little town within a big town,” says Fiona Lester of Wanniassa, her home of 30 years.

“The sense of community here is just incredible. I felt it when I moved here in 1994, and I still feel it today.”

Fiona owns and runs The Markets Wanniassa, a collective of handmade and innovative Australian products showcased under one roof at the Wanniassa shops. She and husband James raised nine kids in the suburb, but it was actually during COVID that she felt the absolute spirit of her suburb shine through.

“During the lockdowns, the shop really struggled,” Fiona says.

“And I had people calling me every day to say, we want you to survive. We want to make sure the shop stays open during this. How can we help?

“So I’d send them to our online store and they’d buy from there.

“It was just unbelievable, I don’t know if shop owners in other suburbs have the same connection with the people of their suburb but I’d love to think so.”

The more Fiona talks about 2903, the more it feels like she’s describing a small NSW town. Many of Fiona’s kids scored their first jobs in Wanniassa – at Coles or Red Rooster – and there’s a cast of local characters that everyone knows. Like “Chicken Man”, who’ll grab a BBQ chook the moment he enters Coles and eat it while he walks around shopping.

Fiona’s friend Margaret Larkin bought a house on Rylah Crescent in 1984 and has never left. She remembers paying $57,000 for the small three-bedroom brick home, and making instant friends with the other parents of kids attending Wanniassa Primary School. She’s friends with many of them today.

It’s Wanniassa’s location – smack bang between Woden and Tuggeranong – that Margaret says is the suburb’s best kept secret.

“It's just so convenient,” she says.

“When we moved in here, we had the shops very close to us. Woden was very accessible. Of course, Tuggeranong didn't exist. But now we’ve got the best of both town centres.

“School options for families living here are really good.

“It's also the bushwalks that are close, including Mount Taylor, and the sports ovals are close. We just feel so spoiled with lovely open areas and bush close by.”

The creative force behind Canberra Halloween House Wanniassa, Connie Warburton, describes life in 2903 in a single sentence:

“We've been doing the house for around eight years now and people come in their thousands ... we've watched the kids grow up each year when they come to visit - it’s awesome."

Does Wanniassa sound like your dream suburb? View homes for sale in 2903 now.