World Book Day: Parbery’s Marg Wade on Canberra’s best-kept secrets

Today we celebrate World Book Day. Parbery Senior Manager Marg Wade loves a good book – and Canberra too. Passionate about Canberra, she has written 3 editions of ‘Canberra Secrets’, a great guidebook to the national capital. It has sold around 14,000 copies.

Why write a book about Canberra? ‘I was sick of people bagging Canberra so I wanted to do something highlight the great things the city has to offer and show people that Canberra isn’t just roundabouts and politicians,’ Marg said.

‘Canberra is a thriving city with so much to see and do. I love the hidden gems, the quirky and fun things the city offers. Some personal favourites include watching the sunset colours dance inside the dome of James Turrell’s Skyspace at the National Gallery, or viewing the sweeping lawns from the Government House lookout, while watching grazing kangaroos, and at the same time, hearing the throaty roars of the lions at the nearby zoo.

Government House lookout

Galleries tucked in the suburbs, like the Gallery of Small Things (GOST), a beautifully converted 1960s laundry in Watson, that celebrates makers and designers exhibiting all things small, or rustic Strathnairn Arts in Holt that exhibits works of emerging and established artists while nestled within the grounds populated by superb fairy wrens displaying their own artistic colours.

Gallery of Small Things

Our parks and reserves offer opportunity to walk, run and explore. Native wildlife is plentiful and the air is clear. So clear in fact, that when the site for the Federal Capital was being considered, one of the deciding factors, was… “that because the air was cold – men… would think clearly.”’

And the name ‘Canberra’ – how did that come about? Marg said that the city could have been any one of a number of interesting or wacky suggestions. On the list were Austral, Hopetoun, Myola, New Holland and Shakespeare. Some silly suggestions were Thirstyville, Swindletown and Sydmelperadbrisho.

‘Canberra Secrets’ is available from the National Library Bookshop, Paperchain in Manuka, and online.