Key Events for Hackett

DATE EVENT
25,000 BP Aboriginal people arrive in Canberra region.
December 1820 First Europeans arrive and camp near Mt Pleasant (Charles Throsby, James Vaughan, Joseph Wild and Charles Throsby Smith).
1825 James Ainslie established a sheep station called Pialligo for Robert Campbell. Lease covers much of Mount Majura.
1846 Robert Campbell renamed the property Duntroon.
1860 Darmody family arrived and purchased lease holdings on Mt Majura.
1909 First survey of Canberra City completed.
1911 Federal Capital Territory formed with NSW ceding 2,360 square kilometres, including the seaport of Jervis Bay.
1912 Walter Burley Griffin announced as winner of the design competition for the national capital.
March 1913 Foundation stone laid on Capital Hill and Canberra announced as the name.
1913 Construction began on infrastructure for the city.
1920 Soldier Settlement Scheme allocates blocks in the Gungahlin district:

–          Percival Robertson – blocks 98J & 99

–          Ewan Cameron – blocks 98G & 98H

Hackett would later be built on the land covered by these leases

1928 Suburbs of Ainslie, Reid, Braddon, Turner, O’Connor and Lyneham gazetted under the National Memorials Ordinance 1928-1953.
1920-30s An avenue of eucalypts and pines planted on east side of what would be the future Hackett oval.
1957 National Capital Development Commission established with the task of planning and developing Canberra.
1959 January First group of Defence personnel arrive in Canberra from Melbourne.
1959 August Second group of Defence personnel arrive.
19 March 1960 Suburbs of Hackett, Watson and Downer gazetted under the National Memorials Ordinance 1928-1953.
21 September 1961 Hackett’s street names gazetted (see list in Appendices).
1962 First infrastructure work in Hackett commences on sections 1-18 (area bound by Antill Street, Phillip Avenue and Madigan Streets).
September 1962 NCDC calls for tenders to build the first houses in Hackett (in sections 1-18).
December 1962 First blocks of land in Hackett offered for auction.
15 December 1962 First advertisement for homes for sale in Hackett appears in the Canberra Times.
6 March 1963 Monaro Mall opens.
1963 Population of Hackett  – 156
May 1963 Hackett reservoir goes into service.
30 July 1963 Contract let to J. Fletcher Co P/L for £159,848 pounds for construction of Hackett Primary School.
October 1963 Mt Majura District Girl Guides formed.
1 January 1964 New Presbyterian Parish for Northern Canberra Suburbs instituted – later called St Margaret’s.
10 April 1964 First Presbyterian Minister Rev. Donald Erickson ordained and inducted.
April 1964 Lake Burley Griffin reaches peak water level.
May 1964 First classrooms in Hackett Primary School used from May 1964. Other sections were handed over later that year and in 1965. Other stages were completed in 1968 and 1969.
17 October 1964 Lake Burley Griffin inaugurated by Prime Minister Robert Menzies.
1964 Dickson Shops built.
1964 Population of Hackett – 2,067.
January 1965 Dickson Pool opens.
1965 Hackett Preschool opens.
June 1965 Tender for the Infants Department issued in June 1965 and handed over in 1966.
1965 Haddon Court ‘Handed Over’.
April 1966 Ainslie rubbish tip opens.
9 June 1966 First shop opens – JB Youngs.
1966 Population of Hackett – 4,018.
1967 Canberra population reaches 100,000.
16 December 1967 Dedication of St Margaret’s/Holy Cross Church Building.
1968 Mr Fluffy begins selling asbestos insulation for Canberra’s homes.
1972 Canberra Revival Centre opens premises at corner of Maitland and Madigan Streets.
1974 Ainslie landfill tip closes.
1976 Dickson Secondary College opens.
1976 Hackett Art and Craft Exhibition began.
September 1976 Canberra Revival Centre moves.
December 1977 Knights of the Southern Cross purchase former Canberra Revival Centre and use it as headquarters.
1977 Hackett Primary School has enrolment of 429 students.
1982 Montessori Children’s House opens in part of Hackett Primary School.
1988- 1993 Inspection and removal of Mr Fluffy asbestos insulation from homes across Canberra.
September 1989 Shell service station closes.
October 1989 Knights of the Southern Cross move to new headquarters in Turner.
April 1990 Ainslie rubbish transfer station closes.
December 1990 Hackett Primary School closes.
December 1991 Montessori Children’s House closes.
1991 Meg’s Toy Library opens at St Margaret’s Uniting Church.
1993 Mount Majura Reserve gazetted as part of the Canberra Nature Park.
1995 Samaritan House opens.
1996 Girl Guides move out of hall at Holtze Close.
July 1999 Folk Dance Canberra holds ‘Hall Warming Party’ at former primary school hall.
April 2002 Hackett Community Association formed.
2005 Blue Gum Community School opened.
2006 Hackett Art and Craft Exhibition ends.
2009 ACT Government asks National Capital Authority to remove Monash Drive from National Capital Plan.
2013 50th birthday of Hackett.
2014 NCA advises it was still waiting for ACT Government to provide information to enable process to removed Monash Drive from Plan.
2014 The ACT Government establishes the Loose Fill Asbestos Eradication Scheme to remove asbestos from over 1,000 homes in Canberra, including 29 in Hackett.

 

Source – Hackett Community Association (2019) Hackett – 50 years plus: Story of a North Canberra suburb.