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Acton Walkways is a local initiative to raise awareness of the Acton region for its natural beauty, history, culture and artistic highlights.
An idea that originated during a walk by the lake developed into a substantial project very quickly in early 2009, with funding from three key stakeholders and prominent Acton 'residents': the Molonglo Group (NewActon), the Australian National University, and the National Film and Sound Archive.
More recently, the ACT Government added support for signage, which will soon appear in the region. In addition, numerous organisations have assisted with in-kind support, including RSM Bird Cameron, Griffin Legal, the National Trust, the Walter Burley Griffin Society, the Geological Society, the Heart Foundation and the Australia Business Arts Foundation (AbaF).
Such collaboration for an innovative and community-led idea is a wonderful signifier for Canberra as an emerging 'Cultural Capital' towards its first Centenary. There is great potential for Acton to serve as a stage to explore synergies between creative ideas and community engagement, and there are many aspects of the region we hope to help promote in the build-up to Canberra 2013.
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Since beginning this project I have had the pleasure of working with many people from various organisations and community groups and met a wealth of interesting and interested fellow Canberrans. The enthusiasm from everyone involved has been inspiring. In particular, the efforts of a few key people must be mentioned:
- Jesse Adams Stein, for her enthusiasm, detailed research into artists and sculptures, and insightful tours.
- James Collet (ANU Heritage Officer) for his ongoing dedication to promoting the heritage on the ANU Campus and Acton, and his informative tours.
- Bradley Cummings (photographer) for the stunning and comprehensive gallery of photos on this website, taken over numerous expeditions through the region.
- Roy Hill (mapshed.com.au) for his generous and expert assistance with online mapping programs and solutions.
- Tony Muckle, Warwick Williams, Lois Fordham, Hugh Patton, Peter Dowling, Linda Roberts, Edward Eyers (Griffin Legal), and many others for their ongoing support of this project, advice and moral support.
- All of our tour guides, many of whom give their time, expertise and enthusiasm free of charge.
Meanwhile, there are old and new spaces to discover, and stories - both past and present - to be told. With contributions from the community, this website can continue to grow and we welcome your insights, recollections, photos, videos and comments. We will keep working to refine the website's features and functionality to provide residents and visitors with informative, entertaining and useful ways to explore the area. Please keep visiting this site and send us your feedback regularly.
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