O’connor

O’Connor is a Canberra suburb in the North Canberra district. It was named after Richard Edward O’Connor (1851-1912), who was a judge in the High Court and a founder of the Australian constitution. Street names in O’Connor are named after explorers, Australian flora, legislators and pioneers. The suburb name was gazetted on 20 September 1928.

O’Connor is bounded by Wattle and David streets, and also includes the Bruce/O’Connor ridge nature reserve, the hilly area with many trees that lies between the houses in O’Connor, and the Australian Institute of Sport. Sports such as soccer, rugby and cricket are often played at the ovals at O’Connor district playing fields.

O’Connor has a small shopping centre with a popular pub, supermarket, a couple of restaurants and a pharmacy.

There are many points of interest in O’Connor. The O’Connor Co-operative School (a government early childhood school) and St Joseph’s primary school are both located in O’Connor. The Anglican church of St Philip’s in O’Connor was dedicated in 1961, and consecrated in 1981. The O’Connor ridge is a large strip of land that is use for bush walking and mountain biking. The O’Connor shops have ‘All Bar Nun’, and a local favourite fish and chips shop called ‘Flat Heads’. Across the road from these are Canberra’s Alliance Française and Croatian Club.