There are two types of Canberrans: Northsiders and Southsiders, and both are quietly (or not so quietly) convinced they’ve got the better deal. 

The Northside vs Southside debate is one of Canberra’s longest standing pastimes. It’s completely arbitrary, largely subjective and, given you can drive from one side of the city to the other in about 20 minutes, wildly disproportionate to the amount of passion it inspires.  

And yet, ask a Canberran which side is better and suddenly they’re a constitutional expert defending the borders of a sovereign nation. 

So, in the interest of settling pretty much nothing, let’s put the two sides to the test. 

 

THE CASE FOR THE NORTH 

The tram 

Northsiders have something Southsiders can only dream of…. a tram. 

Not a proposed tram. Not a future tram. Not a tram that has been promised, consulted on, costed, redesigned and eventually delayed. An actual tram. 

It goes places. It arrives. You can get on it. 

Shopping 

The Northside also has a strong claim when it comes to shopping. 

There’s Canberra Centre in Civic, Westfield Belconnen and a growing collection of shopping precincts across the northern suburbs. 

Southsiders, meanwhile, will point out that Woden exists. 

 

Honourable mentions 

The owl statue: iconic. No further questions. 

Lake Ginninderra: the lake that Northsiders can point to when Southsiders start acting like they invented waterfront living. It has walking and cycling paths around the entire lake, plus swimming, boating, fishing and picnic areas. 

Braddon: enough said. 

Dickson: enough said, but with dumplings. 

Black Mountain: because apparently the Southside doesn’t get to monopolise the whole “nature” argument. 

 

SOUTHSIDE: THE CASE FOR THE SOUTH 

Nature 

This is where the Southside comes out swinging. South Canberra is the gateway to some of the ACT’s biggest natural attractions and national parks. 

If your idea of a good Saturday is less ‘queue for brunch’ and more ‘walk up a mountain’, Southside has the goods. 

Red Hill. Mount Taylor. Tidbinbilla. Namadgi. Pine Island. Point Hut. 

And the further south you go, the more Canberra starts feeling less like a city and more like a national park with roundabouts. 

Northsiders have Mount Ainslie. Southsiders have a whole catalogue of mountains, reserves and national parks to choose from.

 

The petrol 

There is also the Southside’s most important contribution to household economics: cheap petrol. Or, at least, the persistent belief that petrol is cheaper down south. 

Is it always? Probably not. Does that matter? Absolutely not. 

If you’re a Southsider, you know your servo is cheaper and that’s the end of the discussion. 

 

Honourable mentions 

Parliament House: Northsiders can have their tram. Southsiders have the building where the country is run. 

The National Zoo & Aquarium: Southside has lions. The North has an owl statue. We’ll let you decide. 

Lake Tuggeranong: another genuinely good lake, with a roughly 7km foreshore, walking paths, cafés, recreation areas and plenty of space to escape the rest of Canberra. 

Manuka: the Southside’s answer to Braddon. 

Kingston: the Southside’s answer to people who say the Northside is more sophisticated. 

 

THE FINAL VERDICT 

So, which side wins?  

If you want cafés, restaurants, shopping, nightlife and a tram that actually exists, the Northside has a pretty compelling case. 

If you want mountains, nature reserves, bigger blocks, and quieter streets , the Southside might win out. 

But the funny thing is, both sides have more in common than either would like to admit. Both have lakes. Both have delicious food. Both have plenty of parks and walking tracks. Both have great shopping centres.  

The real difference is simpler: Northsiders think Canberra is better north of the lake, Southsiders think Canberra is better south of the lake. 

At the end of the day, Canberra is small enough that you can enjoy both.