Franklin, Australian Capital Territory


Franklin is a suburb of Canberra, Australia in the district of Gungahlin. It is named after the novelist Miles Franklin. Most streets in Franklin are named after female Australian writers. It comprises an area of approximately 256 hectares. It is bounded by Flemington Road to the north and east, Well Station Drive to the south, and Gungahlin Drive to the west.
Franklin is mainly a residential area with higher density, mixed-use development along Flemington Road including a local shopping centre and other retail and commercial tenancies.


In 2016, Franklin was recognised with the UrbanGrowth NSW Award for Best Master Planned Community by the Property Council of Australia.

Open space

The suburb of Franklin includes a number of large open spaces, linked by pedestrian and cyclist networks. These provide an ecological corridor for the movement of native wildlife and preserve the area's history.
  • The Gubur Dhaura Heritage Park provides 360° views of the surrounding landscape and an ochre quarry site which are of cultural significance to the Ngunnawal people. Remains of the Red Hill pipeclay mine, Old Well Station Track and historical markers can also be found here;
  • The Mulangarri and North Mitchell Grasslands;
  • The Gungaderra Creek;
  • Old Well Station Track which connects the Well Station Heritage Precinct with the Gungaderra Homestead, and Gubur Dhaura Red Hill Heritage Site through to the Gungahlin Town Centre.

Demographics

In the 2021 census, the population of Franklin was 7,484, of these 50.6% were male and 49.4% were female. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people made up 1.5% of the population, which was lower than the national and territory averages. The median age of Franklin residents was 30 years old, which was significantly lower than the national average of 38 years old. The most common ancestries in Franklin were Australian, English, Chinese, Indian and Irish. Most people in Franklin were born in Australia, China, India, Nepal, Vietnam and South Korea.
The religious affiliation of most Franklin residents was No Religion, Hinduism, Catholic, Islam and Buddhism.

Transport

Light rail

Franklin is served by three Canberra Metro light rail stations: Manning Clark North, Mapleton Avenue and Nullarbor Avenue. All three stations are located on Flemington Road and opened in April 2019.

Buses

Franklin is serviced by several ACTION bus routes. Route 18 passes through the north of the suburb, while routes 21 and 22 provide connections through the south.

Geology

Franklin is underlaid mostly by the Canberra Formation mudstone or volcanics from the late middle Silurian age.

Education

Franklin residents get preference for: