Give me a home among the gumtrees at Wybalena Grove
The history of co-operative housing in Canberra’s north
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Sloping design to blend seamlessly into the natural landscape, bricks, specifically chosen to match the bark of surrounding eucalyptus trees, and an abundance of windows that peer into the native canopy. Wybalena Grove represents a historic time of cooperative design and living in Canberra.
Wybalena Grove was established by the Cook-Aranda Cooperative Housing Society (or CACHS) who dreamt of creating alternative forms of housing. Some members of CACHS saw this as an opportunity to reduce costs, while others wanted to explore the idea of ‘living cooperatively’ in a connected community.
These days, apartment buildings and townhouses are built by developers. They choose the style, the layout, the number of floors, and everything else that goes into building a cluster of homes. But Canberra in the 70s was different. Groups like CACHS were popping up everywhere. Some, like Mala, the most radical group at the time, wanted to build a community intrinsically intertwined through the design and the layout of the homes, and shared facilities to promote engagement. Others were built by those wanting to live in accordance with their Christain beliefs, centring around a private chapel for the community and homes dedicated for people in need of support.
Wybalena Grove was more than just a community project; it was a chance for all people to own an affordable and beautifully designed home. Providing access to affordable homes for all was a life goal for Wybalena architect, Michael Dysart. Dysart is one of Australia’s most influential architects. He also designed Canberra’s Urambi Village in Kambah, another communal housing project from the 70s, and was incredibly influential in his approach to public buildings. Much of his work is still being used today, and his design concepts, such as the doughnut design in schools (a series of pavilions with a central shared courtyard) are being used to influence new builds across the country. In 2019 Wybalena Grove received the Sir Roy Grounds Award for Enduring Architecture, which is for buildings older than 25 years.
Today, Wybalena Grove is still a community. Maybe not to the extent that the original CACHS members envisioned, but their dream lives on through the impeccable, community-minded designs within Wybalena Grove. The community garden, set within the native bushland that encapsulates Wybalena Grove, is still thriving today with the help of Canberra’s Organic Growers Society. One in three residents are avid gardeners in the community garden that provides communal beds for herbs, fruit trees, and berries.
Wyablena today
In late 2020, Impressions stylists were invited into number 49 Wybalena Grove, to style the home for sale.
The first thing you see when walking into Wybalena Grove is a trove of native flora. The 105 townhouses are spread across the 30-acre land into five clusters; with minimal roads, the open spaces throughout Wybalena are filled with native bush. Townhouses range from two to five bedroom, each with its own unique and private courtyard.
Today, one Wybalena resident has opened their home as an Airbnb. The host, Naomi, who lives just down the road from the property, says the community is filled with people with shared passions, including ‘many public servants and academics, most typically with environmental sustainability or international development interests’.
Guests have left raving reviews of their experience in the grove, speaking of the serenity and relaxation of being surrounded by nature. The singing of birds, a welcome kangaroo hopping through, and walking tracks leading up Mount Painter. Guests also took use of the community features; such as the playground and oval, tennis court, and woodfire pizza oven; describing Wybalena as a suburban resort crossed with a school camp.
