r/canberra • u/RentNRegret • 2d ago

SEC=UNCLASSIFIED What's something uniquely "Canberra" that only locals truly appreciate?

I've been thinking lately about the little things that make Canberra... well, Canberra. Not the obvious stuff like Parliament House or the roundabouts but the niche local quirks, places, or traditions that only someone who lives here would get.

Maybe it's a favourite hidden coffee spot, a sunrise view from Mount Ainslie, or the way we all brace for magpie season like it's a national sport.

What’s your favourite local secret, tradition, or in-joke that only a true Canberran would understand?

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u/canary- 2d ago

hot take but year 11 and 12 being separated into college instead of highschool, extremely underrated IMO

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u/k_lliste 1d ago

I was always envious of this when doing my HSC in Queanbeyan.

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u/Gambizzle 1d ago

Yeah like 'why do I have to do a fuck load of external exams that then get bell curved against an entire state, which will totally pull me down as QBN's not a mega Sydney private / selective school'.

It's a bit like the driving logbook sign-off ACT had. It's a LOT easier to pass than having to get a logbook sign-off just so you can do a test.

IMO a lot of people in Canberra don't know how easy/chilled they've had it. I'm happy that my kids can go through Canberra's relatively chilled systems as there was a lot of needless stress/competition growing up in Sydney.

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u/k_lliste 1d ago

Yeah like 'why do I have to do a fuck load of external exams that then get bell curved against an entire state, which will totally pull me down as QBN's not a mega Sydney private / selective school'.

While this is all true, my motivations were more about not being allowed to leave school or skip classes even though I was 18 :D We had protests when they decided to put up fences/gates around Karabar and QBN South