Chapman: A suburb of renewal and luxury in Canberra's west

Luxurious living is an ideal more readily associated with Canberra’s inner south than Weston Creek.

But on the edge of Chapman is a pocket of houses that have well and truly cracked the million-dollar mark – well above the suburb’s median house price of $615,000, according to Allhomes data.

These streets on the region’s western fringe stand as a stark reminder of the 2003 bushfires that swept through parts of Weston Creek. The firestorm killed four people and destroyed 500 homes.

In the years since, this area has become the site of renewal, with new properties built on streets once ravished by flames.

Among them is a six-bedroom house at 28 Chauvel Circle. Last year it sold for $2.6 million, smashing the suburb’s previous record by almost $900,000.

However, Chapman is a suburb of diverse housing stock, with many properties selling for amounts much closer to Canberra’s median house price of $684,395.

One of Chapman’s biggest drawcards is Cooleman Ridge Nature Reserve, which surrounds half the suburb.

“There are fantastic bushwalking trails that are very close by,” says Bertram Ellis principal Tom Ellis.

“Many homes around the top of the ridge have panoramic views of Canberra.”

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An IGA supermarket is among businesses at the local shops off Perry Drive, while Weston’s Cooleman Court is only a short drive away.

Chapman’s renewal goes beyond the rebuilding of houses.

In line with broader Weston Creek, it is also experiencing a renewal of its demographic, as more and more young families snap up houses in the suburb, which is also home to Chapman Primary School.

Ellis says the school is among the considerations attracting buyers to the area, as well as large lots.

“The block sizes are much larger than the average in Canberra, around 1400 square metres,” he says.

Some of these larger properties are part of what he describes as an “emerging market at the top end”.

“People are confident to invest over $2.5 million in property,” he says.

“There are homes in suburb that are worth more but just aren’t on market. It shows confidence in the market and that people like the location.”

Perhaps we might see a new record cemented in the coming years.