Macarthur: Is this suburb Tuggeranong's best-kept secret?

A proud Tuggeranong resident emailed me a while ago, unimpressed with my generalisation of the valley as part of a tongue-in-cheek “guide” to Canberra’s regions.

But the reader spoke fondly of their suburb, Macarthur, which I agree is perhaps one of Canberra’s best hidden gems.

If there’s one part of the previous article I’m confident I got right, bad humour aside, it’s the description of Tuggeranong “as one of the more picturesque parts of town thanks to those rolling Brindabellas”.

These sorts of views are aplenty throughout the relatively small suburb of Macarthur, which is surrounded by green space in the north-eastern corner of the region.

It seems no-one wants to leave this tightly-held suburb, with just five properties listed on Allhomes as of Tuesday.

The suburb is surrounded by Wanniassa Hill Nature Reserve and Wanniassa Hill Special Purpose Reserve (its purpose I’m unsure of), meaning dozens upon dozens of properties back onto green space.

There also seems to be quite a large number of swimming pools, relative to the suburb’s size.

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Cream Residential director Chris Wilson agrees Macarthur is somewhat of a hidden gem in the territory, with numerous drawcards.

“One is the quality of houses; there are some nice, more substantial homes,” he says.

“There’s also the reserve at the back of the suburb.

“It’s a bit like Theodore; at the end of the suburb is a main street but unless you’re going into the suburb, you don’t drive through it.”

Macarthur is conveniently close to the Monaro Highway and Isabella Drive but without the noise or through traffic.

It’s a location that has attracted Woden residents looking to up-size at a potentially more affordable price, Wilson says.

Macarthur’s median house price is $680,000, according to Allhomes data – just below the territory’s median house price of $684,395.

Wilson says the upgraded Chisholm shops, which are just minutes away, are another bonus.

The suburb also has its own childcare centre, Teddybears, plus a number of home businesses. Sporting hub, the mpowerdome, is just across the suburb border.

The broader area is also an equestrian hub with the Gilmore and Macarthur Park Horse Holding Paddocks located nearby, either side of Isabella Drive.

Keep an eye out for more Allhomes suburb profiles.