View source for Garema Place

{{Short description|Public square in Canberra, Australia}}
{{Use Australian English|date=March 2018}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2018}}

{{Infobox urban feature
| name = Garema Place
| image_place = Shops_facing_onto_Garema_Place_May_2021.jpg
| place_type = Town Square
| area = 116m²
| owner = [[ACT Government]]
| location = Garema Pl, Canberra ACT 2601
| coordinates = {{Coord|-35.278338|149.132002|display=inline}}
| pushpin_map = 
}}
[[File:Big Swoop and magpie.jpg|thumb|[[Big Swoop]] and magpie]]
'''Garema Place''' is a paved outdoor area in [[City Centre, Australian Capital Territory|Civic]], [[Canberra]], [[Australia]], with a number of shops, restaurants and cafes with outdoor dining. As a central point within the [[Central business district|CBD]], many community events including protests and festivals are held at the location.

Garema Place was Gazetted as a city street in October 1952,<ref>{{Cite journal |date=9 October 1952 |title=Australian Capital Territory |journal=Commonwealth of Australia Gazette |issue=69 |pages=3995}}</ref> when the disused Civic Centre railway station was removed from the site. The station had opened in 1921 as Canberra's second goods rail terminal when the Commonwealth railway line was extended from [[Kingston, Australian Capital Territory|Kingston]],<ref>{{Cite news |date=2 September 1921 |title=Canberra Railway |url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/31661098?searchTerm=Queanbeyan%20Canberra%20Railway |access-date=15 April 2024 |work=The Queanbeyan Age and Queanbeyan Observer |pages=2}}</ref> but closed in 1922 when the rail bridge over the [[Molonglo River]] was washed away in a flood.<ref>{{Citation|title=Second bridge over the Molonglo River at Commonwealth Avenue, Canberra, probably 1924|date=1924|url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/version/206648121|access-date=2019-07-15}}</ref> The rail corridor ran along what is now City Walk and was preserved until 1950. At that time the National Capital Planning and Development Committee abandoned plans for a Canberra City railway, noting there were disadvantages in having a railway in the centre of a city.<ref>{{Cite news |date=14 February 1952 |title=Canberra City Railway Scheme Abandoned |url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/2766503?searchTerm=canberra%20city%20plan%20railway |access-date=19 April 2024 |work=The Canberra Times |pages=2}}</ref> 

By the mid 1960's Garema Place had been converted to a pedestrian plaza.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Blog |last2=Treasury |first2=ACT Government; PositionTitle=Director; SectionName=Corporate Management; Corporate=Chief Minister and |date=2023-09-14 |title=Garema Place is evolving with our City Centre |url=https://www.act.gov.au/cityrenewal/blog/city-renews/garema-place-is-evolving-with-our-city-centre |access-date=2024-04-19 |website=Blog |language=en}}</ref> Today, Garema Place and nearby City Walk are the location of Canberra's Multicultural Festival held each February<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.multiculturalfestival.com.au/about-us|title=About Us|last=Services|first=ACT Government;; PositionTitle=Manager; SectionName=Media and Communications; Corporate=Community|date=2019-06-19|website=www.multiculturalfestival.com.au|language=en|access-date=2019-07-15}}</ref> and the Celebrate Canberra Festival in March.

In 1963, then-[[Prime Minister]] [[Robert Menzies]] opened the nearby Monaro Mall (now [[Canberra Centre]]), which became the first in Australia to be fully-enclosed and air-conditioned with three floors. Due to the expansive nature of the centre and its association with the Garema Place and nearby City Walk, the Centre has since grown to also cover the land, as if it were a district of its own.

Garema Place is known for its sculptures and artworks by local artists, predominantly "The Cushion and the Wedge",<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.arts.act.gov.au/public-art/cushion |title=The Cushion and the Wedge |publisher=Access Canberra |access-date=1 October 2023}}</ref> a silver statue of a pillow located in the main area near the chess board. This pillow is colloquially known as the '[[Box wine|Goon Bag]]', for its resemblance to the Australian icon.

The most recent addition is the "[[Big Swoop]]", which commemorates the [[Australian magpie]] and its place in Australian culture. One of the more common birds of Australia, including urban Canberra, it is celebrated for its mellifluous carolling and its remarkable memory. During the breeding season the protective male can swoop on a human, occasionally making contact. At other times they are wont to swoop on a dropped chip or other morsel.
The statue, designed by local artist Yanni Pounartzis and constructed by sculptor Gustavo Balboa and scenic artist Ari Maack, was installed in March 2022 but was not sufficiently robust to withstand a vandal attack, and had to be removed. It was rebuilt by fibreglass specialist Stuart Roswell to be indistinguishable from the original, but of much sterner stuff, and returned to its original place in December 2022.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://the-riotact.com/popular-magpie-sculpture-officially-swoops-back-into-the-city/619429 |title=Popular magpie sculpture officially swoops back into the city |publisher=RiotACT |access-date=1 October 2023}}</ref>

==See also==
{{portal-inline|Australian Roads}}

==Gallery==
<gallery>
File:A. D. Hope bust, Garema Place.jpg|A. D. Hope
File:David Campbell bust, Garema Place.jpg|David Campbell
File:Judith Wright bust, Garema Place.jpg|Judith Wright
File:Icarus Series (detail).jpg|Icarus Series (three figures)
File:Father and Son (Dowie).jpg|"Father and Son" (John Dowie)
File:Father and Son (Dowie) plaque.jpg|Father and Son plaque
</gallery>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20050717090735/http://canberra.citysearch.com.au/profile?id=8657 Citysearch – Garema place]
*[https://www.arts.act.gov.au/public-art/list?result_200605_result_page=2 List of public art works in ACT]

{{Road infrastructure in Canberra}}
{{Canberra landmarks}}
{{Attached KML|display=title, inline}}

[[Category:Canberra urban places]]
[[Category:Streets in Canberra]]
[[Category:Busking venues]]
[[Category:Squares in Australia]]