There are many idiosyncrasies about Canberra that you cannot find anywhere else. These include acronyms and slang terms relating to many different areas of life in Canberra from universities to landmarks. As part of our series on Moving to Canberra, we’ve collated a list in alphabetical order of the well used Canberra acronyms and slang to help with your transition to Canberra life.
ACT
Pretty self explanatory if you’re familiar with the acronyms for each state and territory across Australia. If you’re new here, it stands for Australian Capital Territory which is the territory that Canberra is located in.
ACU
The one and only catholic university Canberra has to offer and it is called Australian Catholic University. It is also the only university in Canberra that you can study paramedicine. To learn more about Canberra’s education sector, you can check out our article on Moving to Canberra – Lifestyle, Community, Weather and Education.
AFP
Standing for the Australian Federal Police, this is national though does carry a little extra weight in Canberra as the AFP headquarters are in the Canberra suburb of Barton and ACT Policing is supplied to the community through the AFP.
AIS
The Australian Institute of Sport (otherwise known as the AIS) is Australia’s high performance sports training institution. Located in Bruce, you can spectate and/or join in on events that occur here. You will find a variety of events that take place here from athletics, swimming, team sports and even music concerts and conferences. The AIS offers guided tours of the campus and you can discover how and which sporting champions are created within the institution.
ANU
You’ll find one of Canberra’s biggest achievements is having an internationally ranking university. This university is the Australian National University (ANU).
APS
This stands for the Australian Public Service. This is the public sector of employment that takes up a third of the population in employment in Canberra. Each department within the APS also has it’s own acronym as well. For more information on jobs in Canberra, check out our article on Moving to Canberra – Cost of Living, Transport, Housing and Jobs.
Belco
Belco is short for Belconnen which is the north-west district in Canberra.
Bridge to Bridge Walk
There are a lot of things to do in Canberra, but many Canberran’s choose to do the Bridge to Bridge Walk often. Possibly because it’s conveniently located in the middle of Canberra. The Bridge to Bridge walk directly refers to a popular walk you can undertake around the banks of Lake Burley Griffin. It is a 5.5km loop between the Commonwealth Avenue Bridge and the Kings Avenue Bridge, hence the name ‘Bridge to Bridge’.
Brindies
Just past south of Canberra, you will see the Brindabella’s Mountain Range. Otherwise known as the Brindies to Canberrans.
Canberra Ave
Short for Canberra Avenue, this is a road that connects the Kings Highway towards Batemans Bay, Queanbeyan and the centre of Canberra on the one road.
CBR
This is the acronym for Canberra. Most people don’t use this acronym out loud in a sentence but it is used to identify air travel to Canberra. You may find some people use it in messages.
Civic
Civic is the affectionate term for the Canberra city centre. The centre of Canberra was initially called the “Civic Centre” from Walter Burley Griffin’s design of the city of Canberra. It’s not referred to as “the Civic” rather just “Civic”. You’ll also notice that are many businesses with the name Civic within their branding.
CISAC
Short for Canberra International Sports and Aquatic Centre. Located in Belconnen, you will find gyms such as Club Lime and Club Pink as well as a swimming pool, cafes, physiotherapy and chiropractors, supplement stores and many more.
CIT
CIT stands for Canberra Institute of Technology. This is a tertiary education institution which the Canberra equivalent of TAFE in every other state or territory.
Coolo
Located in the Weston and Molonglo district, Cooleman Court is their shopping centre which is otherwise known as Coolo.
CSU
Short for Charles Sturt University, this university is one of Canberra’s smallest universities and only offers studies relating to Christianity & Culture, Policing, Customs and Excise.
EPIC
Many events happen out at EPIC each year. EPIC stands for Exhibition Park in Canberra. Popular events that happen at EPIC each year include Summernats and the Canberra Show.
ESA
ACT Emergency Services Agency (ESA) is the ACT’s emergency management service. Here you will find the ACT Ambulance Service, ACT Fire & Rescue, ACT State Emergency Service and the ESA Enabling Services. This service is a mix of 2,200 fulltime and volunteer personnel.
GDE
Referring to roads in Canberra, the GDE is the Gungahlin Drive Extension. It refers to the stretch of road that links the Tuggeranong Parkway to the Gungahlin District, north to south and vice versa. If you’re interested in how motor vehicles work in Canberra, check out our article on Moving to Canberra – Healthcare, Motor Vehicle, Registration and Furniture.
Get loose at the Moose
Mooseheads is one of Canberra’s most iconic pub and bar. Mooseheads is almost a rite of passage for any 18 year old in Canberra with upstairs Moose bringing dance music, sticky floors and cheap drinks and ground floor Moose sharing pub classic tunes with also sticky floors and cheap drinks.
Gunners
Short for Gungahlin, the furthest north district in Canberra as well as the suburb.
Hyperdome
The Hyperdome was the previous name for the shopping centre in Tuggeranong in Canberra’s south for more than 30 years. However, the name was changed to South.Point in 2018. Many locals still call it the Hyperdome rather than by it’s new name.
Lake G
In the Belconnen region, you will find Lake Ginninderra which is affectionately called Lake G.
Multi Culti
Each year in February, Canberra hosts the National Multicultural Festival. Taking place in Garema Place in the city each year, Multi Culti is a festival where we celebrate more than 170 cultures and nationalities that are part of the community. The festival is a 3 day event and starts on a Friday afternoon and closes on a Sunday afternoon.
MyWay
As part of the Canberra transport system, MyWay is a ticketing system that is used across the public transport sector. If you plan on using the light rail and/or buses, it is recommended you get a MyWay card where you can put funds on it to pay for your trips across the capital.
Northbourne
Northbourne Avenue is the main road within Canberra and most people just refer to it as Northbourne and drop the avenue. Northbourne connects the Federal Highway (towards Sydney) to the inner city in Canberra. From the other side of Northbourne, it connects to Commonwealth Avenue which you will see Parliament House at the end of and then you can choose to continue onto the Inner South or Woden district.
Quangers or QBN
Technically not a Canberra term but many people here use it as it stands for Queanbeyan, the neighbouring New South Wales town which is located 20 minutes out of the Canberra CBD.
The Bay
Technically not a Canberra specific term but ‘the bay’ refers to Batemans Bay in New South Wales. Being only 2 hours away from Canberra, many locals to the ACT have claimed ‘the bay’ as their own and you will find the area full of Canberrans come Summer, school holidays and weekends.
The Foreshore
In the Canberra south, what we affectionately call the Foreshore is short for the Kingston Foreshore which is located in the suburb of Kingston on the banks of Lake Burley Griffin.
The Kingo
One of Canberra’s original pubs, The Kingston Hotel is known as “The Kingo” affectionately by locals. Including it’s heritage and rustic look and charm, The Kingo is an iconic pub experience that is located 5 minutes away from the CBD in the old suburb, Kingston.
The Lake
There are a few different lakes in Canberra but one that is iconic to Canberra is Lake Burley Griffin. Generally if someone tells you they are going to ‘the lake’, you can almost be guaranteed they are talking about Lake Burley Griffin.
Tuggers
Short for Tuggeranong, the furthest south district in Canberra.
UC
Another one of Canberra’s great achievements, our University of Canberra. This university is well known for having one of the top most employable graduates across the country.
Let us know in the comments if you think we have missed any big Canberra acronyms and slang terms that are a must for Canberra life.