Description

In the shadow of Mount Tennent lies the rural village of Tharwa, only minutes from Canberra's southern suburbs. Named after the aboriginal word for Mount Tennent, Tharwa is the oldest official settlement in the Australian Capital Territory, having been proclaimed a township in 1862.

Reaching its peak in 1891 with 38 dwellings and 255 inhabitants, Tharwa is much the same today. Enjoy the tranquillity as you visit the gravesite of the Aboriginal leader, Hong Yong; the old Tharwa School House; the 1922 general store, still operating today; Saint Edmund's Church; Tharwa Bridge and Reserve; the Cuppacumbalong Cemetery and Cuppacumbalong Craft Centre.