Discover Phillip: Leisure, memorial sites and architecture

Phillip brings together a range of different reasons to visit: leisure activities, places of remembrance and remarkable architecture. Eddison Park is the setting for commemorations and the story of the three Eddison sons; the Callam Offices tell a story of distinctive construction and a defining event in the region. Other attractions include the Phillip Swimming & Ice Skating Centre and the offerings at the Hellenic Club Woden.

Leisure activities for different interests

The Phillip Swimming & Ice Skating Centre combines swimming and ice skating in one place. The ice skating centre has a 1,500-square-metre ice rink and can accommodate up to 250 skaters per session. The swimming pools are intended for lap swimming, recreational swimming and families; swimming is seasonal. When planning, it is therefore worth treating ice skating and swimming as separate options and bearing in mind the seasonal nature of the swimming facilities.

The Hellenic Club Woden offers two other, quite different activities. Arcadia is a family-friendly arcade with video games, interactive prize games and ticket redemption games. Kivotos offers a Greek dining experience. The activities available at this venue therefore range from playing together to Greek cuisine, without prescribing a particular itinerary.

Memorial sites and architectural history

The 14-hectare Eddison Park lies on the eastern edge of the Woden Town Centre and serves as a multipurpose recreational area. Two memorials there commemorate the loss of the three Eddison sons in the Second World War. Annual Anzac Day commemorations are held in the park; they began in 1992 and continue to attract hundreds of schoolchildren. The site thus combines an expansive recreational area with a specific chapter in the history of remembrance.

The Callam Offices offer a different kind of discovery. They were the first example in Australia of an office building whose entire perimeter structural frame is supported by suspension cables. The design as a building on a floodplain followed the 1971 Woden flood, in which seven people lost their lives. The Callam Offices are also one of two large-scale office complexes designed by John Andrews International in Canberra; the other is the Cameron Offices in Belconnen. Their construction, design history and comparison with the other complex make the building a distinctive architectural subject in Phillip.

Swinger Hill Cluster Housing also reveals a distinctive side of the built environment. Constructed in 1972, the development is a notable example of medium-density housing, with features including semi-detached and attached dwellings, low-maintenance gardens, courtyards and communal outdoor spaces. At Woden Cemetery, landscaping from the early 1930s remains visible today. The two sites offer different insights: one into the design of living spaces and communal outdoor areas, the other into a preserved historic landscape.

Phillip as a base for your search

When choosing a hotel in Phillip, you can first consider what interests you most: leisure activities such as swimming and ice skating, memorial sites or architectural history. A useful landmark is the Woden Bus Interchange, right next to Westfield Woden. The closest access to the shopping centre is a short walk from Bradley Street.

Discover more destinations

Discover more destinations: Belconnen, Macgregor, Franklin, Hall.

Go to the main travel overview: Canberra.