Woden Valley
Woden Valley | |||||||||||||
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Woden Valley from Red Hill looking across the suburb of Garran in the foreground to the Brindabella Ranges. The Canberra Hospital is to the left and the Woden Town Centre is to the right in the middle distance. | |||||||||||||
Woden Valley | |||||||||||||
Interactive map of Woden Valley | |||||||||||||
| Coordinates: 35°20′43″S 149°05′42″E / 35.3452°S 149.095°E | |||||||||||||
| Country | Australia | ||||||||||||
| State | Australian Capital Territory | ||||||||||||
| Location |
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| Government | |||||||||||||
| • Territory electorate | |||||||||||||
| • Federal divisions | |||||||||||||
| Area | |||||||||||||
• Total | 28.6 km2 (11.0 sq mi) | ||||||||||||
| Population | |||||||||||||
| • Total | 39,279 (2021 census) | ||||||||||||
| • Density | 1,373.4/km2 (3,557/sq mi) | ||||||||||||
| Gazetted | 12 May 1966 | ||||||||||||
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Woden Valley (/ˈwoʊdɪn/) is a district in the Australian Capital Territory in Australia. The district is subdivided into divisions (suburbs), sections and blocks.
The name of Woden Valley is taken from the name of a nearby homestead owned by James Murray who named the homestead in October 1837 after the Old English god of wisdom, Woden. He named it this as he was to spend his life in the pursuit of wisdom. However, historian Harold Koch considers that the name may have its origins in the Aboriginal word for possum, either wadyan or wadhan, influenced in interpretation by the term known to English speakers of 'Woden'.
In 1964 it was the first satellite city to be built, separate from the district of Canberra Central. It has its own shopping centre, employment opportunities and accommodation with twelve suburbs arranged around the Woden Town Centre. At the 2021 census, the population of the district was 39,279.