Harrison

Lifestyle & dining

Life in Harrison revolves around Gungahlin town centre, a short drive or bike ride away, where most of the cafes, restaurants and everyday services are clustered. Locally, residents make good use of the parkland around Yerrabi Pond, a popular spot for a morning walk, a paddle, or just watching the birdlife, and it doubles as one of the suburb's main social hubs on weekends.

Because Harrison is so new, the suburb itself is fairly light on standalone dining strips, but that's part of the trade-off for wide streets, modern homes and quick access to everything Gungahlin has to offer, from supermarkets to a growing list of restaurants and bars.

Shopping

For day-to-day shopping, Harrison residents lean on the Gungahlin Marketplace and the broader Gungahlin town centre, which covers major supermarkets, specialty stores and services. Neighbouring Franklin and Forde also have their own smaller local shopping strips, giving residents a few options depending on what they need and how far they're willing to travel.

Getting around

Harrison is well served by Canberra's road network, with easy access to Horse Park Drive and Gundaroo Drive connecting through to the Federal Highway and on to the city. The suburb also sits on the light rail line running from Gungahlin through to Civic, giving residents a car-free option for commuting into central Canberra.

Local bus routes supplement the light rail, linking Harrison to neighbouring Gungahlin, Palmerston, Franklin and Throsby, as well as feeding into the broader Canberra network for those heading further afield.

Schools & families

Families are well catered for in Harrison, with Harrison School providing a P-10 option within the suburb itself, and Mother Teresa School offering a nearby Catholic schooling alternative. The suburb's low median age of 31 reflects just how many young families and couples have settled here, drawn by the newer housing and the relatively affordable entry point compared with inner Canberra.

Housing & architecture

Harrison's housing stock is thoroughly modern, reflecting its status as one of Gungahlin's newer suburbs. Current listings show a fairly even split between apartments and units (40%), standalone houses (40%) and townhouses (21%), giving buyers and renters a genuine choice of dwelling types within the one suburb.

Architecturally, expect contemporary designs, energy-efficient builds and higher-density housing closer to Yerrabi Pond and the light rail corridor, transitioning to more traditional suburban blocks further out toward Throsby and Forde.

The property market

Harrison's property market has been on a solid upward trajectory, with house prices climbing 9.0% recently to a median of $1.09 million. Units and apartments remain a far more accessible entry point at a median of $470,000, which helps explain the suburb's popularity with first home buyers and investors alike.

Renters can expect to pay a median of $780 a week, a figure that reflects strong demand from Gungahlin's growing population and Harrison's proximity to light rail, schools and the town centre. With neighbouring Franklin, Throsby, Forde and Palmerston all developing in tandem, Harrison continues to benefit from the broader growth and investment flowing into Canberra's north.