Andrew Leigh

With Monday 12 March 2012 marking the 99th anniversary of Canberra, Robyn Archer and her team have a plethora of highbrow projects ready to go in the centenary year. But at the same time, I thought it was important to have some lowbrow ones as well.

Some time ago, Maryann Mussared dropped me off a list of 'celebrity suburb names' she'd devised. Here's the game: come up with a celebrity after whom your suburb could have been named. The more outrageous the better.

For example, you might decide that Hackett was named after the Triple J 'Hack' program, or Braddon is named after Brad Haddin.

Here's Maryann's list:

• Ainslie - Ainslie Gotto


• Bruce - Bruce Willis (or the Australian Bruces)


• Campbell - Glen Campbell (singer)


• Casey - Ben Casey (TV actor)


• Cook - Masterchef


• Dunlop - Tyres


• Florey - Original home of Floriade


• Forde - Harrison Ford (actor) or Ford Prefect (fiction character)


• Franklin - D. Roosevelt


• Fraser - Tammie Fraser


• Harrison - Rex Harrison (actor)


• Higgins - Missy Higgins (singer) or Henry Higgins (fiction character)


• Latham - Mark Latham


• Macgregor - Euan Macgregor (actor) or Farmer Macgregor (fiction character)


• Macquarie - Pass


• Melba - Peach Melba


• Mitchell - Warren Mitchell


• O'Connor - Des O'Connor (actor)


• Page - Elaine Page


• Reid - Chopper Reid


• Russell - Russell Crowe


• Scullin - Oarsome Foursome


• Spence - Bruce Spence (actor)


• Turner - Ike & Tina


• Watson - Dr Watson (fictional character)

Of course, most Canberra suburbs are still missing, so can you add to the list? If so, post your suggestions in comments below, or tweet them with the tag #celebcanberra.

Let's see how many we can come up with between now and the 99th birthday of our fine city.