User:SHB2000/Hall

Have you ever wondered whether there were any towns in Canberra before the ACT was established? Hall is one of the last few remnant towns remaining in the Australian Capital Territory before it was established. The village of 271 (2016) has a distinct identity, and resembles like any other classic rural Australian town.

Hall was proclaimed in 1882, over 30 years before Canberra was named after NSW farmer Henry Hall. Today, that number is scattered around the small village in stores, the museum, and in signs. It's nestled between the two large residential districts of Belconnen and Gungahlin with the New South Wales border to the north, making it hidden on a map, but if you're driving between Melbourne and Canberra or Adelaide and Canberra or anywhere using the Barton Highway, you'll notice brown tourism "Hall" signs, also rather hidden. Everything rather hidden is what makes Hall a rather unique and hidden gem of Canberra.

Get in
The first thing you will need to realise is that Hall is not on the beaten track, and the only way to get into the village is by car. There are no bus services to Hall, so if you don't have a car (whether it be personal or a rental car), tough luck, but that means the only other way to get into Hall is via an organised tour, which almost never happens.

There are only three roads that enter Hall, all of which are side roads off the Barton Highway (A25 / National Highway 25): Victoria Street (one northbound, and one southbound) and Gladstone Street.

Sleep
Though Hall is the classic rural Australian town, there is no accommodation in Hall, and the closest you can find is in either Belconnen or Gungahlin.

Connect
Despite being a rural village, Telstra, Optus and even Vodafone have good 5G coverage in Hall, owing to its close proximity to Central Canberra. However, there are no CBRfree public Wi-Fi locations in Hall.