Find of the Month
July 2026
ACT Honour Walk
The ACT Honour Walk recognises individuals who have helped shape the city of Canberra as we know it today. Recipients are commemorated with a plaque located in Ainslie Place, between the ACT Memorial on London Circuit and the Canberra Times Fountain outside the Canberra Centre.
The title plaque of the ACT Honour Walk. Photo: ArchivesACT.
Records held by ArchivesACT illuminate the process of establishing the Honour Walk, from idea to unveiling. Correspondence shows that in 2004, Chief Minister Jon Stanhope urged Urban Services Minister Bill Wood to implement several commemorative projects: the ACT Honour Walk, the ACT Memorial, and community sponsorship of public benches.
The records contain the award selection criteria, nomination submissions, drafts of the text for each plaque, layout proofs, letters to recipients or their families, and copies of the Chief Minister's speech at the unveiling event.
The records include extensive background research material relating to nominees and recipients, such as newspaper clippings and correspondence with historians and archivists, including with the ACT Heritage Library - for guidance and factchecking. They also show the design and proposed works approved by the National Capital Authority (NCA).
Design from record 04/9095. Click to view larger image.
Design from record 04/9095. Click to view larger image.
The ACT Honour Walk replaced and expanded on an existing sports-focussed memorial. In 2001 the ACT Government established the Civic Honour Walk: Canberra Legends for commemoration of elite sporting teams and individuals. The first and only plaque commemorated 21 years of the Canberra Raiders, while a promise to install a second plaque for the ACT Brumbies had not been followed through. The Brumbies and Raiders both received plaques in the new ACT Honour Walk which was expanded to include notable and lasting contributions to Canberra across all endeavours.
The first page of Jon Stanhope’s speech notes for the dedication event in 2005, from record 04/14527. Click to view larger image.
The first recipients of a plaque on the Honour Walk in 2005 included founder of the Canberra Times Arthur Shakespeare, the first Chief Minister of Australian Capital Territory Rosemary Follett AM, and poet and essayist A D Hope.
Another recipient, Andrew Pike OAM (Ronin Films, Electric Shadows Cinema), gave some remarks at the event, and the Canberra Philharmonic Society performed some music to celebrate their own inclusion on the Honour Walk.
An email summarising the program for the Honour Walk dedication event, from record 05/3034. Click to view larger image.
Another honour recipient was Stasia Dabrowski, known to generations of Canberrans as The Soup Lady. Born around 1926 in Poland, she migrated to Australia in 1964. She spent decades serving homemade soup from her corner in Garema Place to all comers, whatever their needs. In recognition of her contribution, she was named Canberra Citizen of the Year in 1996. You can read their story on the ACT Heritage Library website.
Stasia Dabrowski serves soup in Garema place. Photograph by Richard Briggs, published in the Canberra Times Panorama Upfront 09/10/2004, page 7, newspaper clipping present in record 04/9988. Click to view larger image.
The ACT Honour walk continues to commemorate and celebrate Canberrans who have made significant contributions to the community, with new names being added most years. The 2025 recipients were Domenic Mico OAM, Mary Stevenson MBE, John Hindmarsh AM, and Richard and Maureen Tindale. Nominations are open and can be made at any time at the ACT Honour Walk website.
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ACT Government records used
05/3043 - COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT - Ceremonies - ACT HONOUR WALK 2005 DEDICATION EVENT
04/14527 - COMMUNITY RELATIONS - Implementation - ACT HONOUR WALK - DESIGN & CONSTRUCTION
04/9095 - CITY MANAGEMENT, CANBERRA URBAN PARKS & PLACES, ACT HONOUR WALK
01/6105 - ACT CONTRACTS, 2001.0449 CIVIC HONOUR WALK (SPORTS) - C01205
01/10590 - ACT CONTRACTS, CIVIC HONOUR WALK - SPORTS - 2001.0449 C01417
04/9984 - POLICY GROUP, ACT HONOUR WALK 2004
04/9988 - POLICY GROUP, ACT HONOUR WALK 2004 - NOMINATIONS
Other sources
ACT Honour Walk - ACT Government
ACT Honour Walk recipients
Stasia Dabrowski - Libraries ACT
Nominate a worthy Canberran for the ACT Honour Walk | The Canberra Times | Canberra, ACT
Outstanding Canberrans join ACT Honour Walk - Our Canberra