Our Community

Stellulata Cohousing began in 2018 as recently retired friends wishing to age in our own neighbourhood in North Canberra. Together we planned a small cohousing community where we can support each other, share resources to keep our costs low and minimise our ecological footprint.

• Who are you?

• What do you mean by Community?

• What is Stellulata?

• What is Cohousing?

• What is ageing in place?

• Is this just for old people?

Joss and Trish have lived in Downer for 35 years. Trish grew up there. Ian spent his teenage years in Hackett and has lived in Dickson since 1987.

We raised our children here and we still love living in the Inner North of Canberra. We are ready to downsize but we do not want to move into apartments. Our preferred option of small, single storey homes with garden space are in short supply in our area and we are looking for close community as much as townhouses.

We have formed a company as the most suitable structure in the ACT for designing, building and managing our new home and have purchased 24 Angas Street Ainslie.

We selected Brett Lowe as our architect and are enjoying a wonderful collaboration with him to create the built environment we want to support our community.

In late 2021 we formally welcomed two new community members, Jill and James. These Sydney escapees, who had moved to North Canberra a year earlier, have lived for many years in similar sized apartments and were looking to move somewhere with a garden, improved sustainability features and the opportunity to build community, which is often missing in apartment living.  

As well as designing our physical community – the buildings and gardens – we have carefully considered how we will develop and maintain a cooperative, caring community of people.

We have drafted a statement of Vision, Values and Principles for Stellulata Cohousing that will guide our actions as we develop. It includes our intention to work together to build a welcoming community for each other, our neighbours and friends. It declares that we will share our common spaces and resources and fairly contribute to the community costs and tasks.

The statement lists our values:

• We recognise the community is situated on lands that the Ngunnawal, Ngambri, and other First Nations peoples have lived and met on for thousands of years. We acknowledge that sovereignty has never been ceded.

• We trust, respect and accept one another.

• We collaborate in community tasks, decision making and conflict resolution.

• We manage our shared resources prudently for the benefit of all residents.

• We appreciate and protect the independence and privacy of our individual units.

• We support each other by sharing resources and knowledge and spending time together.

• We contribute to our immediate and wider neighbourhood.

• We live lightly on the earth.

The full statement of Stellulata Cohousing Vision, Values and Principles is available as a PDF file.

To support our desire to live lightly on the earth, we choose to walk, cycle or use public transport in preference to motor vehicles where possible. We have prepared a Draft Residential Travel Plan to guide us in this effort.

We have formed a company, Stellulata Pty Ltd, as the most suitable structure for designing, building and managing our new home and have purchased 24 Angas Street Ainslie (Google map). Joss and Trish, Ian and Julie, and Jill and James each own a third of the shares.

The company is named after Eucalyptus stellulata, commonly known as Black Sallee, a high altitude tree found in south-eastern Australia.

Although our community is small, we follow the principles of cohousing.

a) Participatory process - Residents participate in the design of the community so that it meets their needs.

b) Building and landscape design - The physical layout and orientation of the buildings encourage a sense of community and social interactions.

c) Common facilities - Common facilities are designed for daily use, are an integral part of the community, and are always supplemental to the private residences.

d) Resident management - Residents directly manage the cohousing community, and perform much of the work required to maintain the property.

e) Non-hierarchical structure and decision-making - Each person takes on one or more roles consistent with their skills, abilities and interests. Decisions are made collaboratively.

Building a strong, collaborative community is a continued focus at Stellulata:

f) We share a meal together approximately once a week.

g) We work together on community projects.

h) We meet regularly to solve problems and make decisions for the community.

i) We strive to improve the community for the benefit of all residents.

j) We create our own traditions.

To support our desire to live lightly on the earth:

k) We choose to walk, cycle or use public transport in preference to motor vehicles where possible.

l) We minimise our negative impact on the natural world including our carbon emissions. Sharing is at the heart of our community.

m) We freely share a common house, including kitchen, laundry, freezer and garage plus common gardens, shared vehicles and other resources.

n) All costs outside of the private dwellings are agreed and shared equitably.

We maintain a system of fair participation in community tasks based on each resident’s skills, abilities and interests.

Based on http://livewellcohousing.ca/discover-cohousing/six-characterisitcs-of-cohousing/

Ageing in place has been defined as "the ability to live in one's own home and community safely, independently, and comfortably, regardless of age, income, or ability level". We have chosen to age in our own community (North Canberra) and downsize into units that are designed to support us as we become less able. Our proposal aims for the platinum standard of the Livable Housing Design Guidelines.

While the project may have started as an ageing-in-place initiative driven by people who are already friends, the latest joiners are in their 40s and 50s and the same structure will be suitable for people at all stages of life, with the exception of large families.

To make contact with others who are interested in cohousing, go to the Cohousing Canberra website, their Facebook page or email cohousingcbr@gmail.com