Skateboarding at the Erindale Brick Banks. Photo: Canberra Skateboarding Association (CSA).
It might not look like much, but that sloped brick wall near Erindale College? As of this week, it’s officially heritage listed.
And Canberra’s skateboarders couldn’t be happier.
Dubbed the ‘Brick Banks’ – or the ‘Snakepit’, depending on how keen a skater you are – these walls have done more than hold back the grove of trees near Erindale’s college and library precinct.
Since the 1970s, skaters have come from all over the ACT for the challenge of the walls’ height, tight curves, and unforgiving angles. “Tony Hawk skated there,” is a common phrase you’ll hear in hushed, respectful tones. As is the fact the Brick Banks have appeared in skateboarding magazines and videos over the decades.
For eight years, the Canberra Skateboarding Association has been lobbying the ACT Government’s Heritage Council to recognise this, too, and protect the site from future development by granting it heritage status.
The group, headed up by Brenden ‘Woody’ Wood, submitted the proposal in 2017, which included historical photos and testimonials from professional skateboarders.
“I learned to skateboard in the early 2000s in the Erindale area, not just on the Brick Banks,” Wood told Region earlier this year.
“Although it might not see daily use like some of Canberra’s large skateparks, it’s a mandatory stop for touring professionals and travelling skateboarders … There aren’t many spots in Australia which can make that claim.”
Tony Hawk Skateboarding at Erindale in the 1980s. Photo: Dave Pang, Canberra Skateboarding Association (CSA).
The ACT Heritage Council granted the site “provisional” protection in July this year, pending community consultation – but now, a few months later, that’s in and the verdict is unanimous.
The Brick Banks are officially heritage listed – even if the wider Erindale Skatepark missed out.
“The Brick Banks are more than bricks and mortar – they represent generations of creativity, progression, and community,” Council chair Catherine Skippington said.
“Their steepness and angles have inspired innovation and cemented their place as an iconic skateboarding landmark.”
Just as the CSA wanted, the registration does not prevent maintenance or upgrades – but “supports thoughtful stewardship of a site that remains active, relevant, and loved”.
“This listing ensures the Brick Banks will continue to inspire future generations of skaters while being cared for as a place of cultural and historical importance,” Skippington said.
The Heritage Council has yet to decide on a nomination for the Tuggeranong Skatepark to be added to the heritage register.
Built in the mid-1990s, it too has hosted major BMX and skate events in its time – and yep, Tony Hawk.
“A rare example of early 1990s ‘big air’ design, the park features spacious flow-riding areas, large halfpipes and quarter pipes that support advanced tricks like flips, flares, and barspins,” the nomination document, filed in June, reads.
The nomination was submitted by Robin Brown, a confessed “skatepark Dad” who has started an impromptu Friday evening gathering at the skatepark for kids aged three years and up to practice their BMX moves.
Tuggeranong Skatepark. Photo: Canberra Skateboarding Association (CSA), Facebook.
“A key focus of our program is mentoring young riders – not just to build their BMX skills but also to support them in staying positive and focused on life after school, career development, and employment opportunities,” Brown told Region earlier this year.
But the proposal has received criticism from the CSA over fears the listing will prevent much-needed upgrades at the park, built in the mid-1990s.
Brown responded, arguing that the heritage listing won’t rule out any redevelopment but will require the government to retain the skatepark’s “current values”.
The Tuggeranong Skatepark nomination is in the “early stages of an assessment of possible heritage values”, according to the Council.
“It is on the Council’s current workplan and we are working towards a decision in the next 12 months,” Chair Skippington said.
