“Life Changing”: Why Canberra is Beating Sydney for Lifestyle
Lauren Miller swapped the hustle and bustle of Sydney for a new life in Canberra…and hasn’t looked back.
We’ve partnered with the ACT Government to share why Canberra is becoming the place to be for those seeking the perfect mix of work and play.
When it came time for Lauren Miller to make the permanent move to Canberra, she was already sold.
Her partner had taken on a new role six months earlier, and the duo had spent weekends commuting before she decided that she and Canberra were about to become “very good friends”.
“We decided to buy a house together in May 2023 and started our new life in that house 30 days later,” she tells Sitchu.
“I was so ready for the next adventure, and happy in love.”
The couple, who are a blended family, love horses, cooking, wine and spending time outdoors with their kids - all of which are on offer just steps from their doorstep in their new Canberra home.
So why would the CEO of Talent Management Agency HMMG, who lived moments from the beach in Sydney’s Maroubra, swap it all for a new city?
For Lauren, 46, the answer was easy: “Canberra offered the opportunity for us all to thrive”.
A New Lifestyle in Canberra
Lauren doesn’t view Canberra as being a “slower-paced lifestyle”.
“It is the right-paced lifestyle and I feel like a better mother, future wife, business leader and friend as a result,” she says.
“I was spending two hours in the car doing school drop-off in Sydney, stretched across all my various urgent priorities and not taking care of myself in the process.
“Every suburb [in Canberra] has amenities, there really is little to no traffic, you can get in and out of anywhere quickly, and this creates more time to invest well.
“On your doorstop is nature. You can hit the road to an incredible hike and be there in 45 minutes - in Sydney, you would not have even made it past the airport yet in the same amount of time.”
A move to Canberra has also allowed Lauren to run her business seamlessly.
“My clients are not all based in one city; the people we do deals with are not all based in one city either. What the move did help me do is to think about how I wanted to work and what work I wanted to be doing,” she says.
“We are here for the long term...and I wanted to tap into my years of experience and capability in strategic communications to be a ‘gun for hire’ to Canberra-based businesses.”
For Lauren, this means working from home when needed, as well as in the office at Region Media.
“It’s easy to be nimble when the logistics of life are…easy,” she says.
Being based in Canberra also means that she can make the most of opportunities when high-profile clients like Grace Tame are in town.
“We can catch up, work together and then she heads up to meet with the Prime Minister,” says Lauren.
A Community Spirit
“We are so lucky to be surrounded by salt of the earth people...whose warmth and support welcomed us to town with open arms,” Lauren shares with Sitchu.
This also means that Lauren’s 12-year-old son, Joshie, who is ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder), is “spoilt for choice” when it comes to the plethora of schooling and extracurricular activities available.
“Our community is just outstanding, inclusive and fun to be around,” she says.
“Through our interests, we have been included in many local communities. Joshie has joined a sporting team for the first time and has been playing AFL for the first time, too. This has only been made possible by a strong local football club, run by kind and caring volunteers and parents.
“This experience never seemed possible in Sydney…Canberra made that happen.”
Canberra’s Hottest Spots
There are so many restaurants, cafes and markets in Canberra that Lauren is hard-pressed to name a favourite.
“Every Saturday morning we are at the Capital Region Farmers Markets at EPIC in Mitchell - this is a REAL farmers market,” she says.
Her go-to restaurants? “Rizla, Corella, Lazy Su and Akiba - where they also have a coeliac chef’s tasting menu.”
“RAKU is arguably one of the best restaurants I have ever been to around the world. A must on the menu is the matched wines with the chef’s menu. Heaven,” she shares.
The family also frolics into the countryside at their doorstep, visiting Grazing at Gundaroo (“half an hour away with very special food and wine”) or Mona Farm, which Lauren describes as “a beautiful place to explore and stay”.
With a wine region that is “world-class”, spectacular national parks and hikes moments away, Lauren is spoilt for choice.
“Having the national institutions 15 minutes from home is also surreal and brilliant,” she says.
“I needed some quiet space to get a report done for a client and spent the week working from the globe room at the National Library.”
For Lauren, Canberra is anything but boring (“those people may still be stuck in their Year 5 Canberra excursion and haven’t immersed themselves in the thriving culture of Canberra in 2024,” she argues), and the 46-year-old’s favourite thing about the city? The changing seasons.
“I love that Canberra has four actual seasons!” she says.
“It’s stunning. I’ve happily swapped the ocean for the mountains and I love feeling a little bit country, too.
“There are friends to be made and opportunities aplenty in Canberra.”
Think Canberra might be the right place for you? Find out more here.