Charnwood's estate design was based on the Radburn principle. Under this design, houses were to face common parkland, with the suburb's streets servicing garages situated at the rear of the houses. The design failed in its application, however, as home owners built fences around the "park side" of their blocks, effectively screening the houses away from the common parkland. This created long, narrow, fenced walkways, with poor lighting and no neighbourhood surveillance. The original design for the network of pathways was to make it possible to walk from any point in the suburb to any other without directly crossing a road; pedestrian bridges can be used to cross the few major streets within the suburb. Charnwood is the location of the Charnwood centre shopping area which serves surrounding suburbs. The shopping centre includes several fast food outlets, a branch of the Labor Club, a Shell Service Station and a Woolworths. An emergency services station incorporating ambulance, fire and rescue services was opened in October 2013 by the Minister for Police and Emergency Services, and is located near the Charnwood shops at the south-west corner of Lhotsky Street and Tillyard Drive abutting Ginninderra Dr.
According to the Act Planning and Land Authority website, the suburb is named after: " former homestead in the Belconnen District; Henry Hall obtained a grant of of land which he named 'Charnwood', 1833; named after the Forest of Charnwood in England." Street names in Charnwood are named after New South Wales pioneers and the suburb name 'Charnwood' was gazetted on 9 September 1971.
Interests
Each year, there is an annual carnival call the 'Charny Carny' a unique event which benefits Saint Thomas Aquinas Catholic Primary School, Charnwood-Dunlop Primary School and Mount Rogers Scout Group. This carnival has the traditional purpose of building community spirit and donates funds for both the schools and the Scout Group.
Sporting facilities
The Charnwood District Playing Fields are home to the Ginninderra "Tigers" athletics club during the track season.
Rocks in Charnwood are from the Silurian age. Deakin Volcanics purple rhyodacite is found in most of Charnwood. The Deakin Fault passes in the north west direction on the north east edge of the Deakin Volcanics, The fault dropped down the Deakin Volcanics and raised up the south west side. Hawkins Volcanics green-grey dacite and quartz andesite are in the north east on the other side of Deakin Fault.
