Parkes is named in honour of Sir Henry Parkes, a Federalist, legislator and one of the founders of the Australian Constitution. Streets in Parkes are named after monarchs and constitutional references.[2]
Parkes contains many of Canberra's large institutions and contains limited residential areas.
The geology of Parkes has been studied in great detail. Canberra Formation, calcareous shale is found in the lower parts. This overlies middle Silurian Camp Hill Sandstone. The sandstone unconformably overlies the early Silurian Black Mountain Sandstone and State Circle Shale. State Circle Shale is Late Llandovery in a more finely divided time scale and it has been dated to 445 ±7 million years old. The State Circle Shale is composed of laminated shales and siltstone. Black Mountain Sandstone is composed of a white quartz sandstone.[7]