Flemington, Victoria
Encyclopedia
Flemington is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
, situated between the Maribyrnong River
and Moonee Ponds Creek
4 km north-west from Melbourne's central business district
. It was named by settler James Watson after Flemington estate in Scotland
. Its Local Government Areas are the Cities of Melbourne
and Moonee Valley
. At the 2006 Census, Flemington had a population of 7,376.
The Melbourne Cup
Thoroughbred horse race
has been held at Flemington Racecourse
since 1861.
Flemington includes the locality of Newmarket, in which the main commercial area, Racecourse Road is located.
Flemington and the adjacent Kensington
consist primarily of weatherboard cottages mixed with attached brick single-storey and some double-storey terrace houses. Most of the homes are in Victorian or Boom style with some Edwardian and Federation style homes. Some sections originally contained factories and industry.
The earliest land release was in the 1840s when fertile land adjacent to the Maribyrnong River was taken up for cattle grazing. Land for Flemington Racecourse was reserved as early as 1845. Around this time the Melbourne Municipal Saleyards were relocated from Elizabeth Street
, West Melbourne
to Flemington. Also around this time abbatoirs and other commercial activities were established. Various industrial activities were clustered around the Maribyrnong River and the Moonee Ponds Creek.
The Victorian Goldrush of the 1850s encouraged further development as Mount Alexander Road
was the main route to the North Western Goldfields. Flemington Post Office opened on 1 January 1854.
It was originally included in the City of Essendon
at its formation in 1861 and the first Melbourne Cup was run at Flemington the same year. Buntingford Tannery (now demolished) was located adjacent to Moonee Ponds Creek. This business, established by members of the Debney family, moved to the site in 1876 and at one time covered more than an acre of ground and consisted of several buildings.
Flemington and Kensington
broke away from the City of Essendon in 1882 to form the Borough of Flemington and Kensington as the decade saw intensified residential development consisting of detached single-storey weatherboard homes and some brick semi-detached or attached single-storey homes on small allotments. Some larger homes including grandiose double-storey brick homes on double allotments, and some double-storey brick terrace homes were also constructed. Industry consisting of mills, factories and warehouses continued in the area taking advantage of the low-cost flat land. By 1911 the population was 6,109.
In 1905 the Borough of Flemington and Kensington was subsumed by the City of Melbourne
.
During the 1950s there was an influx of European immigrants, mostly from Italy
.
horse race
, run on the first Tuesday in November since 1861, by the Victoria Racing Club
.
is on Pin Oak Crescent, near its intersection with Racecourse Road.
In the late 1990s a new supermarket was constructed on an old car sale yard on Racecourse Road, directly west of Newmarket Station. Several new apartment buildings were built on empty allotments behind the Racecourse Road and Pin Oak Crescent shops.
In regard to Flemington's commercial area Barry Humphries
declared in 2005 that his favourite building in Melbourne was the Flemington Post Office, which is on Wellington Street and went on to say:
The 2001 census data shows that its largest immigrant groups originate from Vietnam
, China
, United Kingdom
, Italy
, New Zealand
, Greece
, Egypt
, Philippines
, India
and Hong Kong
. The 1990s and 2000s has also seen a Northeast African and Latin American community emerge in the area. Many immigrants continue to settle, particularly from Somalia
and various other Horn of Africa
nations.
Flemington also contains public housing estates. The largest public housing estate is the Holland Court Housing Commission of Victoria
estate. This consists of four twenty storey towers and several three and four storey walk-up blocks of flats. This was constructed in the 1960s on flat land adjacent to the Moonee Ponds Creek on a site previously occupied by factories.
Small tracts of Housing Commission houses are dotted through other parts of Flemington.
The main road arterial is Racecourse Road which is part of the Princes Highway
. The CityLink
tollway also runs along the suburb's boundary to the east.
The main railway station is Newmarket Station
on the Craigieburn railway line. Macaulay and Flemington Bridge stations on the Upfield line also service the suburb.
The Flemington Racecourse branch line runs through the suburb. The line branches off from the Craigieburn line just past Newmarket Station
. This branch line has two stations: Flemington Racecourse and Showgrounds
. The line's trains do not stop at Newmarket Station and run only on event days.
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, situated between the Maribyrnong River
Maribyrnong river
The Maribyrnong River rises about 50 km north of Melbourne, Victoria , near Mount Macedon. It flows generally southward and combines with the Yarra River to flow into Port Phillip....
and Moonee Ponds Creek
Moonee Ponds Creek
The Moonee Ponds Creek is a creek and major tributary of the Yarra River running through urban Melbourne, Victoria, Australia from northern to inner suburbs...
4 km north-west from Melbourne's central business district
Central business district
A central business district is the commercial and often geographic heart of a city. In North America this part of a city is commonly referred to as "downtown" or "city center"...
. It was named by settler James Watson after Flemington estate in Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
. Its Local Government Areas are the Cities of Melbourne
City of Melbourne
The City of Melbourne is a Local Government Area in Victoria, Australia, located in the central city area of Melbourne. The city has an area of 36 square kilometres and has an estimated population of 93,105 people. The city's motto is "Vires acquirit eundo" which means "She gathers strength as she...
and Moonee Valley
City of Moonee Valley
The City of Moonee Valley is a Local Government Area located within the metropolitan area of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. It comprises the north-western suburbs between 3 and 13 kilometres from the Melbourne city centre...
. At the 2006 Census, Flemington had a population of 7,376.
The Melbourne Cup
Melbourne Cup
The Melbourne Cup is Australia's major Thoroughbred horse race. Marketed as "the race that stops a nation", it is a 3,200 metre race for three-year-olds and over. It is the richest "two-mile" handicap in the world, and one of the richest turf races...
Thoroughbred horse race
Thoroughbred horse race
Thoroughbred horse racing is a worldwide sport and industry involving the racing of Thoroughbred horses. It is governed by different national bodies. There are two forms of the sport: Flat racing and National Hunt racing...
has been held at Flemington Racecourse
Flemington Racecourse
Flemington Racecourse is a major horse racing venue located in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. It is most notable for hosting the Melbourne Cup, which is Australia's richest horse race. The racecourse is situated on low alluvial flats, next to the Maribyrnong River...
since 1861.
Flemington includes the locality of Newmarket, in which the main commercial area, Racecourse Road is located.
History
In 1839, James Watson came to Port Phillip to purchase land for himself and English and Scottish investors. He named the area Flemington after Flemington estate in Scotland where his wife’s father was manager, which was in turn named because of Flemish settlement in the area.Flemington and the adjacent Kensington
Kensington, Victoria
Kensington is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 4 km north-west from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Melbourne...
consist primarily of weatherboard cottages mixed with attached brick single-storey and some double-storey terrace houses. Most of the homes are in Victorian or Boom style with some Edwardian and Federation style homes. Some sections originally contained factories and industry.
The earliest land release was in the 1840s when fertile land adjacent to the Maribyrnong River was taken up for cattle grazing. Land for Flemington Racecourse was reserved as early as 1845. Around this time the Melbourne Municipal Saleyards were relocated from Elizabeth Street
Elizabeth Street, Melbourne
Elizabeth Street is one of the main north-south streets in the central business district of Melbourne, Australia, part of the Hoddle Grid laid out in 1837.- Geography :...
, West Melbourne
West Melbourne, Victoria
West Melbourne is an inner city suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 3 km north-west from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Melbourne...
to Flemington. Also around this time abbatoirs and other commercial activities were established. Various industrial activities were clustered around the Maribyrnong River and the Moonee Ponds Creek.
The Victorian Goldrush of the 1850s encouraged further development as Mount Alexander Road
Mount Alexander Road, Melbourne
Mount Alexander Road is a major road in Melbourne's inner northern suburbs.It commences at the junction of Flemington Road and CityLink in the suburb of North Melbourne, proceeds North through Flemington forming the boundary between Flemington and Travancore, then forming the boundary between...
was the main route to the North Western Goldfields. Flemington Post Office opened on 1 January 1854.
It was originally included in the City of Essendon
City of Essendon
The City of Essendon was a Local Government Area located about northwest of Melbourne, the state capital of Victoria, Australia. The city covered an area of , and existed from 1861 until 1994.-History:...
at its formation in 1861 and the first Melbourne Cup was run at Flemington the same year. Buntingford Tannery (now demolished) was located adjacent to Moonee Ponds Creek. This business, established by members of the Debney family, moved to the site in 1876 and at one time covered more than an acre of ground and consisted of several buildings.
Flemington and Kensington
Kensington, Victoria
Kensington is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 4 km north-west from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Melbourne...
broke away from the City of Essendon in 1882 to form the Borough of Flemington and Kensington as the decade saw intensified residential development consisting of detached single-storey weatherboard homes and some brick semi-detached or attached single-storey homes on small allotments. Some larger homes including grandiose double-storey brick homes on double allotments, and some double-storey brick terrace homes were also constructed. Industry consisting of mills, factories and warehouses continued in the area taking advantage of the low-cost flat land. By 1911 the population was 6,109.
In 1905 the Borough of Flemington and Kensington was subsumed by the City of Melbourne
City of Melbourne
The City of Melbourne is a Local Government Area in Victoria, Australia, located in the central city area of Melbourne. The city has an area of 36 square kilometres and has an estimated population of 93,105 people. The city's motto is "Vires acquirit eundo" which means "She gathers strength as she...
.
During the 1950s there was an influx of European immigrants, mostly from Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
.
Flemington Racecourse
Flemington racecource is famous for the Melbourne CupMelbourne Cup
The Melbourne Cup is Australia's major Thoroughbred horse race. Marketed as "the race that stops a nation", it is a 3,200 metre race for three-year-olds and over. It is the richest "two-mile" handicap in the world, and one of the richest turf races...
horse race
Thoroughbred horse race
Thoroughbred horse racing is a worldwide sport and industry involving the racing of Thoroughbred horses. It is governed by different national bodies. There are two forms of the sport: Flat racing and National Hunt racing...
, run on the first Tuesday in November since 1861, by the Victoria Racing Club
Victoria Racing Club
The Victoria Racing Club was founded in 1864. It was formed following the disbanding of the Victoria Turf Club and the Victoria Jockey Club. A legacy passed from the Victoria Turf Club was the annual “race that stops a nation”, the Melbourne Cup, which was first contested in 1861.From its...
.
Commercial areas and Racecourse Road
Racecourse Road is the suburb's main commercial area. Pin Oak Crescent has a small number of shops and cafes. Railway station Newmarket StationNewmarket railway station, Melbourne
Newmarket is a railway station in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, located in the suburb of Flemington, on the Craigieburn railway line. Newmarket is classed as a Host station and is in Metcard Zone 1.-Facilities:...
is on Pin Oak Crescent, near its intersection with Racecourse Road.
In the late 1990s a new supermarket was constructed on an old car sale yard on Racecourse Road, directly west of Newmarket Station. Several new apartment buildings were built on empty allotments behind the Racecourse Road and Pin Oak Crescent shops.
In regard to Flemington's commercial area Barry Humphries
Barry Humphries
John Barry Humphries, AO, CBE is an Australian comedian, satirist, dadaist, artist, author and character actor, best known for his on-stage and television alter egos Dame Edna Everage, a Melbourne housewife and "gigastar", and Sir Les Patterson, Australia's foul-mouthed cultural attaché to the...
declared in 2005 that his favourite building in Melbourne was the Flemington Post Office, which is on Wellington Street and went on to say:
Schools
It has three kindergartens, three primary schools, a secondary college and a special needs school.Demographics
Flemington is home to a diverse migrant population.The 2001 census data shows that its largest immigrant groups originate from Vietnam
Vietnam
Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
, China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
, United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
, Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
, Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
, Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
and Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
. The 1990s and 2000s has also seen a Northeast African and Latin American community emerge in the area. Many immigrants continue to settle, particularly from Somalia
Somalia
Somalia , officially the Somali Republic and formerly known as the Somali Democratic Republic under Socialist rule, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. Since the outbreak of the Somali Civil War in 1991 there has been no central government control over most of the country's territory...
and various other Horn of Africa
Horn of Africa
The Horn of Africa is a peninsula in East Africa that juts hundreds of kilometers into the Arabian Sea and lies along the southern side of the Gulf of Aden. It is the easternmost projection of the African continent...
nations.
Housing
Flemington has a mix of housing styles including detached single family homes, terrace houses and semi-detached homes, many dating to the Victorian and Edwardian eras. The area around Wellington Street and Farnham Street includes many walk-up privately owned flats built during the 1960s and 1970s.Flemington also contains public housing estates. The largest public housing estate is the Holland Court Housing Commission of Victoria
Housing Commission of Victoria
The Housing Commission of Victoria was a State Government body responsible for public housing in Victoria, Australia...
estate. This consists of four twenty storey towers and several three and four storey walk-up blocks of flats. This was constructed in the 1960s on flat land adjacent to the Moonee Ponds Creek on a site previously occupied by factories.
Small tracts of Housing Commission houses are dotted through other parts of Flemington.
Train
Princes Highway
The Princes Highway extends from Sydney to Port Augusta via the coast through the states of New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia, a distance of 1941 km or 1898 km via the former alignments of the highway ....
. The CityLink
CityLink
CityLink is a system of tolled urban Highways in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. The company Transurban was awarded the contract to augment two existing freeways and construct two new Toll roads—labelled the Western and Southern Links—directly linking a number of existing freeways to...
tollway also runs along the suburb's boundary to the east.
The main railway station is Newmarket Station
Newmarket railway station, Melbourne
Newmarket is a railway station in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, located in the suburb of Flemington, on the Craigieburn railway line. Newmarket is classed as a Host station and is in Metcard Zone 1.-Facilities:...
on the Craigieburn railway line. Macaulay and Flemington Bridge stations on the Upfield line also service the suburb.
The Flemington Racecourse branch line runs through the suburb. The line branches off from the Craigieburn line just past Newmarket Station
Newmarket railway station, Melbourne
Newmarket is a railway station in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, located in the suburb of Flemington, on the Craigieburn railway line. Newmarket is classed as a Host station and is in Metcard Zone 1.-Facilities:...
. This branch line has two stations: Flemington Racecourse and Showgrounds
Showgrounds railway station, Melbourne
Showgrounds is a railway station in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. It is located on the Flemington Racecourse railway line in the suburb of Flemington, adjacent to the Melbourne Showgrounds....
. The line's trains do not stop at Newmarket Station and run only on event days.
Tram
- Tram Route 57Melbourne tram route 57Tram route 57 is a public transport service in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. It runs from the corner of Flinders Street and Elizabeth Street in the city centre to West Maribyrnong in the inner Western suburbs....
travels from West MaribyrnongMaribyrnong, VictoriaMaribyrnong is a suburb 8 km north-west of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Its Local Government Area is the City of Maribyrnong, part of River Ward. At the 2006 Census, Maribyrnong had a population of 8242....
(Cordite Avenue) to City (Flinders Street / Elizabeth Street) - Tram Route 59Melbourne tram route 59Tram route 59 is a public transport service in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. It runs from the intersection of Flinders Street and Elizabeth Street in the city centre to Airport West in the north western suburbs....
travels from Airport WestAirport West, VictoriaAirport West is a suburb 14 km north-west of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Its Local Government Area is the City of Moonee Valley. At the 2006 Census, Airport West had a population of 6660....
to City (Flinders Street / Elizabeth Street)
Bus
- 404 FootscrayFootscray, VictoriaFootscray is a suburb 5 km west of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Its Local Government Area is the City of Maribyrnong. At the 2006 Census, Footscray had a population of 11,401....
– Moonee PondsMoonee Ponds, VictoriaMoonee Ponds is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 7 km north-west from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Moonee Valley.It is home to Queens Park and the Moonee Valley Racecourse...
via Flemington, Ascot Vale, Newmarket (Monday to Saturday). Operated by Sita Bus Lines. - 472 Moonee PondsMoonee Ponds, VictoriaMoonee Ponds is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 7 km north-west from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Moonee Valley.It is home to Queens Park and the Moonee Valley Racecourse...
– WilliamstownWilliamstown, VictoriaWilliamstown is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 8 km south-west from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Hobsons Bay. At the 2006 Census, Williamstown had a population of 12,733....
via Ascot Vale, Flemington Racecourse, Footscray, North Williamstown RS (every day). Operated by Sita Bus Lines. - 942 City – St Albans (occasionally Sunbury) via Footscray, Sunshine, Deer Park (Saturday and Sunday mornings). Operated by Dyson's Bus ServicesDyson's Bus ServicesDyson's Bus Services is a privately owned bus and coach operator in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. As a Melbourne bus company, it operates a number of bus routes under contract from the Victorian State Government. Beyond operating route services, it also owns the Cobb and Co coach company...
.