Jacana, Victoria
Encyclopedia
Jacana is a suburb in Melbourne
, Victoria
, Australia
, 16 km north from Melbourne's central business district
. Its Local Government Area is the City of Hume
. At the 2006 Census, Jacana had a population of 1,963.
Jacana is situated north of the Western Ring Road, south of Johnstone Street and between the Craigieburn railway line and Moonee Ponds Creek
.
and Glenroy
in the 1950s by the Housing Commission of Victoria
(HCV). The name comes from Jacana Street, to the east of the Craigieburn railway line (therefore, technically not in Jacana itself). Both the street and the suburb are slightly to the north of the Jacana railway station, which was built to service the suburb in 1959. However, Jacana as a built landscape did not spring fully formed under the aegis of the HCV.
The streets in the southern section of Jacana were laid out in 1923 when 861 lots were offered for sale on land which had formerly been owned by Duncan Kennedy, a farmer in the area from the mid-1840s. The Housing Commission retitled some of the streets (for instance, the jokingly named Emu Parade and Sunset Boulevarde) and built most of the housing stock in this section of Jacana in the 1950s. Only a few houses in Jacana - notably those in Pascoe Vale Road - predate the Housing Commission's arrival in Broadmeadows. In the late 50s a picture of the 'daily needs' shopping centre in Emu Parade appeared in the Housing Commission's Annual Report of 1958-9, presumably because it represented the progressive and ever-expanding nature of HCV operations. As the population increased, Jacana Post Office opened on 15 May 1961.
The Commission later laid out and built the northern section of Jacana in the early 1970s, the southernmost section of its showcase Meadow Fair estate. A small portion of the southern section of Jacana came under threat in the mid-1960s, when new branch line was proposed to extend from the Broadmeadows line close to the site of Jacana station, to extend to the new Melbourne Airport
. This line was not built.
Construction of the newer area of Jacana took place in the Whitlam era, which ended with the opening of the Broadmeadows Sporting Club, situated on the Jacana side of the Moonee Ponds Creek Valley. The club was opened by Prime Minister Gough Whitlam
on 10 November 1975—the day before his dismissal by the Governor General, John Kerr. During the 1970s a major portion of what is now Jacana reserve was a rubbish dump created to fill a valley containing a small tributary of Moonee Ponds Creek. This area now features two sports ovals.
As is to be expected from a former Housing Commission development in this region, Jacana is a lower-middle or working class area which, because of its planned heritage, enjoys better amenities than many privately developed or unplanned suburbs. It contains the aforementioned shops and Sports Club (which includes a bowling green), small playgrounds, a school, and extensive parkland. The north-eastern section of the suburb is the site of Broadmeadows Community Health Centre, relocated from a site north of the Broadmeadows Shopping Centre
to a space long reserved for a hospital.
The former school site is currently occupied by the Northern School for Autism (for primary and secondary aged students in the Northern Region of Melbourne, formerly the Preston Special Developmental School). The old school site is undergoing renovations, to the interior and exterior, expected to be completed in 2011.
The Jacana Progress Association no longer exists, and little is known of the circumstances of its demise.
trains.
The Moonee Ponds Creek Trail
and the Western Ring Road Trail
provide facilities for recreational and commuting cyclists.
2001 statistics for the Jacana reveal a suburb in which 60.4% of the population is Australian-born - the remainder from a variety of sources, only the United Kingdom (3.1%) and Italy (2.6%) exceeding 2%. In 2001 almost 10% of Jacanaians were unemployed, and 48.5% were not in the labour force (over 30% of the population is under 18 or over 65). Of those employed, almost a quarter worked in manufacturing, and just over 15% worked in retail.
The majority of Jacana housing, as stated above, was erected by the Housing Commission of Victoria either in the later 1950s and early 60s, or in the early 1970s. It is mainly of brick construction with pre-cast concrete elements as per the HCV method of the 1950s-60s. There are no flats. 91.3% of Jacana residents live in separate houses. 48.3 % own their own home, and 26.2% are purchasing their home, a total of 74.5%. The average housing price in Jacana in 2001 was $131, 750; today premium streets such as Landy and Freeman Streets command prices over $300 000 as a result of the housing boom earlier in the decade. While this is a major increase over a short period of time, prices in Jacana are still far below the average for Melbourne.
, an Australian Rules football team, competes in the Essendon District Football League
.
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
, Victoria
Victoria (Australia)
Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....
, Australia
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...
, 16 km north from Melbourne's central business district
Melbourne city centre
Melbourne City Centre is an area of Melbourne in Victoria, Australia. It is not to be confused with the larger local government area of the City of Melbourne...
. Its Local Government Area is the City of Hume
City of Hume
The City of Hume is a Local Government Area located partially within the metropolitan area of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. It includes outer north-western suburbs and a number of rural localities between 13 and 40 kilometres from the Melbourne city centre....
. At the 2006 Census, Jacana had a population of 1,963.
Jacana is situated north of the Western Ring Road, south of Johnstone Street and between the Craigieburn railway line 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...
.
History
The name Jacana was applied to an area between BroadmeadowsBroadmeadows, Victoria
Broadmeadows is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 16 km north from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Hume...
and Glenroy
Glenroy, Victoria
Glenroy is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 13 km north from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Moreland...
in the 1950s by the 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...
(HCV). The name comes from Jacana Street, to the east of the Craigieburn railway line (therefore, technically not in Jacana itself). Both the street and the suburb are slightly to the north of the Jacana railway station, which was built to service the suburb in 1959. However, Jacana as a built landscape did not spring fully formed under the aegis of the HCV.
The streets in the southern section of Jacana were laid out in 1923 when 861 lots were offered for sale on land which had formerly been owned by Duncan Kennedy, a farmer in the area from the mid-1840s. The Housing Commission retitled some of the streets (for instance, the jokingly named Emu Parade and Sunset Boulevarde) and built most of the housing stock in this section of Jacana in the 1950s. Only a few houses in Jacana - notably those in Pascoe Vale Road - predate the Housing Commission's arrival in Broadmeadows. In the late 50s a picture of the 'daily needs' shopping centre in Emu Parade appeared in the Housing Commission's Annual Report of 1958-9, presumably because it represented the progressive and ever-expanding nature of HCV operations. As the population increased, Jacana Post Office opened on 15 May 1961.
The Commission later laid out and built the northern section of Jacana in the early 1970s, the southernmost section of its showcase Meadow Fair estate. A small portion of the southern section of Jacana came under threat in the mid-1960s, when new branch line was proposed to extend from the Broadmeadows line close to the site of Jacana station, to extend to the new Melbourne Airport
Melbourne Airport
Melbourne Airport , also known as Tullamarine Airport, is the primary airport serving the city of Melbourne and the second busiest in Australia. It was opened in 1970 to replace the nearby Essendon Airport. Melbourne Airport is the sole international airport of the four airports serving the...
. This line was not built.
Construction of the newer area of Jacana took place in the Whitlam era, which ended with the opening of the Broadmeadows Sporting Club, situated on the Jacana side of the Moonee Ponds Creek Valley. The club was opened by Prime Minister Gough Whitlam
Gough Whitlam
Edward Gough Whitlam, AC, QC , known as Gough Whitlam , served as the 21st Prime Minister of Australia. Whitlam led the Australian Labor Party to power at the 1972 election and retained government at the 1974 election, before being dismissed by Governor-General Sir John Kerr at the climax of the...
on 10 November 1975—the day before his dismissal by the Governor General, John Kerr. During the 1970s a major portion of what is now Jacana reserve was a rubbish dump created to fill a valley containing a small tributary of Moonee Ponds Creek. This area now features two sports ovals.
As is to be expected from a former Housing Commission development in this region, Jacana is a lower-middle or working class area which, because of its planned heritage, enjoys better amenities than many privately developed or unplanned suburbs. It contains the aforementioned shops and Sports Club (which includes a bowling green), small playgrounds, a school, and extensive parkland. The north-eastern section of the suburb is the site of Broadmeadows Community Health Centre, relocated from a site north of the Broadmeadows Shopping Centre
Broadmeadows Shopping Centre
Broadmeadows Shopping Centre is a single-level enclosed shopping centre in the northern Melbourne suburb of Broadmeadows. It has annual turnover of $322M, and a total retail area of 61,164 m²...
to a space long reserved for a hospital.
Schools
Jacana boasted a successful primary school (Jacana Primary School - School Number: 4839 & Motto: "Through Knowledge Success"). The school functioned from 1959 until its demise, in 2009, due to the amalgamation of Broadmeadows West, Jacana and Meadowfair North primary schools. Class Sizes were large during its early years and by its closure in 2009 attendance dropped to below 50 students.The former school site is currently occupied by the Northern School for Autism (for primary and secondary aged students in the Northern Region of Melbourne, formerly the Preston Special Developmental School). The old school site is undergoing renovations, to the interior and exterior, expected to be completed in 2011.
Jacana Progress Association
Community facilities in the wider Broadmeadows area were generally the outcome of community agitation through Progress Associations. The Jacana Progress Association was formed in 1959 and concentrated most of its energies on building a community hall. The Association requested that residents donate two shillings each towards this project, and along with a series of local carnivals, had raised $2 000 by 1968. As this was insufficient to construct a hall, the Association approached non-government bodies with aspirations to locate in the area. St. John's Ambulance was the successful 'bidder' for this and was given the money towards a hall on land which had been donated by the Housing Commission to the Association. It constructed the Hall which remains in Pascoe Vale Road, for its own and the community's use.The Jacana Progress Association no longer exists, and little is known of the circumstances of its demise.
Transport
Jacana railway station on the Craigieburn railway line is served by Metro Trains MelbourneMetro Trains Melbourne
Metro Trains Melbourne is the current franchise operator of the suburban railway network of Melbourne, Australia. Metro Trains Melbourne is a joint venture led by Hong Kong based MTR Corporation together with John Holland Group and United Group Rail .Metro Trains Melbourne operates a fleet of 381...
trains.
- 542 Roxburgh ParkRoxburgh Park, VictoriaRoxburgh Park is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 20 km north from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Hume...
– Oak ParkOak Park, VictoriaOak Park is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 11 km north of Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Moreland...
via Meadow Heights SC, Broadmeadows RS, Glenroy SC (every day). 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...
.
The Moonee Ponds Creek Trail
Moonee Ponds Creek Trail
The Moonee Ponds Creek Trail is a shared use path for cyclists and pedestrians, which follows the Moonee Ponds Creek through the northern suburbs of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.-Following the path:...
and the Western Ring Road Trail
Western Ring Road Trail
The Western Ring Road Trail is a shared use path for cyclists and pedestrians that bridges the northern suburbs and follows the Western Ring Road...
provide facilities for recreational and commuting cyclists.
Demographics
ABSAustralian Bureau of Statistics
The Australian Bureau of Statistics is Australia's national statistical agency. It was created as the Commonwealth Bureau of Census and Statistics on 8 December 1905, when the Census and Statistics Act 1905 was given Royal assent. It had its beginnings in section 51 of the Constitution of Australia...
2001 statistics for the Jacana reveal a suburb in which 60.4% of the population is Australian-born - the remainder from a variety of sources, only the United Kingdom (3.1%) and Italy (2.6%) exceeding 2%. In 2001 almost 10% of Jacanaians were unemployed, and 48.5% were not in the labour force (over 30% of the population is under 18 or over 65). Of those employed, almost a quarter worked in manufacturing, and just over 15% worked in retail.
The majority of Jacana housing, as stated above, was erected by the Housing Commission of Victoria either in the later 1950s and early 60s, or in the early 1970s. It is mainly of brick construction with pre-cast concrete elements as per the HCV method of the 1950s-60s. There are no flats. 91.3% of Jacana residents live in separate houses. 48.3 % own their own home, and 26.2% are purchasing their home, a total of 74.5%. The average housing price in Jacana in 2001 was $131, 750; today premium streets such as Landy and Freeman Streets command prices over $300 000 as a result of the housing boom earlier in the decade. While this is a major increase over a short period of time, prices in Jacana are still far below the average for Melbourne.
Sport
Jacana Football ClubJacana Football Club
Jacana Football Club is an Australian rules football club located 16 km north of Melbourne in the suburb of Jacana and is affiliated with the Essendon District Football League....
, an Australian Rules football team, competes in the Essendon District Football League
Essendon District Football League
The Essendon District Football League is an Australian rules football league based in the north-west suburbs of Melbourne, which was established in 1930.The EDFL consists of 24 senior clubs, 10 clubs in A Grade and 14 clubs in B Grade...
.
See also
- City of BroadmeadowsCity of BroadmeadowsThe City of Broadmeadows was a Local Government Area located about north of Melbourne, the state capital of Victoria, Australia. The city covered an area of , and existed from 1857 until 1994.-History:...
- the former local government area of which Jacana was a part.