Melton, Victoria
Encyclopedia
- For other uses of the term Melton, see Melton (disambiguation)Melton (disambiguation)As a place name, Melton may refer to:* Melton, Victoria, a satellite town outside Melbourne, Australia** Electoral district of Melton, the Victorian Legislative Assembly electorate based on Melton** Melton, Victoria , a suburb of Melton...
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Melton is an outer-suburban city of Melbourne
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...
located 35 km east 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...
. It is the administrative centre for the Shire of Melton
Shire of Melton
The Shire of Melton is a Local Government Area in Victoria, Australia, located in the outer western suburbs of Melbourne. The Shire comprises several settled urban areas, the main one being the township of Melton, which lies at the western end of the Shire...
Local Government Area. At the 2006 Census, the Shire of Melton had a population of 35,490. Melton is part of Melbourne's population statistical division, meaning that it is considered part of Greater Melbourne.
Melton began as a small town before being declared a satellite city in 1974, separated from Melbourne's urban area by a green wedge. Since the 1990s it experienced rapid suburban growth
Urban sprawl
Urban sprawl, also known as suburban sprawl, is a multifaceted concept, which includes the spreading outwards of a city and its suburbs to its outskirts to low-density and auto-dependent development on rural land, high segregation of uses Urban sprawl, also known as suburban sprawl, is a...
into surrounding greenfield land
Greenfield land
Greenfield land is a term used to describe undeveloped land in a city or rural area either used for agriculture, landscape design, or left to naturally evolve...
and become a commuter town
Commuter town
A commuter town is an urban community that is primarily residential, from which most of the workforce commutes out to earn their livelihood. Many commuter towns act as suburbs of a nearby metropolis that workers travel to daily, and many suburbs are commuter towns...
in the Melbourne-Ballarat
Ballarat, Victoria
Ballarat is a city in the state of Victoria, Australia, approximately west-north-west of the state capital Melbourne situated on the lower plains of the Great Dividing Range and the Yarrowee River catchment. It is the largest inland centre and third most populous city in the state and the fifth...
growth corridor. Changes to Melbourne's urban growth boundary
Urban growth boundary
An urban growth boundary, or UGB, is a regional boundary, set in an attempt to control urban sprawl by mandating that the area inside the boundary be used for higher density urban development and the area outside be used for lower density development.An urban growth boundary circumscribes an...
passed by the state government in 2010 effectively relinquish its satellite city status as it is planned to become part of Melbourne's future metropolitan conurbation
Conurbation
A conurbation is a region comprising a number of cities, large towns, and other urban areas that, through population growth and physical expansion, have merged to form one continuous urban and industrially developed area...
.
It is named after Melton Mowbray
Melton Mowbray
Melton Mowbray is a town in the Melton borough of Leicestershire, England. It is to the northeast of Leicester, and southeast of Nottingham...
in the 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...
.
History
Melton was first settled by squatters establishing sheep runs in the area in the 1830s and a small settlement benefited from traffic passing through it on the way to the Ballarat gold fields during the Victorian Gold RushVictorian gold rush
The Victorian gold rush was a period in the history of Victoria, Australia approximately between 1851 and the late 1860s. In 10 years the Australian population nearly tripled.- Overview :During this era Victoria dominated the world's gold output...
. The Post Office opened on 1 March 1856.
The area was declared a satellite city in 1974 and a green belt existed between it and the urban area of Melbourne
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...
until the late 1990s.
Urban Structure
Melton consists of 6 suburban areas forming a single urban area with MeltonMelton, Victoria (suburb)
Melton is the central suburb in the city of Melton, located in the outer west of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. It is within the Local Government Area of the Shire of Melton....
being at its centre. In the south of Melton are the suburbs of Melton South
Melton South, Victoria
Melton South is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 35 km west from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the Shire of Melton. At the 2006 Census, Melton South had a population of 8,800.-History:...
and Brookfield
Brookfield, Victoria
Brookfield is a suburb located within Melton, Victoria, Australia, 43 km west from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the Shire of Melton....
. In the north are Kurunjang
Kurunjang, Victoria
Kurunjang is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 40 km west from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the Shire of Melton...
and Toolern Vale
Toolern Vale, Victoria
Toolern Vale is a town in Victoria, Australia, 39 km north-west from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the Shire of Melton...
. Melton West
Melton West, Victoria
Melton West is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 40 km west from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the Shire of Melton. At the 2006 Census, Melton West had a population of 10,381....
is another suburb.
Arts and Culture
Many live performances are held at the Melton Civic Centre, on High Street, and also at the Tabcorp ParkTabcorp Park
Tabcorp Park is an Australian horse racing venue situated in Melton, Victoria, Australia; north-west of the Melbourne CBD. It is used for harness racing and is operated by Harness Racing Victoria.-Overview:...
racing complex, on Ferris Road, Melton South.
And every year, the Djerriwarrh Festival is held in the city each November. The festival includes a street parade down High Street, two-day market stalls, and the Lions Club Carnival, held in the Police Paddock on High Street.
Sport
Melton is the home of the harness racing complex Tabcorp Park, and is the base for Harness Racing Victoria. The 2009 Australasian Breeders Crown was the first major race meeting held at the venue in August 2009.Melton is also home to the second round of the Continental Australian Superboat Championship, and the 2009 World Series of the V8 Jetboats. Both events are held at the Melton Jetboat Complex at MacPherson Park, about 7 km north of the Melton CBD.
Governance
Melton is the administrative centre for the Shire of MeltonShire of Melton
The Shire of Melton is a Local Government Area in Victoria, Australia, located in the outer western suburbs of Melbourne. The Shire comprises several settled urban areas, the main one being the township of Melton, which lies at the western end of the Shire...
. The Shire of Melton's Coburn Ward covers the central Melton area.
Its state government electorate is the Electoral district of Melton
Electoral district of Melton
The Electoral district of Melton is an electoral district of the Victorian Legislative Assembly.It contains the towns of Bacchus Marsh, Balliang, Balliang East, Blackwood, Brookfield, Greendale, Kurunjang, Melton, Melton South, Melton West, Mount Cottrell, Sydenham West, and Toolern Vale as well as...
and the Federal government
Government of Australia
The Commonwealth of Australia is a federal constitutional monarchy under a parliamentary democracy. The Commonwealth of Australia was formed in 1901 as a result of an agreement among six self-governing British colonies, which became the six states...
electorate is the Lalor
Division of Lalor
The Division of Lalor is an Australian Electoral Division in the state of Victoria. It is located in the outer western suburbs of Melbourne. It includes the suburbs of Werribee, Point Cook, Laverton, Rockbank and Melton....
, the seat of Julia Gillard
Julia Gillard
Julia Eileen Gillard is the 27th and current Prime Minister of Australia, in office since June 2010.Gillard was born in Barry, Vale of Glamorgan, Wales and migrated with her family to Adelaide, Australia in 1966, attending Mitcham Demonstration School and Unley High School. In 1982 Gillard moved...
both considered safe Australian Labor Party
Australian Labor Party
The Australian Labor Party is an Australian political party. It has been the governing party of the Commonwealth of Australia since the 2007 federal election. Julia Gillard is the party's federal parliamentary leader and Prime Minister of Australia...
seats.
Media
All areas of Melton receive the same analogue and digital television stations as Melbourne. It is also within in the broadcast range of all commercial radio stations from MelbourneMelbourne
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...
, and is an end point for digital radio
Digital radio
Digital radio has several meanings:1. Today the most common meaning is digital radio broadcasting technologies, such as the digital audio broadcasting system, also known as Eureka 147. In these systems, the analog audio signal is digitized into zeros and ones, compressed using formats such as...
broadcasts in metropolitan Melbourne
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...
. Digital radio is available in most of the city but signal diminishes towards the West.
Melton has two local newspapers - The Melton Leader and Melton Weekly.
The city is also home to a radio station, 979fm
979fm
979fm is a radio station based in the city of Melton, Victoria and is run by 3RIM Incorporated. The station's broadcast area covers the entire span of western and north western Melbourne, and has been known to stretch as far as Phillip Island in the Gippsland region, about 180 kilometres away from...
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Transport
The main form of transportation in Melton is the automobileAutomobile
An automobile, autocar, motor car or car is a wheeled motor vehicle used for transporting passengers, which also carries its own engine or motor...
. Melton has been identified by the Department of Transport as one of the most car-dependent communities in Greater Melbourne. As such Melton has a substantial network of busy roads. The Western Freeway
Western Freeway
Western Freeway or Western Expressway may mean:In roads:*Western Freeway , Virginia, United States*Western Freeway , Australia*Western Freeway, Brisbane, Australia*Western Freeway , India...
connects Melton with Melbourne's west runs through the urban area to the south, but bypasses the city centre which is located along High Street, a very wide dual carriageway with service lanes. There are two major freeway interchanges
Interchange (road)
In the field of road transport, an interchange is a road junction that typically uses grade separation, and one or more ramps, to permit traffic on at least one highway to pass through the junction without directly crossing any other traffic stream. It differs from a standard intersection, at which...
in the urban area, one for Coburns Road which is the main north-south arterial and another for the Melton Highway
Melton Highway
Melton Highway links Melbourne's outer north-western suburbs of Melton and Taylors Lakes ; it has a Victorian route designation of .-Route:...
(C754), an alternative route to the northern suburbs of Melbourne and branches north to the Melton-Gisborne Road (C705) at Kurrunjang connecting Melton to Gisborne
Gisborne, Victoria
Gisborne is a town located approximately northwest of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. As it is close to Melbourne, but in attractive countryside, it is proving an increasingly popular place to settle. The town was named after Henry Fyshe Gisborne , the first Commissioner for Crown Lands of the...
.
Melton railway station
Melton railway station, Melbourne
Melton is a railway station in the city of Melton, Victoria, Australia, located in the suburb of Melton South, on the Ballarat V/Line rail service. The station is staffed full time and is in Metcard and myki Zone 2...
(located in Melton South) is on the Ballarat railway line
Ballarat railway line, Victoria
The Serviceton railway line is a railway serving the west of Victoria, Australia. The line links the state capital of Melbourne to the cities of Ballarat and Ararat, and once extended to the South Australian border as part of the Melbourne-Adelaide railway...
. V/Line
V/Line
V/Line is a not for profit regional passenger train and coach service in Victoria, Australia. It was created after the split-up of VicRail in 1983. V/Line is owned by the V/Line Corporation which is a Victorian State Government statutory authority...
provides VLocity passenger train services run to and from Southern Cross Station
Southern Cross Station
Southern Cross is a major railway station and transport hub in Melbourne Docklands, Victoria, Australia. It is located on Spencer Street between Collins and La Trobe Streets at the western edge of the central business district...
(journey time of between 27–48 minutes). Although specifically mentioned in the Victorian Transport Plan
Victorian Transport Plan
The Victorian Transport Plan is a now defunct transport planning framework for the state of Victoria, Australia announced on Monday 9 December 2008 by then Premier of Victoria, John Brumby...
, the government is yet to commit to a project plan for railway electrification system
Railway electrification system
A railway electrification system supplies electrical energy to railway locomotives and multiple units as well as trams so that they can operate without having an on-board prime mover. There are several different electrification systems in use throughout the world...
to Melton despite strong local lobby for it. The railway station is a very popular park and ride
Park and ride
Park and ride facilities are car parks with connections to public transport that allow commuters and other people wishing to travel into city centres to leave their vehicles and transfer to a bus, rail system , or carpool for the rest of their trip...
locality, however it has been criticised due to notoriously poor parking infrastructure.
Buses service running between 5:30am-9pm on weekdays and 8am-9pm on weekends connect the city's suburbs to the railway station and also Melbourne's outer suburbs including the 456 to Sunshine
Sunshine, Victoria
Sunshine is a suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia lying 11 to 13 km west of the CBD. Its Local Government Area is the City of Brimbank. At the 2006 Census, Sunshine had a population of 8,070.-History:...
via Caroline Springs
Caroline Springs, Victoria
Caroline Springs is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia located 25 km west from Melbourne's central business district on Kororoit Creek. Its Local Government Area is the Shire of Melton. At the 2006 Census, it had a population of 10,880....
; 457 from Melton West
Melton West, Victoria
Melton West is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 40 km west from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the Shire of Melton. At the 2006 Census, Melton West had a population of 10,381....
to the railway station; 458 Kurrunjang to the railway station; and 459 Arnolds Creek to the railway station via Westlake. A shuttle service also provides services to 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...
.
Melton Airfield, located to the north in Toolern Vale provides general aviation
General aviation
General aviation is one of the two categories of civil aviation. It refers to all flights other than military and scheduled airline and regular cargo flights, both private and commercial. General aviation flights range from gliders and powered parachutes to large, non-scheduled cargo jet flights...
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Primary Schools
- Melton Primary School - Unitt Street, City.
- St. Dominic's Catholic Primary School - Unitt Street, City.
- Wedge Park Primary School - Cambrian Way, West Melton.
- St. Catherine of Siena Primary School - Bulmans Road, Melton West.
- St. Anthony of Padua Primary School - Wilson Road, Melton South.
- Melton South Primary School - Station Road, Melton South.
- Melton West Primary School - West Melton Drive, Melton West
- Coburn Primary School- Richards Road, Melton South
- Mowbray College
- Exford Primary School
- Kurunjang Primary school
Secondary Schools
- Kurunjang Secondary CollegeKurunjang Secondary CollegeKurunjang Secondary College is a secondary school built in Melton, Victoria, Australia. Its Principal, Peter Blunden, announced to the schools 800 students on Friday, 19 September 2008 - after nine years as principal he would be retiring at the end of 2008. The school is run by two assistant...
- Kurunjang Drive, Kurunjang. - Melton Secondary CollegeMelton Secondary CollegeMelton Secondary College was the first secondary school built in Melton, Victoria, Australia. The school currently offers studies in 34 VCE subjects and 23 VET subjects.-Houses:Interhouse competitions remain an integral part of the school's ethos....
- Cnr. Coburns Rd. and High Streets, Melton West. - Catholic Regional College - Bulmans Road, Melton West.
- Mowbray College - Centenary Avenue, Melton North.
- Staughton College (Formerly Wilson Park Secondary College) - Wilson Road, Melton South.
- Melton Christian College - Brooklyn Road, Melton South