Research is a suburb in 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...

, 24 kilometres (14.9 mi) north-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...

. Its Local Government Area is the Shire of Nillumbik

Shire of Nillumbik

The Shire of Nillumbik is a Local Government Area in Victoria, Australia. It contains some outer northern suburbs of Melbourne and rural localities beyond the urban area. It has an area of 435 square kilometres and has an estimated population of 62,837 people...

. At the 2006 Census, Research had a population of 2379.

History

Settled in the 1850s, Research was the location of extensive orchards by the 1860s. The unusual name arose from the gold rush era in Victoria, during the mid 19th century. Research was then known as Swiper's Gully, but gold was found after the area was re-searched. Swiper's Gully then became Research Gully, and finally, late in the 19th century, abbreviated to Research.

Research Post Office opened on 20 October 1902.

Community

Research is a suburb of contrasts. South of Main Road still exist many areas with unsewered homes on large land blocks (1 to 35 acre

Acre

The acre is a unit of area in a number of different systems, including the imperial and U.S. customary systems. The most commonly used acres today are the international acre and, in the United States, the survey acre. The most common use of the acre is to measure tracts of land.The acre is related...

s) and unmade (dirt) roads. Water supply is generally from dams and from water tanks to collect and store rain water. There is limited reticulated gas supply and many residents rely on burning firewood for heating. This area has one of the highest bush fire risks in Australia due to prolific Eucalyptus

Eucalyptus

Eucalyptus is a diverse genus of flowering trees in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae. Members of the genus dominate the tree flora of Australia...

 and wattle

Acacia

Acacia is a genus of shrubs and trees belonging to the subfamily Mimosoideae of the family Fabaceae, first described in Africa by the Swedish botanist Carl Linnaeus in 1773. Many non-Australian species tend to be thorny, whereas the majority of Australian acacias are not...

 tree vegetation. Consequently a diverse variety of Fauna and flora exist in this ecologically protected zone. North of Main Road there is much in-fill development with modern two-storey eave-less houses packed 5 or more to the acre.

There is a thriving community with two schools (government primary and private primary/secondary), The Eltham Little Theatre, PIT Gym, indoor pool, tennis, scout hall, Country Fire Authority and two public toilets.

Sport

Research is the home to the Research Junior Football Club, who compete in the Northern Football League. They play their home games at Research Park, which is located on Main Road, Research. Research Cricket Club and Eltham Collegians Cricket Club were 2 Diamond Valley Cricket Association teams in Research until they merged in 2010 to form 1 club. Their home games in 2010 will be played at Research Park and Eltham College Oval. Research Baseball Club, who play in the Melbourne Winter Baseball League

Melbourne Winter Baseball League

The Melbourne Winter Baseball League formerly the Victorian Winter Baseball League is the biggest winter baseball league in Victoria. Its Run by Baseball Victoria as of 2010 after it took control from the VPBL after a Memorandum of Understanding. There are 25 different clubs and field teams in 5...

are based in Research, but play their home games in Lower Plenty. Research Tennis Club plays their home games at the Research Park Tennis Courts.

External links