St. Albans, Victoria
Encyclopedia
St Albans is a suburb 15 km north-west of Melbourne
, Victoria
, Australia
. Its Local Government Area is the City of Brimbank
. At the 2006 Census, St Albans had a population of 33,511.
St Albans' main commercial and shopping precinct is located on Main Road West, Main Road East, Alfrieda Street, the railway station
and East Esplanade. It has become a very multicultural
area with 53.5% of residents being born overseas and has a high proportion of non-English speaking background residents. The postcode is 3021.
Development of St Albans suddenly slowed with the economic depression of the late 1890s and did not restart in large numbers until after World War II
, with the influx of displaced people and continuing through the 1950s and 1960s with the influx of European migrants in response to the Australian Government's gradual relaxation of its White Australia Policy
in 1947, 1957 & 1958.
During the depression 1890s many local farm properties did well, especially when the farmers commenced the dairy
ing of cattle. Horse
s were also being trained locally for the Melbourne Cup and the Caulfield Guineas, some were successful.
St Albans remained geographically isolated from other suburbs, with large areas of open land between it and other suburbs, until the 1980s.
St Albans is now considered to be a middle-city suburb as the Melbourne Metropolitan area boundary now extends to over 35 km from the Melbourne CBD.
extraction alone and about 20% from the Balkan region, including Bosnians
, Croatians, Macedonians
and Serbs
. Significant communities from Vietnam
and the Philippines
were also reported.
Since the 2001 Census, there has also been a rapid increase in the number of refugee
s from the Horn of Africa
settling in St Albans.
Zone 2 on the Sydenham line. These are Ginifer, St Albans
and Keilor Plains.
.
and Eastern brown snake
. Unfortunately due to development these species are now rarely seen in the area.
Due to development of the Cairnlea estate, on the southern border of St Albans, native species of frogs have taken advantage and have taken up residence in the new wetlands and lakes. The Eastern Banjo Frog
, Common Eastern Froglet
and even the now endangered Growling Grass Frog
have been seen and heard in the new wetlands and around Kororoit Creek
.
, competing in the Western Region Football League
.
It is actually based in Kings Park
. The club has been very successful particularly over recent years.
The local soccer team, the St Albans Saints is backed by the Croatian community. Whilst the Green Gully Cavaliers
are backed by the Maltese community. Both currently compete in the Victorian Premier League
and both have significant support.
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...
. Its Local Government Area is the City of Brimbank
City of Brimbank
The City of Brimbank is a Local Government Area located within the metropolitan area of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. It comprises the western suburbs between 10 and 20 km west and northwest from the Melbourne city centre.It has an area of 123 km²...
. At the 2006 Census, St Albans had a population of 33,511.
St Albans' main commercial and shopping precinct is located on Main Road West, Main Road East, Alfrieda Street, the railway station
St Albans railway station, Melbourne
St Albans is a railway station in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, located in the suburb of St Albans, on the Sydenham railway line. St Albans is classed as a Premium Station and is in Metcard Zone 2.-Facilities:...
and East Esplanade. It has become a very multicultural
Multiculturalism
Multiculturalism is the appreciation, acceptance or promotion of multiple cultures, applied to the demographic make-up of a specific place, usually at the organizational level, e.g...
area with 53.5% of residents being born overseas and has a high proportion of non-English speaking background residents. The postcode is 3021.
History
St Albans was first established as a township in 1887 and originally subdivided by the Metropolitan Land and Development Co. Pty. Ltd. who had acquired nearly 1000 acres (4 km²) in the hope of a quick financial gain during that period's land boom. The town was promoted as an attractive location for professionals who had easy rail access to central Melbourne and adjoining suburbs with a recently constructed railway station platform attracting potential homeowners to industry in nearby locations. St Albans Post Office opened on 22 October 1888.Development of St Albans suddenly slowed with the economic depression of the late 1890s and did not restart in large numbers until after World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, with the influx of displaced people and continuing through the 1950s and 1960s with the influx of European migrants in response to the Australian Government's gradual relaxation of its White Australia Policy
White Australia policy
The White Australia policy comprises various historical policies that intentionally restricted "non-white" immigration to Australia. From origins at Federation in 1901, the polices were progressively dismantled between 1949-1973....
in 1947, 1957 & 1958.
During the depression 1890s many local farm properties did well, especially when the farmers commenced the dairy
Dairy
A dairy is a business enterprise established for the harvesting of animal milk—mostly from cows or goats, but also from buffalo, sheep, horses or camels —for human consumption. A dairy is typically located on a dedicated dairy farm or section of a multi-purpose farm that is concerned...
ing of cattle. Horse
Horse
The horse is one of two extant subspecies of Equus ferus, or the wild horse. It is a single-hooved mammal belonging to the taxonomic family Equidae. The horse has evolved over the past 45 to 55 million years from a small multi-toed creature into the large, single-toed animal of today...
s were also being trained locally for the Melbourne Cup and the Caulfield Guineas, some were successful.
St Albans remained geographically isolated from other suburbs, with large areas of open land between it and other suburbs, until the 1980s.
St Albans is now considered to be a middle-city suburb as the Melbourne Metropolitan area boundary now extends to over 35 km from the Melbourne CBD.
Demographics
St Albans' ethnic makeup is predominantly second and third generation immigrants—the ABS 2001 Census reported that 43% were of Southern or Eastern European origin, with 10% of MalteseMaltese people
The Maltese are an ethnic group indigenous to the Southern European nation of Malta, and identified with the Maltese language. Malta is an island in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea...
extraction alone and about 20% from the Balkan region, including Bosnians
Bosnians
Bosnians are people who reside in, or come from, Bosnia and Herzegovina. By the modern state definition a Bosnian can be anyone who holds citizenship of the state. This includes, but is not limited to, members of the constituent ethnic groups of Bosnia and Herzegovina: Bosniaks, Bosnian Serbs and...
, Croatians, Macedonians
Macedonians (ethnic group)
The Macedonians also referred to as Macedonian Slavs: "... the term Slavomacedonian was introduced and was accepted by the community itself, which at the time had a much more widespread non-Greek Macedonian ethnic consciousness...
and Serbs
Serbs
The Serbs are a South Slavic ethnic group of the Balkans and southern Central Europe. Serbs are located mainly in Serbia, Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina, and form a sizable minority in Croatia, the Republic of Macedonia and Slovenia. Likewise, Serbs are an officially recognized minority in...
. Significant communities 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 –...
and the 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...
were also reported.
Since the 2001 Census, there has also been a rapid increase in the number of refugee
Refugee
A refugee is a person who outside her country of origin or habitual residence because she has suffered persecution on account of race, religion, nationality, political opinion, or because she is a member of a persecuted 'social group'. Such a person may be referred to as an 'asylum seeker' until...
s from the 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...
settling in St Albans.
Trains
St Albans has three train stations all in MetcardMetcard
"OneLink" redirects here. For the computer/cable company, see OneLink Communications.Metcard is the brand name of an integrated ticketing system used to access public transport in Melbourne, Australia. It is a universal ticket which allows users to ride on the city's Metlink network, consisting of...
Zone 2 on the Sydenham line. These are Ginifer, St Albans
St Albans railway station, Melbourne
St Albans is a railway station in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, located in the suburb of St Albans, on the Sydenham railway line. St Albans is classed as a Premium Station and is in Metcard Zone 2.-Facilities:...
and Keilor Plains.
Cycling
Cyclists in St Albans are represented by BrimBUG, the Brimbank Bicycle User GroupBicycle User Group
A Bicycle User Group is a group set up to promote cycling issues in, for example, a place of employment or a local government area...
.
Flora and fauna
Great parks are located on the East and West borders of the suburb. These areas (particularly in the West) used to have large healthy populations of native reptiles, including Tiger snake, Eastern Blue-tongued LizardEastern blue-tongued lizard
The Eastern Blue-tongued Lizard is a subspecies of large skink which is common throughout Eastern Australia, often found in bushland and suburban areas where conditions are suitable...
and Eastern brown snake
Eastern brown snake
The eastern brown snake , often referred to as the common brown snake, is a species of genus Pseudonaja. This snake is considered the second most venomous land snake based on its value in mice. It is native to Australia, New Guinea and Indonesia.-Description:Adult eastern brown snakes are highly...
. Unfortunately due to development these species are now rarely seen in the area.
Due to development of the Cairnlea estate, on the southern border of St Albans, native species of frogs have taken advantage and have taken up residence in the new wetlands and lakes. The Eastern Banjo Frog
Eastern Banjo Frog
Limnodynastes dumerilii is a frog species from the family Myobatrachidae. The informal names for this species, and its subspecies, include...
, Common Eastern Froglet
Common Eastern Froglet
The Common Eastern Froglet is a very common, Australian ground-dwelling frog, of the family Myobatrachidae.-Distribution:...
and even the now endangered Growling Grass Frog
Growling Grass Frog
The Growling Grass Frog , also commonly known as the Southern Bell Frog, Warty Swamp Frog and erroneously as the Green Frog is a species of ground dwelling tree frog is native to South eastern Australia; ranging from southern South Australia along the Murray River though Victoria to New South...
have been seen and heard in the new wetlands and around Kororoit Creek
Kororoit Creek
Kororoit Creek is a major waterway of over 80 km in length in the north-west and western parts of Melbourne. Its headwaters are north of Sunbury at 400m above sea level in ordovician geology...
.
- Brimbank Park
- Kororoit Creek TrailKororoit Creek TrailThe Kororoit Creek Trail is a shared use path for cyclists and pedestrians, which follows the Kororoit Creek in the inner western suburbs of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia....
- Kororoit CreekKororoit CreekKororoit Creek is a major waterway of over 80 km in length in the north-west and western parts of Melbourne. Its headwaters are north of Sunbury at 400m above sea level in ordovician geology...
Education
St Albans boasts a large number of schools including the following;- Victoria University, AustraliaVictoria University, AustraliaVictoria University is a multi-sector tertiary institution based in Melbourne, Australia with 10 campuses.VU offers qualifications in higher education, vocational education , and short courses...
- Victoria University Secondary CollegeVictoria University Secondary CollegeVictoria University Secondary College is a state government co-educational day school for years 7-12 located in the western suburb of St. Albans, Victoria in Australia...
- Catholic Regional College St AlbansFederation of Catholic Regional CollegesThe Federation of Catholic Regional Colleges is a collaboration of five Catholic coeducational secondary colleges, located in the rapidly expanding North Western suburbs of Melbourne, Australia. Each College within the Federation is partially autonomous with its own administrative structures...
- Holy Eucharist Primary School
- St Albans Secondary CollegeSt Albans Secondary CollegeSt. Albans Secondary College is a highly rated 7-12 secondary school located at St Albans, Victoria, Australia, in Melbourne's exclusive western suburbs. It is recognised for its academic excellence, strong social and cultural values and outstanding university admission rates.- History :The school...
- St Albans Primary School (established 1889)
- St Albans Heights Primary School
- St Albans East Primary School
- St Albans Meadows Primary School
- University Park Primary School (formerly St Albans South Primary School)
- St Albans North Primary School
- Sacred Heart Primary School
- Stevensville Primary School
- Movelle Primary School
- Copperfield College
Sport
The suburb has an Australian Rules football team, St Albans FCSt Albans (Victoria) FC
The St Albans Football Club is an Australian rules football club based at the Kings Park Reserve in St Albans, a north-west suburb of Melbourne....
, competing in the Western Region Football League
Western Region Football League
The Western Region Football League is an Australian rules football semi-professional league, based in the western suburbs of Melbourne, for both seniors and juniors.-History:The league was formed in 1931, as the Footscray District Football League...
.
It is actually based in Kings Park
Kings Park, Victoria
Kings Park is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 20 km north-west from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Brimbank. At the 2006 Census, Kings Park had a population of 8574....
. The club has been very successful particularly over recent years.
The local soccer team, the St Albans Saints is backed by the Croatian community. Whilst the Green Gully Cavaliers
Green Gully Cavaliers
Green Gully Soccer Club is a football club based in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Green Gully is one of the biggest clubs in Melbourne, it participated in the old National Soccer League between 1984-1986....
are backed by the Maltese community. Both currently compete in the Victorian Premier League
Victorian Premier League
The Victorian Premier League is the highest State level association football competition in Victoria, Australia, and second highest nationally after the A-League...
and both have significant support.
See also
- City of KeilorCity of KeilorThe City of Keilor 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 1863 until 1994.-History:...
- the former local government area of which St Albans was a part. - City of SunshineCity of SunshineThe City of Sunshine was a Local Government Area located about west of Melbourne, the state capital of Victoria, Australia. The city covered an area of , and existed from 1860 until 1994.-History:...
- the former local government area of which St Albans was a part. - St Albans railway station, MelbourneSt Albans railway station, MelbourneSt Albans is a railway station in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, located in the suburb of St Albans, on the Sydenham railway line. St Albans is classed as a Premium Station and is in Metcard Zone 2.-Facilities:...