Sunshine, Victoria
Encyclopedia
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.
The Braybrook Junction Post Office opened on 25 August 1890.
In 1904 H. V. McKay bought the Braybrook Implement Works. In 1906 McKay moved his agricultural machinery manufacturing business from Ballarat
to Braybrook Junction. This established the Sunshine Harvester Works
which became the largest manufacturing plant in Australia. McKay had also secured 400 acres (1.6 km²) of land at Braybrook Junction with the aim of establishing housing to encourage his workers to settle in the area. In 1907 the locality was renamed Sunshine, after residents had petitioned to change the name in honour of the Sunshine Harvester Works.
Also in 1907 an industrial dispute between the owner H. V. McKay and his workers at the Sunshine Harvester Works led to the Harvester Judgement, the benchmark industrial decision which led to the creation of a minimum living wage for Australian workers.
H. V. McKay's concept for Sunshine, the Sunshine Estate, was for a community developed according to the ideals of the Garden city movement
, an influential town planning movement of the early 20th century. Infrastructure and amenities
established by McKay included electric lighting, parks and sporting grounds, public buildings, schools and a library and the town became regarded as a model industry-centred community. Housing for the Sunshine Harvester Works' employees had swelled the local population and the town of Sunshine was touted as the "Birmingham of Australia".
The Sunshine train disaster
on 20 April 1908 killed 44 people at Sunshine station.
In 1909 H. V. McKay Sunshine Harvester Works Pipe Band was formed. This is one of Australia's oldest continuously functioning pipe band
s and still exists as the Williamstown R.S.L. Pipe Band.
Sunshine was not immune when many Australian-based manufacturing industries started winding down after the 1970s. In 1992 the Massey Ferguson
factory, formerly the Sunshine Harvester Works, was demolished to make way for the development of the Sunshine Marketplace
.
; the Sunshine Marketplace includes the Sunshine Village Cinemas
.
Educational institutions in Sunshine include Victoria University
's campus for its business, trade and retail studies programs, and Harvester Technical College.
Sunshine is a highly multicultural suburb, with many residents coming from all over Europe in the first few decades of the post-WWII period. It is the main centre for Melbourne's Maltese community: indeed, Oceania's only branch of Malta
's Bank of Valletta
is situated on Watt St, Sunshine. From the late 1970s, many Vietnamese refugees settled in Sunshine and surrounding areas and have opened small businesses such as groceries and restaurants on Hampshire Rd. More recently, immigrants moving to Sunshine have come from Sudan, Burma and India.
is classed as a Premium Station and is in the Metcard Zones 1+2 overlap.
Sunshine station is where the Ballarat and Bendigo regional railway lines meet. When the Regional Rail Link
is built trains between Melbourne and Geelong will also pass through Sunshine station.
The CountryLink
XPT
passenger service to Sydney also passes through Sunshine station on its way towards Seymour
via the Albion–Jacana railway line.
Cyclists in Sunshine are represented by BrimBUG, the Brimbank Bicycle User Group
.
The Kororoit Creek
runs through Sunshine, along which runs the Kororoit Creek Trail
.
The Sunshine Football Club, the Sunshine Kangaroos, are the local Australian Rules football team. They compete in the Western Region Football League
.
The Sunshine Cricket Club is based at Dempster Park in North Sunshine.
The Sunshine George Cross Football Club
, the Sunshine Georgies, are the local Victorian Premier League
soccer team. Their home ground is Chaplin Reserve
on Anderson Rd.
The Sunshine Baseball Club have their baseball field on Talmage St.
Golfers play at the course of the Sunshine Golf Club on Mt Derimut Road, Derrimut. It relocated from the Fitzgerald Road course in November 2007. For children, 234 Fun Galore Entertainment Centre as well as the Intencity
Gaming Complex at the Sunshine Marketplace
are popular amusement centres. There is also the Sunshine Rollerskating Centre.
The Sunshine Leisure Centre contains a swimming pool, gym and other facilities. There is also the Sunshine World Gym, the Platinum Health & Pilates centre, and the SunYoga yoga school.
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, Australia lying 11 to 13 km west of the CBD. 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, Sunshine had a population of 8,070.
History
The township of Sunshine was earlier known as Braybrook Junction.The Braybrook Junction Post Office opened on 25 August 1890.
In 1904 H. V. McKay bought the Braybrook Implement Works. In 1906 McKay moved his agricultural machinery manufacturing business from 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...
to Braybrook Junction. This established the Sunshine Harvester Works
Sunshine Harvester Works
The Sunshine Harvester works, was an Australia factory operated by industrialist H. V. McKay. Having established an agricultural implement works in Ballarat he moved his factory and many of his employees to Braybrook Junction, in 1906,where he had earlier purchased the Braybrook Implement Works...
which became the largest manufacturing plant in Australia. McKay had also secured 400 acres (1.6 km²) of land at Braybrook Junction with the aim of establishing housing to encourage his workers to settle in the area. In 1907 the locality was renamed Sunshine, after residents had petitioned to change the name in honour of the Sunshine Harvester Works.
Also in 1907 an industrial dispute between the owner H. V. McKay and his workers at the Sunshine Harvester Works led to the Harvester Judgement, the benchmark industrial decision which led to the creation of a minimum living wage for Australian workers.
H. V. McKay's concept for Sunshine, the Sunshine Estate, was for a community developed according to the ideals of the Garden city movement
Garden city movement
The garden city movement is a method of urban planning that was initiated in 1898 by Sir Ebenezer Howard in the United Kingdom. Garden cities were intended to be planned, self-contained communities surrounded by "greenbelts" , containing proportionate areas of residences, industry and...
, an influential town planning movement of the early 20th century. Infrastructure and amenities
Amenity
In real property and lodging, amenities are any tangible or untangible benefits of a property, especially those that increase its attractiveness or value or that contribute to its comfort or convenience...
established by McKay included electric lighting, parks and sporting grounds, public buildings, schools and a library and the town became regarded as a model industry-centred community. Housing for the Sunshine Harvester Works' employees had swelled the local population and the town of Sunshine was touted as the "Birmingham of Australia".
The Sunshine train disaster
Sunshine train disaster
The Sunshine rail disaster occurred at the Sunshine railway station, which is the junction for the Ballarat and Bendigo railway lines, from Melbourne, the state capital of Victoria, Australia....
on 20 April 1908 killed 44 people at Sunshine station.
In 1909 H. V. McKay Sunshine Harvester Works Pipe Band was formed. This is one of Australia's oldest continuously functioning pipe band
Pipe band
A pipe band is a musical ensemble consisting of pipers and drummers. The term used by military pipe bands, pipes and drums, is also common....
s and still exists as the Williamstown R.S.L. Pipe Band.
Sunshine was not immune when many Australian-based manufacturing industries started winding down after the 1970s. In 1992 the Massey Ferguson
Massey Ferguson
Massey Ferguson Limited was a major agricultural equipment manufacturer which was based in Canada before its purchase by AGCO. The company was formed by a merger between Massey Harris and the Ferguson tractor company in 1953, creating the company Massey Harris Ferguson. However in 1958 the name was...
factory, formerly the Sunshine Harvester Works, was demolished to make way for the development of the Sunshine Marketplace
Sunshine Marketplace
Sunshine Marketplace is a regional shopping centre in Sunshine, about west of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia...
.
Today
Sunshine is now both a low-density residential suburb and one of Melbourne's principal places of employment outside of the CBD. Many heavy and light industrial companies are situated in and around the area and it is an important centre in Melbourne's west for retail. It has two shopping centres, the Sunshine Plaza and the Sunshine MarketplaceCentro Sunshine Marketplace
Sunshine Marketplace is a regional shopping centre in Sunshine, about west of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia...
; the Sunshine Marketplace includes the Sunshine Village Cinemas
Village Cinemas
Village Cinemas is an Australian cinema chain. Its Australian sites are owned and operated by Village Roadshow-Amalgamated Holdings Limited joint venture Australian Theatres. The group has rebranded several of its premier Australian and New Zealand cinemas as Event Cinemas since 2009. Village...
.
Educational institutions in Sunshine include Victoria University
Victoria University, Australia
Victoria 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...
's campus for its business, trade and retail studies programs, and Harvester Technical College.
Sunshine is a highly multicultural suburb, with many residents coming from all over Europe in the first few decades of the post-WWII period. It is the main centre for Melbourne's Maltese community: indeed, Oceania's only branch of Malta
Malta
Malta , officially known as the Republic of Malta , is a Southern European country consisting of an archipelago situated in the centre of the Mediterranean, south of Sicily, east of Tunisia and north of Libya, with Gibraltar to the west and Alexandria to the east.Malta covers just over in...
's Bank of Valletta
Bank of Valletta
Bank of Valletta is Malta's longest established financial services provider and one of its largest. Domestic operations include a national network of 45 branches, 6 regional business centres, corporate centre, and a wealth management arm...
is situated on Watt St, Sunshine. From the late 1970s, many Vietnamese refugees settled in Sunshine and surrounding areas and have opened small businesses such as groceries and restaurants on Hampshire Rd. More recently, immigrants moving to Sunshine have come from Sudan, Burma and India.
Transport
Sunshine train stationSunshine railway station, Melbourne
Sunshine is a railway station in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, located in the suburb of Sunshine, on the Sydenham railway line. It is the junction for the line west to Ballarat...
is classed as a Premium Station and is in the Metcard Zones 1+2 overlap.
Sunshine station is where the Ballarat and Bendigo regional railway lines meet. When the Regional Rail Link
Regional Rail Link
The Regional Rail Link is a 47.5 km railway track currently under construction through the western suburbs of Melbourne from Southern Cross Station, running through Sunshine, Tarneit and meeting the Geelong Line at West Werribee...
is built trains between Melbourne and Geelong will also pass through Sunshine station.
The CountryLink
CountryLink
CountryLink is the operator of passenger rail services in country New South Wales, Australia and into Queensland and Victoria. It is an operating brand of the Rail Corporation New South Wales, a government-owned entity...
XPT
CountryLink XPT
The XPT is the main long-distance passenger train used in regional New South Wales, Australia. It operates on key eastern seaboard routes including the Sydney-Melbourne and Sydney-Brisbane services...
passenger service to Sydney also passes through Sunshine station on its way towards Seymour
Seymour, Victoria
Seymour is a township in the Shire of Mitchell in the state of Victoria, Australia and is located north of Melbourne. At the 2006 census, Seymour had a population of 6,063...
via the Albion–Jacana railway line.
Cyclists in Sunshine are represented by BrimBUG, the Brimbank Bicycle User Group
Bicycle 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...
.
Sport and leisure
The heritage listed H.V. McKay Memorial Gardens on Anderson Road, established in 1909 by H.V. McKay as Sunshine Gardens, is one of two remaining 'industrial gardens' in Australia.The 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...
runs through Sunshine, along which runs the Kororoit Creek Trail
Kororoit Creek Trail
The 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....
.
The Sunshine Football Club, the Sunshine Kangaroos, are the local Australian Rules football team. They compete 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...
.
The Sunshine Cricket Club is based at Dempster Park in North Sunshine.
The Sunshine George Cross Football Club
Sunshine George Cross FC
Sunshine George Cross Football Club is an Australian football club from Sunshine, a western suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, and plays in the Victorian State League Division 1. Sunshine George Cross have played at Chaplin Reserve after agreement was reached with Sunshine City Soccer Club...
, the Sunshine Georgies, are the local 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...
soccer team. Their home ground is Chaplin Reserve
Chaplin Reserve
Chaplin Reserve is an Australian football stadium in Sunshine, a suburb of Melbourne, Victoria. It is currently the home of Sunshine George Cross. The stadium has a capacity of 5,000.-External links:*...
on Anderson Rd.
The Sunshine Baseball Club have their baseball field on Talmage St.
Golfers play at the course of the Sunshine Golf Club on Mt Derimut Road, Derrimut. It relocated from the Fitzgerald Road course in November 2007. For children, 234 Fun Galore Entertainment Centre as well as the Intencity
Intencity
Intencity is a chain of video arcades owned by Australian company Village Roadshow Limited, with arcade locations in most states of Australia. The chain was originally launched in 1995 as part of a venture called Village Nine Leisure ....
Gaming Complex at the Sunshine Marketplace
Centro Sunshine Marketplace
Sunshine Marketplace is a regional shopping centre in Sunshine, about west of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia...
are popular amusement centres. There is also the Sunshine Rollerskating Centre.
The Sunshine Leisure Centre contains a swimming pool, gym and other facilities. There is also the Sunshine World Gym, the Platinum Health & Pilates centre, and the SunYoga yoga school.
In popular culture
- In the film The CastleThe Castle (film)The Castle is a 1997 Australian comedy film directed by Rob Sitch. It starred Michael Caton, Anne Tenney, Stephen Curry, Sophie Lee, Eric Bana and Charles 'Bud' Tingwell. The screenwriting team comprised Sitch, Santo Cilauro, Tom Gleisner and Jane Kennedy of Working Dog Productions.The Castle was...
, the Kerrigans' daughter Tracey obtained her hairdressing qualification from Sunshine TAFETechnical and Further EducationIn Australia, training and further education or TAFE institutions provide a wide range of predominantly vocational tertiary education courses, mostly qualifying courses under the National Training System/Australian Qualifications Framework/Australian Quality Training Framework...
. - Sunshine is the setting of the film Noise.
- In UnderbellyUnderbelly (TV series)Underbelly is a 13-part Australian television mini-series that retells the real events of the 1995–2004 gangland war in Melbourne, and is the first series in the larger Underbelly Franchise. It depicts the key players in Melbourne's criminal underworld, including the Carlton Crew and their rival,...
, many of the underworld figures, such as Dino DibraDino DibraDino Dibra was an Albanian-Australian suspected murderer and a victim of the infamous Melbourne gangland killings....
, Rocco Arico, and Andrew VeniaminAndrew VeniaminAndrew "Benji" Veniamin was an Australian criminal, convicted car thief, murderer accused of killing 7 underworld figures and was one of the key figures involved in the Melbourne underworld killings...
lived and operated around the Sunshine area. - Contrary to popular belief, Melbourne duo TV RockTV RockTV Rock are an Australian dance music duo consisting of Grant Smillie and Ivan Gough.TV Rock entered the mainstream in February 2006 with their hit "Flaunt It" featuring Seany B. which reached #1 for 5 weeks and spent 39 weeks in the Australian ARIA Top 50...
's first album Sunshine CitySunshine City (album)-Track listing:#It Ain't Easy - 3:18#Bimbo Nation - 3:13#Hip House Is Back - 3:51#Flaunt It - 3:26#Unstoppable - 5:10...
does not refer to this suburb.
Notable residents
- Leigh BoweryLeigh BoweryLeigh Bowery was an Australian performance artist, club promoter, actor, pop star, model and fashion designer, based in London. Bowery is considered one of the more influential figures in the 1980s and 1990s London and New York art and fashion circles influencing a generation of artists and...
, London-based avant-gardeAvant-gardeAvant-garde means "advance guard" or "vanguard". The adjective form is used in English to refer to people or works that are experimental or innovative, particularly with respect to art, culture, and politics....
artist and designer - Reverend John FlynnJohn Flynn (minister)John Flynn OBE was an Australian Presbyterian minister who founded the Royal Flying Doctor Service, the world's first air ambulance.-Biography:...
, the Presbyterian minister and aviator who founded the Royal Flying Doctor Service and who is featured on the current Australian 20 dollar note - Charles GreenwoodCharles Greenwood (pastor)Charles Lewis Greenwood was a Pentecostal Christian pastor in the Assemblies of God. He is credited for the revival and church that was integral to the formation of the Assemblies of God in Australia.-Richmond Temple and the Sunshine Revival:...
, pastor who revived the Assemblies of GodAssemblies of GodThe Assemblies of God , officially the World Assemblies of God Fellowship, is a group of over 140 autonomous but loosely-associated national groupings of churches which together form the world's largest Pentecostal denomination...
church in Australia - Lydia Lassila, 2010 Winter Olympic gold medallist who grew up and went to school in Sunshine
- Hugh Victor McKayHugh Victor McKayHugh Victor McKay CBE, was an Australian inventor of the Sunshine Harvester and industrialist.-Early life:...
, leading Australian industrialist of the early 20th century; founder of the Sunshine Harvester Works - Keith MillerKeith MillerKeith Ross Miller MBE was an Australian Test cricketer and a Royal Australian Air Force pilot during World War II. Miller is widely regarded as Australia's greatest ever all-rounder. Because of his ability, irreverent manner and good looks he was a crowd favourite...
, Australian test cricketer of the 1940s and 50s - Craig ParryCraig ParryCraig David Parry is an Australian professional golfer. He has been one of Australia's premier golfers since turning professional in 1985, and has 23 career victories, two of those wins being events on the PGA Tour; the 2002 WGC-NEC Invitational and the 2004 Ford Championship at Doral.Parry was...
, one of Australia's premier golfers who was born in Sunshine - Walter "Wally" PeelerWalter PeelerWalter "Wally" Peeler VC, BEM was an Australian recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest award for gallantry "in the face of the enemy" that can be awarded to members of the British and Commonwealth armed forces. He was decorated following his actions during the Battle of Broodseinde in...
, WWI soldier, Victoria CrossVictoria CrossThe Victoria Cross is the highest military decoration awarded for valour "in the face of the enemy" to members of the armed forces of various Commonwealth countries, and previous British Empire territories....
and British Empire MedalBritish Empire MedalThe Medal of the Order of the British Empire for Meritorious Service, usually known as the British Empire Medal , is a British medal awarded for meritorious civil or military service worthy of recognition by the Crown...
winner and first custodian of the Shrine of RemembranceShrine of RemembranceThe Shrine of Remembrance, located in Kings Domain on St Kilda Road, Melbourne, Australia was built as a memorial to the men and women of Victoria who served in World War I and is now a memorial to all Australians who have served in war... - Prince Philip, Duke of EdinburghPrince Philip, Duke of EdinburghPrince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh is the husband of Elizabeth II. He is the United Kingdom's longest-serving consort and the oldest serving spouse of a reigning British monarch....
, who lived briefly at the Derrimut Hotel in 1945. - Bon ScottBon ScottRonald Belford "Bon" Scott was a Scottish-born Australian rock musician, best known for being the lead singer and lyricist of Australian hard rock band AC/DC from 1974 until his death in 1980...
, lead singer of AC/DCAC/DCAC/DC are an Australian rock band, formed in 1973 by brothers Malcolm and Angus Young. Commonly classified as hard rock, they are considered pioneers of heavy metal, though they themselves have always classified their music as simply "rock and roll"...
who lived in Sunshine as a child - Cal WilsonCal WilsonCal Wilson is a New Zealand stand-up comedian and radio and television personality. She currently lives in Melbourne, Australia, and is well known in Australia through her appearances on television and radio.-Biography:...
, stand-up comedienne and radio and television personality.