Toorak, Victoria
Encyclopedia
Toorak is a suburb of Melbourne
, Victoria
, Australia
, 5 km south-east from Melbourne's central business district
located on a rise on the south side (or left bank) of a bend in the Yarra River
. Its Local Government Area is the City of Stonnington
. At the 2006 Census, Toorak had a population of 13,127.
In popular Australian culture, the name Toorak has become synonymous with wealth and privilege. The suburb has long had the reputation of being Melbourne
's most elite, and ranks among the most prestigious in Australia. It has the highest average property values in Melbourne, and is one of the most expensive suburbs in Australia.
It is bordered by South Yarra
at Williams Road on the west, Malvern
at Glenferrie Road on the east, Prahran
and Armadale
at Malvern Road to the south and the suburbs of Richmond
and Hawthorn
on the north side of the river. The suburb's main street
is considered to be Toorak Road, in which is situated the commercial area of Toorak Village.
Toorak takes its name from Toorak House
the residence of James Jackson, a merchant in 1849.
, an Italianate residence built by James Jackson, a merchant in 1849. The name of the house may have originated from Woiwurrung language, with words of similar pronunciation meaning black crow or reedy swamp.
Sir
Charles Hotham
KCB
RN
and his successors until the completion of the present Government House
(1876) in the Kings Domain.
Toorak Post Office opened around June 1858.
, Toorak along with Brighton
became the new favoured location for the wealthy.
. In the 1920s, a favoured style was Tudor revival.
prosperity, rising standards of living and land values caused Toorak to became highly sought after by a new generation of the wealthy, thought by some to be social climbers and Nouveau riche
. For some of these people, the focus was simply to have the postcode of Toorak, which was SE 2 and now 3142. As a result, many of the larger mansions were demolished and large holdings were subdivided to make way for flats, town-houses and apartments.
In the 1980s larger houses in Neo-Georgian and Neo-Classical
styles began to appear.
s, particularly walk-up flats.
Single-family detached homes are also prevalent (35%). Some of these homes are in the form of traditional mansion
s or newer large residences on significant sized estates owned by Melbourne's wealthy and social elite. The premier residential streets of Toorak are generally considered by local real estate agents to be St. George's Road, Lansell Road, Hopetoun Road, Albany Road and Clendon Road. It is not unusual for Toorak houses to have extensive facilities such as swimming pools and tennis courts behind solid gates and high walls to preserve the privacy of the residents.
There are also extant stands of attached housing (16%) including terraces which were traditionally fashionable with the middle class and later gentrified.
CH
1949 - 1967, Sir
John Gorton
PC
GCMG AC
CH
1968 - 1975, Roger Shipton
OAM
1975 - 1990, Peter Costello
1990 - 2009 and Kelly O'Dwyer
since 2009 (all on behalf of the Liberal Party of Australia
). At state level, it mostly falls within the electorate of Malvern (currently held by the Liberals' Michael O'Brien), with the western part of the suburb falling within the electorate of Prahran (currently held by Clem Newton-Brown
on behalf the Liberal Party. At local council level, Toorak falls within the City of Stonnington.
Typically for a wealthy inner-eastern suburb of Melbourne, Toorak is solidly Liberal-voting.
The Toorak Village is a strip of shops and cafes, located centrally in Toorak Road.
dominates the skyline of Toorak with its sandstone spire and is one of the most popular churches for weddings in Melbourne. Other places of worship are St. Peter's Catholic Church, built in 1876 in the Romanesque style, Toorak Uniting Church (1876), in the Frenchified Gothic
style and the Swedish Church. The Wesleyan church (1877), formerly on the corner of Toorak and Williams Roads, was illegally demolished in 1990 by developers and later replaced by a block of flats.
, Loreto Mandeville Hall
and St Kevin's College, Glamorgan (now Toorak Campus, the junior school of Geelong Grammar School
). There is also a state school, the Toorak Central School (1890).
tennis tournament was regularly held at Kooyong until its permanent relocation to Melbourne Park
in 1988.
The most popular form of transport in Toorak is the automobile
. CityLink
runs along the northern eastern Toorak though there are no interchanges
within the suburb, although there is access to the freeway via MacRobertson Bridge
and interchanges at Burnley
. Main arterials running north-south are Williams Road (at the eastern boundary), Grange Road, Orrong Road, St Georges Road and Kooyong Road. The east-west arterials include Alexandra Avenue (at the northern boundary), Toorak Road (which runs mid way through the suburb) and Malvern Road (at the southern boundary). Alexandra Avenue becomes St Georges Road and both along with Grange Road feed onto the MacRobertson Bridge, Toorak's main river crossing. Toorak's road planning is an example of street hierarchy
. As a result, there are numerous quiet pedestrian streets, however traffic congestion is an increasing problem along Toorak Road and Williams Roads. There is limited street parking along the main roads with just a couple of multi-storey car park
s and parking lot
s within proximity of the main Toorak Road shopping strip. There are no level crossing
s in Toorak. There is a popular culture perception of Sport utility vehicle
as status symbol
(controversial for their luxury use (rather than for their off-road abilities) and this has been associated with the suburb of Toorak such that in popular Australian culture, terms such as Toorak tractor, Toorak taxi, Toorak tank, or Toorak truck have become well established in Australian slang as pejorative
s. An example of this was an episode of the popular program Top Gear Australia
, aired on SBS TV
, in which the presenters tongue-in-cheek
drove a $200,000 tractor
along Toorak Road.
Toorak's only railway station
is Heyington on the Glen Waverley line which crosses the Yarra from Richmond on the Heyington Railway Bridge to the suburb's north. Despite its name Toorak railway station is located in Armadale. The Pakenham, Frankston and Cranbourne railway line group to which this station belongs runs close to Toorak's southern boundary. Other nearby stations include Hawksburn in South Yarra and Kooyong in Kooyong
.
Tram
s have run through Toorak road since 1888. Melbourne tram route 8
runs along Toorak Road to Glenferrie Road at the suburb's eastern boundary. Melbourne tram route 72
runs along Malvern Road, the suburb's southern boundary.
Cycling facilities are poor, with few marked on road lanes. Macrobertson bridge and Gardiners Creek pedestrian bridge, however provides pedestrians access to the Main Yarra Trail
and shared bicycle and pedestrian paths in nearby Burnley. Pedestrians are serviced by an extensive network of footpath
s, and pedestrian crossing
s.
have been established on water use. In Victoria, statistics from South East Water reveal that breaches of water restrictions were spread "across Melbourne but there are obviously pockets which seem to attract more interest than other suburbs." Areas like Toorak and Brighton have had a higher proportion of water breaches than other suburbs. A water patrolman said that some Toorak and Brighton
residents had a "what-me-worry attitude" to the threat of $500 fines.
The recent drought resulted in many private bores being sunk in gardens to provide a source of water for gardens.
s or because they had lost their jobs in the finance and banking sectors. In the six months to September 2008, the median value of houses in Toorak fell by 24 per cent. Prices also fell in the upmarket suburbs of Brighton
, South Yarra
, Hawthorn
and Kew
, while prices in the working-class suburb of Melton
rose by 6 per cent in the same time period.
Politicians
Businessmen
Sportspeople
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...
, 5 km south-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...
located on a rise on the south side (or left bank) of a bend in the Yarra River
Yarra River
The Yarra River, originally Birrarung, is a river in east-central Victoria, Australia. The lower stretches of the river is where the city of Melbourne was established in 1835 and today Greater Melbourne dominates and influences the landscape of its lower reaches...
. Its Local Government Area is the City of Stonnington
City of Stonnington
The City of Stonnington is a Local Government Area located within the metropolitan area of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. It comprises the inner south-eastern suburbs, between 3 and 13 kilometres from the Melbourne CBD...
. At the 2006 Census, Toorak had a population of 13,127.
In popular Australian culture, the name Toorak has become synonymous with wealth and privilege. The suburb has long had the reputation of being 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...
's most elite, and ranks among the most prestigious in Australia. It has the highest average property values in Melbourne, and is one of the most expensive suburbs in Australia.
It is bordered by South Yarra
South Yarra, Victoria
South Yarra is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 4 km south-east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area are the Cities of Stonnington and Melbourne...
at Williams Road on the west, Malvern
Malvern, Victoria
Malvern is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 8 km south-east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Stonnington. At the 2006 Census, Malvern had a population of 9,422.-History:...
at Glenferrie Road on the east, Prahran
Prahran, Victoria
Prahran , also known colloquially as "Pran", is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 5 km south-east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Stonnington. At the 2006 Census, Prahran had a population of 10,651. It is a part of Melbourne with...
and Armadale
Armadale, Victoria
Armadale is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 7 km south-east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Stonnington. At the 2006 Census, Armadale had a population of 8,467....
at Malvern Road to the south and the suburbs of Richmond
Richmond, Victoria
Richmond is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 3 km south-east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Yarra...
and Hawthorn
Hawthorn, Victoria
Hawthorn is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Boroondara...
on the north side of the river. The suburb's main street
Main Street
Main Street is the metonym for a generic street name of the primary retail street of a village, town, or small city in many parts of the world...
is considered to be Toorak Road, in which is situated the commercial area of Toorak Village.
Toorak takes its name from Toorak House
Toorak House
Toorak House is a mansion located in Melbourne, Australia built in 1849 by well-known Melbourne merchant James Jackson. It is notable for its use as Melbourne's first Government House and having inspired the name for the suburb of Toorak....
the residence of James Jackson, a merchant in 1849.
Toponymy
Toorak was named after Toorak HouseToorak House
Toorak House is a mansion located in Melbourne, Australia built in 1849 by well-known Melbourne merchant James Jackson. It is notable for its use as Melbourne's first Government House and having inspired the name for the suburb of Toorak....
, an Italianate residence built by James Jackson, a merchant in 1849. The name of the house may have originated from Woiwurrung language, with words of similar pronunciation meaning black crow or reedy swamp.
Toorak House
From 1854 Toorak House served as the residence of the first Governor of Victoria, CaptainCaptain (naval)
Captain is the name most often given in English-speaking navies to the rank corresponding to command of the largest ships. The NATO rank code is OF-5, equivalent to an army full colonel....
Sir
Sir
Sir is an honorific used as a title , or as a courtesy title to address a man without using his given or family name in many English speaking cultures...
Charles Hotham
Charles Hotham
Sir Charles Hotham, KCB, RN was Lieutenant-governor and, later, Governor of Victoria, Australia from 22 June 1854 to 10 November 1855.-Early life:...
KCB
Order of the Bath
The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate mediæval ceremony for creating a knight, which involved bathing as one of its elements. The knights so created were known as Knights of the Bath...
RN
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
and his successors until the completion of the present Government House
Government House, Melbourne
Government House, Melbourne is the office and official residence of the Governor of Victoria. It is set next to the Royal Botanic Gardens and surrounded by Kings Domain in Melbourne. It was the official residence of the Governor-General of Australia from 1901 to 1930...
(1876) in the Kings Domain.
Toorak Post Office opened around June 1858.
1880s Land Boom
During the land boom of the 1880s, many large and elaborate mansions were erected in Toorak, often in the Italianate style. Following East Melbourne and then St KildaSt Kilda, Victoria
St Kilda is an inner city suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 6 km south from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Port Phillip...
, Toorak along with Brighton
Brighton, Victoria
Brighton is a suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 11 km south-east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Bayside. At the 2006 Census, Brighton had a population of 20,651...
became the new favoured location for the wealthy.
1890s Depression
The suburb was hit particularly hard by the 1890s economic depression and many wealthy landowners declared bankruptcy and were forced to sell. Nonetheless, the suburb remained and is still Melbourne's home of old moneyOld Money
Old money is "the inherited wealth of established upper-class families " or "a person, family, or lineage possessing inherited wealth." The term typically describes a class of the super-rich, who have been able to maintain their wealth across multiple generations.- United States :American locations...
. In the 1920s, a favoured style was Tudor revival.
Post War Era
In the period of post-World War IIWorld 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...
prosperity, rising standards of living and land values caused Toorak to became highly sought after by a new generation of the wealthy, thought by some to be social climbers and Nouveau riche
Nouveau riche
The nouveau riche , or new money, comprise those who have acquired considerable wealth within their own generation...
. For some of these people, the focus was simply to have the postcode of Toorak, which was SE 2 and now 3142. As a result, many of the larger mansions were demolished and large holdings were subdivided to make way for flats, town-houses and apartments.
In the 1980s larger houses in Neo-Georgian and Neo-Classical
Neoclassical architecture
Neoclassical architecture was an architectural style produced by the neoclassical movement that began in the mid-18th century, manifested both in its details as a reaction against the Rococo style of naturalistic ornament, and in its architectural formulas as an outgrowth of some classicizing...
styles began to appear.
Contemporary Toorak
While large mansions have survived in neighbouring Hawthorn, Kew and Armadale, only a few of the original 19th century mansions in Toorak remain, due in part to the high land value. Two of the most notable are Illawarra House, which was acquired by the National Trust; and Coonac, the most expensive house in Melbourne. In Toorak, some of the old property names live on as street names or the names of blocks of flats, carved out of or built on their sites.Demographics
A study by the Department of Primary Industries revealed the following facts about Toorak:- In Toorak, 29.6 per cent of persons were employed in the industries of financeFinance"Finance" is often defined simply as the management of money or “funds” management Modern finance, however, is a family of business activity that includes the origination, marketing, and management of cash and money surrogates through a variety of capital accounts, instruments, and markets created...
, propertyPropertyProperty is any physical or intangible entity that is owned by a person or jointly by a group of people or a legal entity like a corporation...
and business services. The Melbourne metropolitan average is 14.6 per cent.
- The proportion of Toorak residents aged 15 and over with a Bachelors degree or higher is 31.0 per cent. The Melbourne metropolitan average is 13.4 per cent.
- Toorak has the highest percentage of children attending non-government schools in Melbourne.
- There are very few infants and toddlers in Toorak. The proportion of the Toorak population who are infants or toddlers (those aged up to 4 years of age) is 3.8 per cent. The Melbourne metropolitan average is 6.9 per cent.
Housing
Toorak has an unusual mix of high, low and medium density housing due intense subdivision of larger lots in the 1880s, 1920s and 1960s. The predominant housing in Toorak (48%) is apartmentApartment
An apartment or flat is a self-contained housing unit that occupies only part of a building...
s, particularly walk-up flats.
Single-family detached homes are also prevalent (35%). Some of these homes are in the form of traditional mansion
Mansion
A mansion is a very large dwelling house. U.S. real estate brokers define a mansion as a dwelling of over . A traditional European mansion was defined as a house which contained a ballroom and tens of bedrooms...
s or newer large residences on significant sized estates owned by Melbourne's wealthy and social elite. The premier residential streets of Toorak are generally considered by local real estate agents to be St. George's Road, Lansell Road, Hopetoun Road, Albany Road and Clendon Road. It is not unusual for Toorak houses to have extensive facilities such as swimming pools and tennis courts behind solid gates and high walls to preserve the privacy of the residents.
There are also extant stands of attached housing (16%) including terraces which were traditionally fashionable with the middle class and later gentrified.
Politics
Toorak falls within the federal electorate of Higgins. The seat of Higgins was created in 1949 and held by Harold HoltHarold Holt
Harold Edward Holt, CH was an Australian politician and the 17th Prime Minister of Australia.His term as Prime Minister was brought to an early and dramatic end in December 1967 when he disappeared while swimming at Cheviot Beach near Portsea, Victoria, and was presumed drowned.Holt spent 32 years...
CH
CH
-Business:* Bemidji Airlines IATA code* Carolina Herrera, a fashion designer based in New York.-Entertainment and sports:* Channel * College Humor.com, a comedy website...
1949 - 1967, Sir
Sir
Sir is an honorific used as a title , or as a courtesy title to address a man without using his given or family name in many English speaking cultures...
John Gorton
John Gorton
Sir John Grey Gorton, GCMG, AC, CH , Australian politician, was the 19th Prime Minister of Australia.-Early life:...
PC
Privy council
A privy council is a body that advises the head of state of a nation, typically, but not always, in the context of a monarchic government. The word "privy" means "private" or "secret"; thus, a privy council was originally a committee of the monarch's closest advisors to give confidential advice on...
GCMG AC
Order of Australia
The Order of Australia is an order of chivalry established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia, "for the purpose of according recognition to Australian citizens and other persons for achievement or for meritorious service"...
CH
CH
-Business:* Bemidji Airlines IATA code* Carolina Herrera, a fashion designer based in New York.-Entertainment and sports:* Channel * College Humor.com, a comedy website...
1968 - 1975, Roger Shipton
Roger Shipton
Roger Francis Shipton, OAM was an Australian politician. In 1975 he succeeded former Prime Minister Sir John Gorton as the Liberal Party member of the Australian House of Representatives for the Division of Higgins...
OAM
OAM
OAM is an acronym that may refer to:*OA&M, Operations, Administration, and Maintenance*Oamaru Aerodrome, New Zealand*Object access method*Observatorio Astronómico de Mallorca, an observatory in Spain*U.S...
1975 - 1990, Peter Costello
Peter Costello
Peter Howard Costello AC is an Australian politician and lawyer who served as the Treasurer in the Australian government from 1996 to 2007. He is the longest-serving Treasurer in Australian history. Costello was a Member of the Australian House of Representatives from 1990 to 2009, representing...
1990 - 2009 and Kelly O'Dwyer
Kelly O'Dwyer
Kelly Megan O'Dwyer is an Australian politician, and member for the Division of Higgins in the Australian House of Representatives...
since 2009 (all on behalf of the Liberal Party of Australia
Liberal Party of Australia
The Liberal Party of Australia is an Australian political party.Founded a year after the 1943 federal election to replace the United Australia Party, the centre-right Liberal Party typically competes with the centre-left Australian Labor Party for political office...
). At state level, it mostly falls within the electorate of Malvern (currently held by the Liberals' Michael O'Brien), with the western part of the suburb falling within the electorate of Prahran (currently held by Clem Newton-Brown
Clem Newton-Brown
Clement Arundel "Clem" Newton-Brown , Australian politician, is the member for Prahran in the Victorian Legislative Assembly....
on behalf the Liberal Party. At local council level, Toorak falls within the City of Stonnington.
Typically for a wealthy inner-eastern suburb of Melbourne, Toorak is solidly Liberal-voting.
Toorak Village
Places of Worship
St. John's Anglican Church, an 1862 Gothic Revival bluestone church designed by William WardellWilliam Wardell
William Wilkinson Wardell was a Civil Engineer and Architect, notable not only for his work in Australia, the country to which he emigrated in 1858, but also for having a successful career as a surveyor, and an ecclesiastical architect in England and Scotland before his departure.In Australia,...
dominates the skyline of Toorak with its sandstone spire and is one of the most popular churches for weddings in Melbourne. Other places of worship are St. Peter's Catholic Church, built in 1876 in the Romanesque style, Toorak Uniting Church (1876), in the Frenchified Gothic
Gothic Revival architecture
The Gothic Revival is an architectural movement that began in the 1740s in England...
style and the Swedish Church. The Wesleyan church (1877), formerly on the corner of Toorak and Williams Roads, was illegally demolished in 1990 by developers and later replaced by a block of flats.
Schools
Schools in Toorak include St Catherine's SchoolSt Catherine's School, Toorak
St Catherine's School is an independent, non-denominational, Christian day and boarding school for girls, located in Toorak, an inner south-eastern suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia....
, Loreto Mandeville Hall
Loreto Mandeville Hall
Loreto Mandeville Hall Toorak is a Roman Catholic day school for girls in Toorak, a suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.It is one of many Loreto schools distributed over the world, established by the sisters of the Institute of the Blessed Virgin Mary or Loreto Sisters, founded some 400 years...
and St Kevin's College, Glamorgan (now Toorak Campus, the junior school of Geelong Grammar School
Geelong Grammar School
Geelong Grammar School is an independent, Anglican, co-educational, boarding and day school. The school's main campus is located at Corio, on the northern outskirts of Geelong, Victoria, Australia, overlooking Corio Bay and Limeburners Bay....
). There is also a state school, the Toorak Central School (1890).
Sport
The Royal South Yarra Lawn Tennis Club and the Kooyong Lawn Tennis Club are all in Toorak. The Australian OpenAustralian Open
The Australian Open is the only Grand Slam tennis tournament held in the southern hemisphere. The tournament was held for the first time in 1905 and was last contested on grass in 1987. Since 1972 the Australian Open has been held in Melbourne, Victoria. In 1988, the tournament became a hard court...
tennis tournament was regularly held at Kooyong until its permanent relocation to Melbourne Park
Melbourne Park
Melbourne Park is a sports venue in the Melbourne Sports and Entertainment Precinct in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Since 1988, Melbourne Park has been home of the Australian Open in tennis, which is played annually in January...
in 1988.
Transport
Automobile
An automobile, autocar, motor car or car is a wheeled motor vehicle used for transporting passengers, which also carries its own engine or motor...
. CityLink
CityLink
CityLink is a system of tolled urban Highways in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. The company Transurban was awarded the contract to augment two existing freeways and construct two new Toll roads—labelled the Western and Southern Links—directly linking a number of existing freeways to...
runs along the northern eastern Toorak though there are no 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...
within the suburb, although there is access to the freeway via MacRobertson Bridge
MacRobertson Bridge
The MacRobertson Bridge is a road bridge that carries Grange Road from Toorak on the south bank into Burnley, over the Yarra River and the Monash Freeway in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia....
and interchanges at Burnley
Burnley, Victoria
Burnley is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 4 km east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Yarra. At the 2006 Census, Burnley had a population of 708....
. Main arterials running north-south are Williams Road (at the eastern boundary), Grange Road, Orrong Road, St Georges Road and Kooyong Road. The east-west arterials include Alexandra Avenue (at the northern boundary), Toorak Road (which runs mid way through the suburb) and Malvern Road (at the southern boundary). Alexandra Avenue becomes St Georges Road and both along with Grange Road feed onto the MacRobertson Bridge, Toorak's main river crossing. Toorak's road planning is an example of street hierarchy
Street hierarchy
The street hierarchy is an urban design technique for laying out road networks that exclude automobile through-traffic from developed areas. It is conceived as a hierarchy of roads that embeds the link importance of each road type in the network topology...
. As a result, there are numerous quiet pedestrian streets, however traffic congestion is an increasing problem along Toorak Road and Williams Roads. There is limited street parking along the main roads with just a couple of multi-storey car park
Multi-storey car park
A multi-storey car-park is a building designed specifically to be for car parking and where there are a number of floors or levels on which parking takes place...
s and parking lot
Parking lot
A parking lot , also known as car lot, is a cleared area that is intended for parking vehicles. Usually, the term refers to a dedicated area that has been provided with a durable or semi-durable surface....
s within proximity of the main Toorak Road shopping strip. There are no level crossing
Level crossing
A level crossing occurs where a railway line is intersected by a road or path onone level, without recourse to a bridge or tunnel. It is a type of at-grade intersection. The term also applies when a light rail line with separate right-of-way or reserved track crosses a road in the same fashion...
s in Toorak. There is a popular culture perception of Sport utility vehicle
Sport utility vehicle
A sport utility vehicle is a generic marketing term for a vehicle similar to a station wagon, but built on a light-truck chassis. It is usually equipped with four-wheel drive for on- or off-road ability, and with some pretension or ability to be used as an off-road vehicle. Not all four-wheel...
as status symbol
Status symbol
A status symbol is a perceived visible, external denotation of one's social position and perceived indicator of economic or social status. Many luxury goods are often considered status symbols...
(controversial for their luxury use (rather than for their off-road abilities) and this has been associated with the suburb of Toorak such that in popular Australian culture, terms such as Toorak tractor, Toorak taxi, Toorak tank, or Toorak truck have become well established in Australian slang as pejorative
Pejorative
Pejoratives , including name slurs, are words or grammatical forms that connote negativity and express contempt or distaste. A term can be regarded as pejorative in some social groups but not in others, e.g., hacker is a term used for computer criminals as well as quick and clever computer experts...
s. An example of this was an episode of the popular program Top Gear Australia
Top Gear Australia
Top Gear Australia was an Australian motoring television series based on the BBC series Top Gear.The show premiered on SBS One on 29 September 2008 at 7:30 pm AEST, with its first season consisting of 8 episodes...
, aired on SBS TV
SBS TV
SBS One is a national public television channel in Australia. Launched on 24 October 1980, it is the responsibility of SBS's television division, and is available nationally...
, in which the presenters tongue-in-cheek
Tongue-in-cheek
Tongue-in-cheek is a phrase used as a figure of speech to imply that a statement or other production is humorously intended and it should not be taken at face value. The facial expression typically indicates that one is joking or making a mental effort. In the past, it may also have indicated...
drove a $200,000 tractor
Tractor
A tractor is a vehicle specifically designed to deliver a high tractive effort at slow speeds, for the purposes of hauling a trailer or machinery used in agriculture or construction...
along Toorak Road.
Toorak's only railway station
Train station
A train station, also called a railroad station or railway station and often shortened to just station,"Station" is commonly understood to mean "train station" unless otherwise qualified. This is evident from dictionary entries e.g...
is Heyington on the Glen Waverley line which crosses the Yarra from Richmond on the Heyington Railway Bridge to the suburb's north. Despite its name Toorak railway station is located in Armadale. The Pakenham, Frankston and Cranbourne railway line group to which this station belongs runs close to Toorak's southern boundary. Other nearby stations include Hawksburn in South Yarra and Kooyong in Kooyong
Kooyong, Victoria
Kooyong is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, south-east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Stonnington. At the 2006 Census, Kooyong had a population of 781....
.
Tram
Tram
A tram is a passenger rail vehicle which runs on tracks along public urban streets and also sometimes on separate rights of way. It may also run between cities and/or towns , and/or partially grade separated even in the cities...
s have run through Toorak road since 1888. Melbourne tram route 8
Melbourne tram route 8
Tram route 8 is a public transport service in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. It runs from Toorak to Moreland through the suburbs of Carlton and South Yarra...
runs along Toorak Road to Glenferrie Road at the suburb's eastern boundary. Melbourne tram route 72
Melbourne tram route 72
Tram route 72 is a public transport service in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. It runs from the University of Melbourne in the city centre to Camberwell in the eastern suburbs. It runs through the suburbs of Melbourne, South Yarra, Toorak, Malvern, Glen Iris, and Camberwell...
runs along Malvern Road, the suburb's southern boundary.
Cycling facilities are poor, with few marked on road lanes. Macrobertson bridge and Gardiners Creek pedestrian bridge, however provides pedestrians access to the Main Yarra Trail
Main Yarra Trail
The Yarra Trail is a shared use path for cyclists and pedestrians, which follows the Yarra River through the north eastern suburbs of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia....
and shared bicycle and pedestrian paths in nearby Burnley. Pedestrians are serviced by an extensive network of footpath
Footpath
A Footpath is a thoroughfare intended for by pedestrians but not by motorized vehicles. The term is often for paths within an urban area that offer shorter quieter routes for pedestrians, they may also provide access to the surrounding countryside or parks...
s, and pedestrian crossing
Pedestrian crossing
A pedestrian crossing or crosswalk is a designated point on a road at which some means are employed to assist pedestrians wishing to cross. They are designed to keep pedestrians together where they can be seen by motorists, and where they can cross most safely across the flow of vehicular traffic...
s.
Water restrictions
Because of the scarcity of water in Australia, restrictionsWater restrictions in Australia
Water restrictions have been enacted in many cities and regions in Australia, which is the Earth's driest inhabited continent, in response to chronic water shortages resulting from the drought. Depending upon the location, these can include restrictions on watering lawns, using sprinkler systems,...
have been established on water use. In Victoria, statistics from South East Water reveal that breaches of water restrictions were spread "across Melbourne but there are obviously pockets which seem to attract more interest than other suburbs." Areas like Toorak and Brighton have had a higher proportion of water breaches than other suburbs. A water patrolman said that some Toorak and Brighton
Brighton, Victoria
Brighton is a suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 11 km south-east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Bayside. At the 2006 Census, Brighton had a population of 20,651...
residents had a "what-me-worry attitude" to the threat of $500 fines.
The recent drought resulted in many private bores being sunk in gardens to provide a source of water for gardens.
Property prices
Because of the economic crisis of 2008, which led to large falls in share prices, many wealthy home owners in Melbourne's prestigious suburbs were forced to sell their homes to cover share margin callMargin Call
Margin Call is a 2011 American independent drama film, written and directed by J.C. Chandor. The film has an ensemble cast that includes Kevin Spacey, Demi Moore, Paul Bettany, Jeremy Irons, Zachary Quinto, Stanley Tucci, Simon Baker, and Penn Badgley...
s or because they had lost their jobs in the finance and banking sectors. In the six months to September 2008, the median value of houses in Toorak fell by 24 per cent. Prices also fell in the upmarket suburbs of Brighton
Brighton, Victoria
Brighton is a suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 11 km south-east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Bayside. At the 2006 Census, Brighton had a population of 20,651...
, South Yarra
South Yarra, Victoria
South Yarra is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 4 km south-east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area are the Cities of Stonnington and Melbourne...
, Hawthorn
Hawthorn, Victoria
Hawthorn is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Boroondara...
and Kew
Kew, Victoria
Kew is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 6 km east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Boroondara. At the 2006 Census, Kew had a population of 22,516....
, while prices in the working-class suburb of Melton
Melton, Victoria
Melton is an outer-suburban city of Melbourne Victoria, Australia located 35 km east from Melbourne's central business district. It is the administrative centre for the Shire of Melton Local Government Area. At the 2006 Census, the Shire of Melton had a population of 35,490...
rose by 6 per cent in the same time period.
Residents
Celebrities, philanthropists, cultural figures- DameDame (title)The title of Dame is the female equivalent of the honour of knighthood in the British honours system . It is also the equivalent form address to 'Sir' for a knight...
Zara BateZara BateDame Zara Kate Bate DBE was an Australian fashion designer and wife of the Australian Prime Minister Harold Holt....
DBE – fashion designer and wife (later widow) of Harold HoltHarold HoltHarold Edward Holt, CH was an Australian politician and the 17th Prime Minister of Australia.His term as Prime Minister was brought to an early and dramatic end in December 1967 when he disappeared while swimming at Cheviot Beach near Portsea, Victoria, and was presumed drowned.Holt spent 32 years...
, had a salon called 'Magg' in the Toorak Village - Albert DadonAlbert DadonAlbert Dadon AM is an Australian businessman, philanthropist and musician. He was born in France of Moroccan-Jewishbackground, and lives in Melbourne, Australia. He is prominent in promoting cultural and business links between Australia and Israel...
– Chair of the Australian Israel Cultural Exchange - Eddie McGuireEddie McGuireEdward Joseph "Eddie" McGuire AM is an Australian television presenter and businessman known for his long association with Australian rules football and the Channel 9 television network....
AMOrder of AustraliaThe Order of Australia is an order of chivalry established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia, "for the purpose of according recognition to Australian citizens and other persons for achievement or for meritorious service"...
– Journalist, republican commentator, television and radio personality, president of the Collingwood Football ClubCollingwood Football ClubThe Collingwood Football Club, nicknamed The Magpies, is an Australian rules football club which plays in the Australian Football League...
from 1998 to present. - Daniel RadcliffeDaniel RadcliffeDaniel Jacob Radcliffe is an English actor who rose to prominence playing the titular character in the Harry Potter film series....
– the Harry PotterHarry PotterHarry Potter is a series of seven fantasy novels written by the British author J. K. Rowling. The books chronicle the adventures of the adolescent wizard Harry Potter and his best friends Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger, all of whom are students at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry...
star's family owns a house in Toorak. - Peter RobbPeter RobbPeter Robb is an Australian author.Robb spent his formative years in Australia and New Zealand, and between 1978 and 1992 he spent most of his time in Naples and southern Italy, interspersed with sojourns in Brazil. At the end of 1992 he returned to Sydney.His first book, Midnight in Sicily, was...
– Australian author. Born in Toorak in 1946. - Sidney MyerSidney MyerSidney Baevski Myer was a Russian Australian businessman and philanthropist, best known for creating Myer, Australia's largest chain of department stores.-Early life:...
- founder of the Myer Emporium, and DameDameA Dame may be:* Dame , a female title of rank, equivalent to 'Sir' used as the title of a knight* A title of respect for certain Benedictine nuns equivalent to the male "Dom"* A pantomime dame...
Merlyn MyerMerlyn MyerDame Margery Merlyn Baillieu Myer DBE , best known as Merlyn Myer, was an Australian philanthropist, who was knighted in recognition of her charitable work....
DBE - philanthropists lived in "Cranlana" - Martin ClemensMartin ClemensMajor Warren Frederick Martin Clemens CBE, MC, AM was a British colonial administrator and soldier. In late 1941 and early 1942, while serving as a District Officer in the Solomon Islands, he helped prepare the area for eventual resistance to Japanese occupation.His additional duties as...
CBECBECBE and C.B.E. are abbreviations for "Commander of the Order of the British Empire", a grade in the Order of the British Empire.Other uses include:* Chemical and Biochemical Engineering...
MC AMOrder of AustraliaThe Order of Australia is an order of chivalry established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia, "for the purpose of according recognition to Australian citizens and other persons for achievement or for meritorious service"...
- war hero and philanthropist. - DameDameA Dame may be:* Dame , a female title of rank, equivalent to 'Sir' used as the title of a knight* A title of respect for certain Benedictine nuns equivalent to the male "Dom"* A pantomime dame...
Hilda StevensonHilda StevensonDame Hilda Stevenson, DBE was an Australian philanthropist and community worker.-Personal life/early years:Born as Hilda Mabel McKay in Ballarat, Victoria, her father was Hugh Victor McKay, the inventor of the combined harvester. She attended Clarendon College and Presbyterian Ladies College. Her...
DBE - philanthropist. - SirSirSir is an honorific used as a title , or as a courtesy title to address a man without using his given or family name in many English speaking cultures...
Norman Myer - businessman and philanthropist.
Politicians
- Harold HoltHarold HoltHarold Edward Holt, CH was an Australian politician and the 17th Prime Minister of Australia.His term as Prime Minister was brought to an early and dramatic end in December 1967 when he disappeared while swimming at Cheviot Beach near Portsea, Victoria, and was presumed drowned.Holt spent 32 years...
PCPrivy councilA privy council is a body that advises the head of state of a nation, typically, but not always, in the context of a monarchic government. The word "privy" means "private" or "secret"; thus, a privy council was originally a committee of the monarch's closest advisors to give confidential advice on...
CHCH-Business:* Bemidji Airlines IATA code* Carolina Herrera, a fashion designer based in New York.-Entertainment and sports:* Channel * College Humor.com, a comedy website...
- Liberal Party politician, 17th Prime Minister of Australia - Duncan GilliesDuncan GilliesDuncan Gillies , Australian colonial politician, was the 14th Premier of Victoria.Gillies was born at Overnewton near Glasgow, Scotland, where his father had a market garden. He was sent to the high school until he was about 14, when he entered an office in Glasgow...
– Colonial politician, 14th Premier of Victoria and member for Toorak from 1897 to 1903 - Malcolm FraserMalcolm FraserJohn Malcolm Fraser AC, CH, GCL, PC is a former Australian Liberal Party politician who was the 22nd Prime Minister of Australia. He came to power in the 1975 election following the dismissal of the Whitlam Labor government, in which he played a key role...
PC ACOrder of AustraliaThe Order of Australia is an order of chivalry established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia, "for the purpose of according recognition to Australian citizens and other persons for achievement or for meritorious service"...
CHCH-Business:* Bemidji Airlines IATA code* Carolina Herrera, a fashion designer based in New York.-Entertainment and sports:* Channel * College Humor.com, a comedy website...
– Liberal Party politician, 22nd Prime Minister of Australia. Born in Toorak. - Ted BaillieuTed BaillieuEdward Norman "Ted" Baillieu MLA is an Australian politician. He is currently the Premier of Victoria and the member for the Legislative Assembly seat of Hawthorn...
– Victorian Liberal Party politician. 46th Premier of Victoria. Born in Toorak. - Sir Rupert Hamer - Liberal Party politician, Former Premier of Victoria
- David HamerDavid HamerDavid John Hamer, AM, DSC was an Australian politician. Born in Melbourne, he was educated at Geelong Grammar School and then the Royal Australian Naval College. He served in the Royal Australian Navy from 1940 to 1968. He was a lieutenant aboard during the battles of Leyte and Lingayen Gulf...
- AM, DSC Director of Naval Intelligence, Liberal Party Senator - William Murray McPhersonWilliam Murray McPhersonSir William Murray McPherson, KBE was an Australian philanthropist and politician. He was the 31st Premier of Victoria....
- philanthropist and politician, 31st Premier of Victoria.
Businessmen
- John Blood - Chairman of Gazal Ltd, Canningvale Towels, Founder and former MD of Sportscraft and Cotton King of the 90's
- James Jackson - builder of "Toorak"
- Paul LittlePaul Little (CEO)Paul Little is the managing director of Toll Holdings, the Asian region's leading integrated logistics provider.He purchased the business Toll Holdings for $1.5 million in 1986, when it had revenues of $21 million.-External links:*...
- Managing director of Toll HoldingsToll HoldingsTOLL , properly TOLL Holdings Limited, is Australia's largest transport company, based in Melbourne, Victoria. The company has operations in road, rail, sea and air in 55 countries....
from 1986 to present. - Ziggy SwitkowskiZiggy SwitkowskiDr Zygmunt "Ziggy" Edward Switkowski is a Polish Australian businessman and nuclear physicist.He is most known as the former Chief Executive Officer of Australia's largest telecommunications company Telstra, and for overseeing major aspects of the implementation and planning of its full...
– Chief executive of TelstraTelstraTelstra Corporation Limited is an Australian telecommunications and media company, building and operating telecommunications networks and marketing voice, mobile, internet access and pay television products and services....
from 1999 to 2004. He was reported to have had a mobile phone microcellMicrocellA microcell is a cell in a mobile phone network served by a low power cellular base station , covering a limited area such as a mall, a hotel, or a transportation hub. A microcell is usually larger than a picocell, though the distinction is not always clear...
installed on his property. - Solomon LewSolomon LewSolomon Lew is an Australian businessman, and one of Australia's richest men. His principal commercial activities involve importing apparel, toys and other goods into Australia from China and share market investments, principally in retail companies.He was formerly a director then Chairman of the...
– importer and retail supplier, currently resides in Toorak - Peter LewPeter LewPeter Lew , is an Australian businessman from Melbourne.He is the Chairman of P Lew Investment Group, owner of the BrandBank Group of Companies and has extensive interests in retail, financial services and property investments inherited from his father, Solomon Lew...
– Managing director of WitcheryWitcheryWitchery is a Swedish thrash/speed metal band, formed by former members of Satanic Slaughter in 1997. The current lineup consists of vocalist Emperor Magus Caligula , ex-Devian), guitarists Patrik Jensen and Rickard "Richard Corpse" Rimfält, bassist Sharlee D'Angelo, and drummer Martin Axenrot...
clothing, son of Solomon Lew - Lindsay FoxLindsay FoxLindsay Edward Fox AC is an Australian businessman. As of 2009, he was the 10th richest person in Australia, with a net worth of around 1.5 billion . He is best known as the founder and chairman of his family-owned trucking and logistics company, Linfox.- Early life :Lindsay Fox was brought up in...
ACOrder of AustraliaThe Order of Australia is an order of chivalry established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia, "for the purpose of according recognition to Australian citizens and other persons for achievement or for meritorious service"...
– former Australian Rules footballer, owner of the LinfoxLinfoxLinfox is a logistics and supply chain company established in Australia by Lindsay Fox in 1956. The company started with one truck operated by Fox. With the acquisition of Armaguard from Mayne Logistics in 2003 and FCL in 2006, it is now the largest privately owned supply chain solutions company in...
transportation company. - SirSirSir is an honorific used as a title , or as a courtesy title to address a man without using his given or family name in many English speaking cultures...
Donald TrescowthickDonald TrescowthickSir Donald Henry Trescowthick, AC, KBE is a prominent Australian businessman.-Swann Insurance:With Norman Swann, Trescowthick founded Swann Insurance, which grew to be a major general insurer...
ACOrder of AustraliaThe Order of Australia is an order of chivalry established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia, "for the purpose of according recognition to Australian citizens and other persons for achievement or for meritorious service"...
KBE - David Haines - financier and racehorse breeder.
- SirSirSir is an honorific used as a title , or as a courtesy title to address a man without using his given or family name in many English speaking cultures...
Keith MurdochKeith MurdochSir Keith Arthur Murdoch was an Australian journalist and the father of Rupert Murdoch, the CEO and Chairman of News Corp.-Life and career:Murdoch was born in Melbourne in 1885, the son of Annie and the Rev...
- journalist and newspaper-owner and DameDameA Dame may be:* Dame , a female title of rank, equivalent to 'Sir' used as the title of a knight* A title of respect for certain Benedictine nuns equivalent to the male "Dom"* A pantomime dame...
Elisabeth Murdoch DBE - Ron WalkerRon WalkerRonald Joseph Walker AC CBE is a former Lord Mayor of Melbourne and Australian businessman, renowned for his work in managing sporting events.-Biography:...
ACOrder of AustraliaThe Order of Australia is an order of chivalry established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia, "for the purpose of according recognition to Australian citizens and other persons for achievement or for meritorious service"...
CBECBECBE and C.B.E. are abbreviations for "Commander of the Order of the British Empire", a grade in the Order of the British Empire.Other uses include:* Chemical and Biochemical Engineering...
– Lord Mayor of Melbourne from 1974 to 1976. - SirSirSir is an honorific used as a title , or as a courtesy title to address a man without using his given or family name in many English speaking cultures...
Leo Curtis - Lord Mayor of Melbourne from 1965 to 1967 - Peter Rowland OAMOAMOAM is an acronym that may refer to:*OA&M, Operations, Administration, and Maintenance*Oamaru Aerodrome, New Zealand*Object access method*Observatorio Astronómico de Mallorca, an observatory in Spain*U.S...
- caterer
Sportspeople
- Tup ScottTup ScottHenry James Herbert Scott was a cricketer who played for Victoria and Australia. Scott, a doctor by training, later served as mayor and chief magistrate in the rural New South Wales town of Scone; he died here of typhoid in 1910.His first-class debut was at the age of nineteen in February 1878 for...
– Victorian cricketer. Born in Toorak in 1858, later moved to New South Wales. - Charlie McLeodCharlie McLeodCharles Edward McLeod was an Australian cricketer who played in 17 Tests from 1894 to 1902. His brother, Bob, also played cricket for Australia....
– Australian test cricketer. Died in Toorak in 1918. - Jack SaundersJack SaundersJohn Victor Saunders was an Australian cricketer who played in 14 Tests from 1902 to 1908....
– Australian test cricketer. Died in Toorak in 1927. - Clem HillClem HillClement "Clem" Hill was an Australian cricketer who played 49 Test matches as a specialist batsman between 1896 and 1912. He captained the Australian team in ten Tests, winning five and losing five...
– Australian test cricketer. Resided in Toorak following his appointment as handicapperHandicappingHandicapping, in sport and games, is the practice of assigning advantage through scoring compensation or other advantage given to different contestants to equalize the chances of winning. The word also applies to the various methods by which the advantage is calculated...
for the Victoria Amateur Turf ClubMelbourne Racing ClubThe Melbourne Racing Club is one of three metropolitan horse racing clubs in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. It began life as the Victoria Amateur Turf Club in 1875 with Mr. E.C. Moore as the Club's first Secretary. The Dowling Forest Racecourse in Ballarat was the location for the first VATC race...
(VATC) in 1937. - Lou RichardsLou RichardsLewis Thomas Charles "Lou" Richards is a retired Australian rules footballer, who played 250 games with the Collingwood Football Club in the Victorian Football League between 1941 and 1955...
– Australian Rules footballer who played for Collingwood from 1941 to 1955, was captain for four years. Currently resides in Toorak. - Nathan BuckleyNathan BuckleyNathan Charles Buckley is a former professional Australian rules football player, commentator and coach, best known for his time as captain of the Collingwood Football Club in the Australian Football League ....
– Australian rules footballer who played for Collingwood from 1994 to 2007, was captain for seven years. Currently resides in Toorak. - Andrew DemetriouAndrew DemetriouAndrew Demetriou is the chief executive officer of the Australian Football League and a former Australian rules footballer. He is the youngest son of Greek-Cypriot immigrants and, before becoming a VFL player, he worked in the dental import industry...
– Chief executive of the AFLAustralian Football LeagueThe Australian Football League is both the governing body and the major professional competition in the sport of Australian rules football...
. Currently resides in Toorak.
See also
- City of MalvernCity of MalvernThe City of Malvern was a Local Government Area located about southeast of Melbourne, the state capital of Victoria, Australia. The city covered an area of , and existed from 1856 until 1994.-History:...
- the former local government area of which Toorak was a part. - City of PrahranCity of PrahranThe City of Prahran was a Local Government Area located about southeast of Melbourne, the state capital of Victoria, Australia. The city covered an area of , and existed from 1855 until 1994.-History:...
- the former local government area of which Toorak was a part.
External links
- http://www.toorakvillage.com.au/