Oakleigh, Victoria

The area is traditionally known to have a strong Greek cultural influence, largely due to the influx of said immigrants to Australia in the mid-20th century; evidence of this is the Greek Orthodox church of Agioi Anargyroi and the eponymous college (administered by the Oakleigh Greek Orthodox Community), and the Oakleigh Cannons football club which was established in 1972 by Greek immigrants.

The suburb has a thriving shopping district, with an abundance of butchers, bakers, beauty salons, and specialty shops selling sweets. There are also several Greek-themed cafes that specialise in frappe.

[edit] History

Oakleigh, along with Dandenong, were once two of the closest large cities to Melbourne, and their development was assisted by being on a main railway line to Melbourne. As a result, Oakleigh has a legacy of many large old buildings and institutions, mostly located between the main road at Dandenong Road which once serviced the city and the railway line. Both cities have since been absorbed by Melbourne as it sprawled to the south east.

The Oakleigh Hall (1906 formerly Mechanics Institute) which once served as the Town Hall, post office (1924) and courthouse (1934) still remain, as does a grandstand of the cricket and football oval, while the once grand Convent of the Good Shepard on Dandenong Road was removed to make way for the expansion of Chadstone Shopping Centre in the 1980s. The Sacred Heart Church, a large Edwardian church with its twin copper dome, is still a landmark of the area and now part of a school.

The Oakleigh General Cemetery was in operation from 1860 until 1960. It is situated in Oakleigh Pioneer Memorial Park.

Oakleigh Primary School No 1601 was established in 1875. The lower-school work in a beautifully renovated building (first opened in 1914). The middle and upper school work in the modern building (opened in 1977). The school opened a purpose built Kindergarten in 2005 for 3 and 4 year old children.

[edit] External links

Coordinates: -37.913° 145.102°

Maps and aerial photos
- Street map from Street Directory, MSN Maps and Multimap.
- Satellite image from Google Maps, WikiMapia and Terraserver.

Suburbs of the City of Monash
Ashwood \| Chadstone \| Clayton \| Glen Waverley \| Hughesdale \| Huntingdale \| Mount Waverley \| Mulgrave \| Notting Hill \| Oakleigh \| Oakleigh East \| Oakleigh South \| Wheelers Hill