Eltham, Victoria

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Eltham
Melbourne, Victoria

Buildings at the Montsalvat artists' colony, Eltham, Victoria
Population: 17,581 (2006) [1]
Postcode: 3095
Area: 13.2 km² (5.1 sq mi)
Property Value: AUD $410,000 [2]
Location: 24 km (15 mi) from Melbourne
LGA: Shire of Nillumbik
State District: Eltham, Yan Yean
Federal Division: Jagajaga
Suburbs around Eltham:
Briar Hill Eltham North Research
Montmorency Eltham Research
Lower Plenty Templestowe Warrandyte

Eltham is a suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Located about 20 km northeast of central Melbourne, it is one of the beautiful 'green wedge' areas that provide relatively undeveloped, accessible environments within the Melbourne suburban region. These green wedge areas are under constant pressure from developments such as road and freeway expansions, but Eltham has managed to retain its natural splendour with many tree-lined streets and leafy reserves.

Contents

[edit] History

Eltham developed around what is now Main Road from the 1840s. A reserve for a village at the junction of the Diamond Creek and Yarra River is shown on maps around 1848. By 1851, the first Crown allotments were being subdivded and sold, along with a private subdivision developed by TM Holloway and known as Little Eltham. At this time, the town's centre was located around the intersection of Pitt Street and Main Road. The arrival of the railway in 1902 drew business further north along Main Road to the current town centre.

[edit] Appeal to Artists

Eltham has been a popular location for artists since the early 1900s. Eltham is famous for the Montsalvat artist community which built a rustic set of medieval-style buildings in the 1930s. Montsalvat is still open to the public and the centre of a wine and jazz festival each year.

Aside from the Montsalvat artist community, Eltham has also been home to artists such as Walter Withers [1] and Neil Douglas [2], as well as to writers like Alan Marshall [3] and Mervyn Skipper [4].

[edit] Significant Buildings

One of the legacies of this artistic tradition is the local architecture, particularly the use of mudbricks as a building material. Alistair Knox (namesake for a major community reserve in Eltham's centre) was perhaps the best-known exponent of this technique of construction. Australia's first mudbrick community building, the Eltham Community Centre (or "the Mud Hut" as locals affectionately call it) was opened in 1978.

Monsalvat, in Hillcrest Avenue, operates as a commune to artists and craftspeople. The first building was constructed in 1935 by artist Justus Jorgensen. The Great Hall at Monsalvat was built in 1938.

Shillinglaw Cottage was built in 1878 by a local builder, George Stebbing, with handmade bricks using an unusual design featuring burnt header bricks throughout the facade.

St Margaret's Church, located in Pitt Street, was constructed in 1880 and is included on the Historic Buildings Register.

The Eltham Courthouse, on the corner of Main Road and Brougham Street, was built in 1859 and was classified by the National Trust in 1977.

The timber trestle railway bridge across the Diamond Creek just south of the Eltham Railway Station is one of the few remaining examples of this type of construction in Melbourne. Built in 1901, the bridge was the subject of a lengthy dispute during the 1970s between Victorian Railways and local residents over its preservation.

[edit] Education

Eltham encompasses the state secondary school, Eltham High School, as well as the private girls secondary school Catholic Ladies' College. Another private secondary school, Eltham College of Education, takes its name from Eltham, but is located in nearby Research. Primary schools include Eltham East Primary, Our Lady Help Of Christians Primary and Eltham Primary. Several schools are also located in the exclusive connecting area of Eltham North, including St. Helena Secondary College, Holy Trinity Primary School, Glen Katherine Primary School and Eltham North Primary School.

[edit] Amenities

Eltham has a local train station, Eltham Station, located on the Hurstbridge Line. The suburb is home to the Eltham Wildcats Basketball Club, one of the largest junior basketball clubs in the world[citation needed], whilst Eltham Cricket Club and Eltham Football Club are also popular gathering points.

The suburb is home to the Eltham Tennis Club, one of the largest tennis clubs in the Nillumbik Shire.

Eltham Little Athletics Club is the largest of the nine clubs competing weekly at the Diamond Valley Little Athletics Centre at Willinda Park, Greensborough.

Eltham also holds a local sub-branch of the RSL. The venue functions as a hub for many events on the local calendar, with regular meetings by local sports clubs and the local section of the War Widow's Association. The establishment is also home to the local darts and fishing clubs, who compete regularly against neighbouring suburbs. Recently, theme nights have been introduced to Saturdays, with local bands and regional bands performing regular shows. The venue is community-minded, providing Anzac Day services which annually attract an attendance in the hundreds.

[edit] Local Wildlife

The Eltham Copper Butterfly (Paralucia pyrodiscus lucida) was discovered in 1938 in Eltham. After 1956 it was thought to be extinct until a population was found again at Eltham in 1986. A preserve for the butterflies has been created on land connecting to Eltham's Linear Park.

[edit] "Elthamites"

[edit] References

  1. ^ Australian Bureau of Statistics (25 October 2007). Eltham (State Suburb). 2006 Census QuickStats. Retrieved on 2007-09-25.
  2. ^ Eltham, accessed 27 November 2006

[edit] External links

v • d • e
Suburbs of the Shire of Nillumbik | Melbourne | Victoria
Languages