Selby, Victoria

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Selby
Melbourne, Victoria
Population: 1396 (2006)[1]
Established: 1901
Postcode: 3159
Area: 2.5 km² (1.0 sq mi)
Property Value: AUD $301,000 [2]
Location:
LGA: Shire of Yarra Ranges
State District: Monbulk, Gembrook
Federal Division: La Trobe
Suburbs around Selby:
Sherbrooke Kallista Kallista
Belgrave Selby Menzies Creek
Belgrave Heights Belgrave South Menzies Creek

Selby is a suburb and semi-rural township in eastern metropolitan Melbourne, the state capital of Victoria, Australia, and is located 41 kilometres (25 mi) from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the Shire of Yarra Ranges.

The town also hosts the second station on the narrow-gauge railway to Gembrook (now the Puffing Billy Heritage Railway).

Contents

[edit] History

The settlement of Selby occurred in conjunction with Menzies Creek, a short distance eastwards. After the narrow-gauge railway opened 1900, the provision of a station in May 1904 required the giving of a name. Selby was chosen, as a compliment to a local landowner and councillor, George Selby.

The land around Selby is particularly hilly, as evidenced by the curves in both the road and the railway. The eastern side of the township is dominated by the steep Black Hill, on which there is a reserve. Whilst the topography put restraints on farming it attracted tourists and weekenders. In the 1920s Selby's weekend population rivalled Belgrave's, but scarcity of subdivided land drew holiday makers and others away from Selby. Some notable Melburnians built homes in Selby, and the Charlotte Tye memorial Anglican church commemorates the wife of George Tye, owner of a Melbourne furniture emporium.

Selby's proximity to Belgrave ultimately attracted residential subdivisions, and a primary school was built in 1951. The township has several reserves and shops, including a General Store which continues to serve local needs.

Following a landslide beyond Selby in 1953, the narrow-gauge railway fell into disuse as a regular railway and was closed the following year, only to be re-opened in 1962 as the current Puffing Billy Railway. Regular trains only stop at Selby if required, but this is rare.

Selby's census population rose from 159 in 1933 to 1,396 in 2006.[1]

Wildlife abounds in and around Selby. King Parrots, Galahs, Yellow Tail Black Cockatoos, Black Wallabies, Echidnas, Koalas and Wombats are often sighted. Visits from Barking Owls have been recorded as recent as 2005.

[edit] Facilities

Selby contains a CFA fire brigade, whose area of primary protection includes the township of Selby, parts of the Dandenong Ranges National Park, farmland, and other areas of bushland both private and public. It also includes a craft and produce market which opens on the third Saturday of each month, and a community house which offers community development as well as educational and IT services.

Selby Primary School was established in 1951. Puffing Billy and the historic trestle bridge are featured on the school logo. The school population has levelled out around 320 students. The school currently has fourteen classes, as well as specialist programs in Art/Craft, Music, Library, Japanese and Physical Education.

Selby Has a diverse range of Flora and Fauna. It is thought that there might still be wombats in the Selby conservation reserve.

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b Australian Bureau of Statistics (25 October 2007). Selby (State Suburb). 2006 Census QuickStats. Retrieved on 2007-08-25.
  2. ^ Selby, accessed 27 November 2006

[edit] External links

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Suburbs of the Shire of Yarra Ranges