Kensington, Victoria
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Kensington is an inner-city suburb in
Melbourne Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a met ...
,
Victoria Victoria most commonly refers to: * Victoria (Australia), a state of the Commonwealth of Australia * Victoria, British Columbia, provincial capital of British Columbia, Canada * Victoria (mythology), Roman goddess of Victory * Victoria, Seychelle ...
,
Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...
, north-west of Melbourne's
Central Business District A central business district (CBD) is the commercial and business centre of a city. It contains commercial space and offices, and in larger cities will often be described as a financial district. Geographically, it often coincides with the "city ...
, located within the
City of Melbourne The City of Melbourne is a local government area in Victoria, Australia, located in the central city area of Melbourne. In 2018, the city has an area of and had a population of 169,961. Estimated resident population, 30 June 2018. The ci ...
local government area A local government area (LGA) is an administrative division of a country that a local government is responsible for. The size of an LGA varies by country but it is generally a subdivision of a State (administrative division), state, province, divi ...
. Kensington recorded a population of 10,745 at the 2021 census. Kensington is known for its village feel, cafes, and diversity of architecture - including Victorian terraces, cottages, warehouse apartments and new structures in the west of the suburb. The suburb is hilly in sections and contains established tree lined streets. The suburb is bounded by Racecourse Road to the north, Smithfield Road and the
Maribyrnong River The Maribyrnong River is a perennial river of the Port Phillip catchment, located in the northwestern suburbs of Melbourne, in the Australian state of Victoria (Australia), Victoria. Course The Maribyrnong River draws its headwaters from near ...
to the west, Dynon Road to the south, and
Moonee Ponds Creek Moonee is a coastal suburb of the Central Coast region of New South Wales, Australia. It is part of the local government area A local government area (LGA) is an administrative division of a country that a local government is responsible for ...
to the east. Kensington was once home to one of Victoria's major abattoirs and livestock saleyards, an army ordnance depot and a number of factories. The stock yards ceased operation in 1984, prompting significant
urban renewal Urban renewal (also called urban regeneration in the United Kingdom and urban redevelopment in the United States) is a program of land redevelopment often used to address urban decay in cities. Urban renewal involves the clearing out of blighte ...
in the area now known as Kensington Banks. Kensington was named after
Kensington Kensington is a district in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea in the West End of London, West of Central London. The district's commercial heart is Kensington High Street, running on an east–west axis. The north-east is taken up b ...
in
London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...
.


History


Settlement

Prior to European settlement, the area was settled by
Wurundjeri The Wurundjeri people are an Australian Aboriginal people of the Woiwurrung language group, in the Kulin nation. They are the Traditional Owners of the Birrarung (Yarra River) Valley, covering much of the present location of Narrm (Melbourne ...
people, who have lived in the area surrounding the Birrarung Valley for up to 40,000 years. They lived predominantly as hunters and gatherers, moving around the present-day
City of Melbourne The City of Melbourne is a local government area in Victoria, Australia, located in the central city area of Melbourne. In 2018, the city has an area of and had a population of 169,961. Estimated resident population, 30 June 2018. The ci ...
and its surrounds depending on changes in the weather and the availability of food. Neighbouring Flemington was initially settled in 1839 by James Watson, who named the area after Flemington Estate in
Scotland Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the ...
, where his father-in-law was a manager. The first land release came in 1840, when land adjacent to the
Maribyrnong River The Maribyrnong River is a perennial river of the Port Phillip catchment, located in the northwestern suburbs of Melbourne, in the Australian state of Victoria (Australia), Victoria. Course The Maribyrnong River draws its headwaters from near ...
was made available for cattle grazing. Kensington was part of the
City of Essendon The City of Essendon was a local government area about northwest of Melbourne, the state capital of Victoria, Australia. The city covered an area of , and existed from 1861 until 1994. History Essendon was first incorporated as a borough o ...
on its foundation in 1861, but later split away to form the
Borough of Flemington and Kensingto A borough is an administrative division in various English-speaking countries. In principle, the term ''borough'' designates a self-governing walled town, although in practice, official use of the term varies widely. History In the Middle Ag ...
n in 1882. The area was originally known for horse proving grounds, its cattle yards, and abattoirs. In the late 1850s, the City of Melbourne moved its cattle yards from a location on the corner of
Elizabeth Elizabeth or Elisabeth may refer to: People * Elizabeth (given name), a female given name (including people with that name) * Elizabeth (biblical figure), mother of John the Baptist Ships * HMS ''Elizabeth'', several ships * ''Elisabeth'' (sch ...
and Victoria Streets to a location in the north of the suburb, near present-day Racecourse Road. The yards were completed in 1858, with the first sales held the following year. The yards' proximity to the Maribyrnong (or Saltwater) River, allowed for the discharge of liquid waste and were soon joined by factories for
fellmonger A fellmonger was a dealer in hides or skins, particularly sheepskins, who might also prepare skins for tanning. The name is derived from the Old English ‘fell’ meaning skins and ‘monger’ meaning dealer. Fellmongery is one of the oldest pro ...
y, bone manure, and glue. The abattoir and its associated factories were soon surrounded by suburbs, prompting complaints and public meetings objecting to the by-products and waste produced by the saleyards.
Alfred Deakin Alfred Deakin (3 August 1856 – 7 October 1919) was an Australian politician who served as the second Prime Minister of Australia. He was a leader of the movement for Federation, which occurred in 1901. During his three terms as prime ministe ...
, who represented the member for Essendon and Flemington in the
Victorian Legislative Assembly The Victorian Legislative Assembly is the lower house of the bicameral Parliament of Victoria in Australia; the upper house being the Victorian Legislative Council. Both houses sit at Parliament House in Spring Street, Melbourne. The presiding ...
until 1900, moved a division in favour of the yards' closure in 1891. Economic downturn in the 1890s, however, meant that the closure was postponed and a by-law was instead passed by the Melbourne City Council making it illegal to drive livestock through streets in Flemington and Kensington between 8am and 10pm. The earliest land sales in the suburb included the Palace Hotel and a Wesleyan Church, both acquired in 1879. In 1886, the borough had a population of approximately 6,000, with approximately 20 new buildings opening each month. Low-lying land in the south of the suburb, near the present-day JJ Holland Park, was filled in around the same period, allowing for the construction of the Gillespie Mill adjacent to the railway line. A
railway line Rail terminology is a form of technical terminology. The difference between the American term ''railroad'' and the international term ''railway'' (used by the International Union of Railways and English-speaking countries outside the United Sta ...
to
Essendon Essendon may refer to: Australia *Electoral district of Essendon *Electoral district of Essendon and Flemington * Essendon, Victoria **Essendon railway station **Essendon Airport * Essendon Football Club in the Australian Football League United Ki ...
was opened by the
Melbourne and Essendon Railway Company Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a metropol ...
in 1860, including Kensington railway station. The railway closed in 1864, but was later reopened as far as Newmarket by the
Victorian Railways The Victorian Railways (VR), trading from 1974 as VicRail, was the state-owned operator of most rail transport in the Australian state of Victoria from 1859 to 1983. The first railways in Victoria were private companies, but when these companie ...
in November 1867. The refurbished and extended railway line also served the Newmarket cattle sale yards, which by 1888 handled more than half a million animals every year. A railway station at
South Kensington South Kensington, nicknamed Little Paris, is a district just west of Central London in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. Historically it settled on part of the scattered Middlesex village of Brompton. Its name was supplanted with ...
opened in March 1891. CONFUSION OF NAMES. Leopold near Geelong was known as Kensington until it was renamed in 1892. In 1876 people sending mail to this Kensington were advised to give "Kensington, near Flemington" as the address.


20th century

In 1905, the Borough of Flemington and Kensington was amalgamated with the
City of Melbourne The City of Melbourne is a local government area in Victoria, Australia, located in the central city area of Melbourne. In 2018, the city has an area of and had a population of 169,961. Estimated resident population, 30 June 2018. The ci ...
. A major railway yard adjacent to Dynon Road towards the south of the suburb was opened in 1955 to relieve congestion at existing facilities near Flinders Street and Spencer Street station. Originally built during
World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
as a means of increasing railway freight capacity, the yards were extended and upgraded to include the country's longest goods depot.


Abattoir closure and present day

In November 1984, an official announcement was made that the Newmarket Saleyards would be closed the following year. Although the closure had been discussed for almost a century, economic hardship and drought conditions, as well as the decentralisation of the livestock industry and urban development affected the viability of the yards. The yards operated until 1987, when an employment trust was formed to dismantle the yards, assisted by more than 100 long-term unemployed. The yards were redeveloped by the state government under the Lynch's Bridge project, which now has approximately 6,100 residents. In line with other inner city areas,
gentrification Gentrification is the process of changing the character of a neighborhood through the influx of more Wealth, affluent residents and businesses. It is a common and controversial topic in urban politics and urban planning, planning. Gentrification ...
has prompted an increase in household incomes, a greater proportion of residents aged 25–49 years old, and a shift in occupation from manufacturing to property and business services. The average household size has also decreased: in 1981, 53% of households had 1–2 persons, whereas in 2006 the proportion had increased to 70.3%. After the proclamation of the ''City of Melbourne Act 1993'', parts of Kensington were transferred from the City of Melbourne to the
City of Essendon The City of Essendon was a local government area about northwest of Melbourne, the state capital of Victoria, Australia. The city covered an area of , and existed from 1861 until 1994. History Essendon was first incorporated as a borough o ...
, which merged with Moonee Valley City Council in 1995. The restructure saw the City of Melbourne's boundary altered to extend past
Flemington Racecourse Flemington Racecourse is a major horse racing venue located in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. It is most notable for hosting the Melbourne Cup, which is the world's richest handicap and the world's richest 3200-metre horse race. The racecou ...
to include the
Melbourne Showgrounds Melbourne Showgrounds is located in the inner north-western suburb of Ascot Vale, Victoria (Australia), Victoria, Australia, next door to Flemington Racecourse. The largest and most flexible indoor/outdoor venue space in Melbourne the Showgrounds ...
. At the same time, parts of Kensington north of Macaulay Road, including the railway station, Kensington Town Hall, and Kensington Primary School, became part of the City of Essendon. In the 2006 census, 5,204 residents lived within the City of Melbourne boundary, with 2,865 falling under the Moonee Valley City Council. A review of the municipal boundary in Kensington and North Melbourne was conducted in 2007, and found significant support for the entire suburb to be brought under the control of the City of Melbourne. Submission to the review highlighted issues with service provision, the lack of a coordinated retail strategy for the Macaulay Road shopping precinct, and challenges for community groups operating on both sides of the boundary. A recommendation that these areas of Kensington should be transferred to the City of Melbourne was accepted by the state government in 2008, and implemented the same year. Four'N Twenty pies were produced in Kensington until 2003, when production moved to
Bairnsdale Bairnsdale () ( Ganai: ''Wy-yung'') is a city in East Gippsland, Victoria, Australia in a region traditionally owned by the Tatungalung clan of the Gunaikurnai people. The estimated population of Bairnsdale urban area was 15,411 at Ju ...
. Suburb review site, CityHobo has called Kensington one of the best places to live in Melbourne after the area's significant gentrification. The area is considered socially progressive with a large refugee and gay community residing in Kensington.


Culture


Politics

At a local government level, Kensington is part of the
City of Melbourne The City of Melbourne is a local government area in Victoria, Australia, located in the central city area of Melbourne. In 2018, the city has an area of and had a population of 169,961. Estimated resident population, 30 June 2018. The ci ...
, which also includes parts of Flemington. In the
Victorian Legislative Assembly The Victorian Legislative Assembly is the lower house of the bicameral Parliament of Victoria in Australia; the upper house being the Victorian Legislative Council. Both houses sit at Parliament House in Spring Street, Melbourne. The presiding ...
, Kensington is part of the
electoral district of Melbourne The electoral district of Melbourne is an electorate of the Victorian Legislative Assembly. It currently includes the localities of Docklands, Carlton, Melbourne, East Melbourne, West Melbourne, North Melbourne, Parkville, Newmarket, Kensing ...
. The area is represented in the
Victorian Legislative Council The Victorian Legislative Council (VLC) is the upper house of the bicameral Parliament of Victoria, Australia, the lower house being the Legislative Assembly. Both houses sit at Parliament House in Spring Street, Melbourne. The Legislative Co ...
by members for the
Northern Metropolitan Region Northern Metropolitan Region is one of the eight electoral regions of Victoria, Australia, which elects five members to the Victorian Legislative Council (also referred to as the upper house) by proportional representation. The region was create ...
. At a federal level, Kensington is part of the
Division of Melbourne The Division of Melbourne is an Divisions of the Australian House of Representatives, Australian electoral division in the states and territories of Australia, State of Victoria (Australia), Victoria, represented since the 2010 Australian feder ...
, held by Greens member
Adam Bandt Adam Paul Bandt (born 11 March 1972) is an Australian politician and former industrial lawyer who is the leader of the Australian Greens and federal MP for Melbourne. Previously, he served as co-deputy leader of the Greens from 2012 to 2015 and ...
since the 2010 federal election. Prior to this, it had been held by
Australian Labor Party The Australian Labor Party (ALP), also simply known as Labor, is the major centre-left political party in Australia, one of two major parties in Australian politics, along with the centre-right Liberal Party of Australia. The party forms the f ...
members since the
Federation of Australia The Federation of Australia was the process by which the six separate British self-governing colonies of Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, Tasmania, South Australia (which also governed what is now the Northern Territory), and Western A ...
in 1901. There are two polling booths in Kensington, one at Kensington Primary School, the other at Holy Rosary School. In the
2013 Australian Federal Election The 2013 Australian federal election to elect the members of the 44th Parliament of Australia took place on 7 September 2013. The centre-right Liberal/National Coalition opposition led by Opposition leader Tony Abbott of the Liberal Party of Aus ...
Adam Bandt won both booths by
significant margin


Places of worship

Holy Rosary, a Catholic church, is located in Gower St. A former Anglican church on Epsom Road was purchased by the Coptic Orthodox Diocese of Melbourne, and was established as the Church of St Mary, the first Coptic Orthodox church in Melbourne. Inner West Anglican Church, formed in 2015, meets in the Kensington Community Recreation Centre in Altona Street.


Demographics

According to the 2016 census, Kensington had 10,812 residents. The suburb's median age was 33, with an average of 2.2 people per household, earning a median weekly income of $1,956. A review conducted by the City of Melbourne in 2009 following the alteration of the council boundary found that the suburb's population was growing at approximately 1% per annum, amongst the slowest-growing in the municipality. Approximately 10% of residents were university students, the lowest proportion in the municipality. The most common type of household in the area was single-person (30%), however there are more than 2,200 families in the area, with the highest concentration of couples with children in the City of Melbourne. The majority of residents (61.2%) were born in Australia and approximately 29.5% spoke a language other than English at home, mostly
Mandarin Mandarin or The Mandarin may refer to: Language * Mandarin Chinese, branch of Chinese originally spoken in northern parts of the country ** Standard Chinese or Modern Standard Mandarin, the official language of China ** Taiwanese Mandarin, Stand ...
,
Cantonese Cantonese ( zh, t=廣東話, s=广东话, first=t, cy=Gwóngdūng wá) is a language within the Chinese (Sinitic) branch of the Sino-Tibetan languages originating from the city of Guangzhou (historically known as Canton) and its surrounding are ...
and
Vietnamese Vietnamese may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to Vietnam, a country in Southeast Asia ** A citizen of Vietnam. See Demographics of Vietnam. * Vietnamese people, or Kinh people, a Southeast Asian ethnic group native to Vietnam ** Overse ...
. The median household income for Kensington was $1,956 per week, higher than the Victoria median of $1,419. The most common occupations were professionals, managers, and clerical and administrative workers. Approximately two-thirds (65.7%) of residents reported working full-time, and a further 25.5% worked part-time work. Unemployment was below the national average at 4.9%. About half (50.8%) of the residents worked 40 or more hours per week. Nearly nine in ten households (87%) of households had internet access from their dwelling.


Built environment


Housing

Kensington's housing is primarily medium density, a mix of semi-detached row or terrace houses, apartments, and public housing. There were approximately 4,900 private dwellings in the suburb. At the 2016 census, 91.6% of dwellings in the suburb were occupied. The average number of bedrooms per dwelling (2.3) is lower than the state average. The median rent in the suburb is $392 per week. The suburb's residential areas are primarily concentrated towards its west, with a number of well-preserved Victorian and Edwardian timber and brick terraces along Ormond Street, McCracken Street, Rankins Road, Bellair Street, Lambeth Street and Parsons Street. The development of the Kensington Banks project following the closure of the Newmarket Saleyards has increased the share of residential property in the area. The
Housing Commission of Victoria The Housing Commission of Victoria (often shortened to Housing Commission, especially colloquially) was a Victorian State Government body responsible for public housing in Victoria, Australia. It was established in 1938, and was abolished in 1984 ...
established public housing estate in the suburb in the 1960s. A$150 million redevelopment of the estate was completed in 2012, and included the refurbishment of 217 existing units, in addition to 210 new public housing units, 417 private apartments and 15 social housing units. A high-rise tower and a number of walk-up blocks were demolished as part of the development.


Parks and public open spaces

The major recreational area is J.J. Holland Park, adjacent to
South Kensington railway station South Kensington railway station is located on the Werribee and Williamstown lines in Victoria, Australia. It serves the inner north-western Melbourne suburb of Kensington, and it opened on 11 March 1891. Freight lines operate to the south o ...
. The Kensington Banks redevelopment has provided a second major public park on the
Maribyrnong River The Maribyrnong River is a perennial river of the Port Phillip catchment, located in the northwestern suburbs of Melbourne, in the Australian state of Victoria (Australia), Victoria. Course The Maribyrnong River draws its headwaters from near ...
frontage. The new residential areas have been planned around a series of smaller-scaled open spaces, one of which is notable as the Women's Peace Park, to the west of Epsom Road. The open space spine formed by the stockman's route passes under Epsom Road and continues up to Racecourse Road. In June 2016, the Melbourne City Council created a park next to Kensington Station, by expanding an existing reserve at Eastwood Street and Rankins Road, which effectively doubled the amount of green space.


Education and schools

Kensington Primary School was opened by
Alfred Deakin Alfred Deakin (3 August 1856 – 7 October 1919) was an Australian politician who served as the second Prime Minister of Australia. He was a leader of the movement for Federation, which occurred in 1901. During his three terms as prime ministe ...
in 1881 and initially offered places for 250 students. The new school cost £1,800, and was later expanded to accommodate a further 100 students. A
Catholic The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
primary school, Holy Rosary, opened at the parish hall in 1916, moving to its present location in 1927. Kensington Community High School opened in the Lynch's Bridge area in 1975.


Transport

Smithfield Road, part of the
Princes Highway Princes Highway is a major road in Australia, extending from Sydney via Melbourne to Adelaide through the states of New South Wales, Victoria (Australia), Victoria and South Australia. It has a length of (along Highway 1) or via the former ...
is the main road through the suburb, located to the north. Racecourse Road forms the suburb's northern boundary. Epsom Road and Kensington Road run north east and south east respectively, forming a junction with Macaulay Road, the main arterial which links Kensington central to Melbourne in the east. Another main road, Stubbs Street, runs along the industrial western banks of the
Moonee Ponds Creek Moonee is a coastal suburb of the Central Coast region of New South Wales, Australia. It is part of the local government area A local government area (LGA) is an administrative division of a country that a local government is responsible for ...
. Three train stations service Kensington. Kensington station, on the
Craigieburn railway line The Craigieburn railway line (previously the Broadmeadows line and Essendon line) is a commuter rail passenger train service operating between Craigieburn in the northern suburbs and Flinders Street in Melbourne, Australia. The service is par ...
, offers frequent service to Craigieburn and to Flinders Street, generally via the
City Loop The City Loop (originally called the Melbourne Underground Rail Loop or MURL) is a mostly-underground and partly surface-level subway and rail system in the central business district (CBD) of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. The Loop includes ...
.
South Kensington South Kensington, nicknamed Little Paris, is a district just west of Central London in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. Historically it settled on part of the scattered Middlesex village of Brompton. Its name was supplanted with ...
is served by trains on the
Werribee Werribee is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria (Australia), Victoria, Australia, south-west of Melbourne's Melbourne City Centre, Central Business District, located within the City of Wyndham Local government areas of Victoria, local government a ...
and Williamstown lines, the
Sunbury line The Sunbury Line (formerly known as Sunbury Subdivision) is a rail line owned and operated by Norfolk Southern Railway which in turn is owned by the Norfolk Southern Corporation. The line travels from Sunbury, Pennsylvania, to Binghamton, New Yo ...
runs express through the station. Macaulay, on the Upfield Line, is on the suburb's eastern boundary. Tram route 57 runs along the northern edge of Kensington, through Racecourse Road. There are two
bus routes A bus (contracted from omnibus, with variants multibus, motorbus, autobus, etc.) is a road vehicle that carries significantly more passengers than an average car or van. It is most commonly used in public transport, but is also in use for cha ...
: the 402, which runs along Macaulay and Kensington Roads, and the 404 which runs along Smithfield and Epsom Roads.


See also

*
City of Essendon The City of Essendon was a local government area about northwest of Melbourne, the state capital of Victoria, Australia. The city covered an area of , and existed from 1861 until 1994. History Essendon was first incorporated as a borough o ...
– Parts of Kensington were previously within this former local government area. *
City of Moonee Valley The City of Moonee Valley is a local government area located within the metropolitan area of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. It comprises the north-western suburbs between 3 and 13 kilometres from the Melbourne city centre, and in June 2018, th ...
– Parts of Kensington were previously within this local government area. *
City of Melbourne The City of Melbourne is a local government area in Victoria, Australia, located in the central city area of Melbourne. In 2018, the city has an area of and had a population of 169,961. Estimated resident population, 30 June 2018. The ci ...
– Kensington is located within this local government area. *
Flemington, Victoria Flemington is an inner-city suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, north-west of Melbourne's Central Business District, located within the Cities of Melbourne and Moonee Valley local government areas. Flemington recorded a population of 7,0 ...


References


External links


Shawfactors: History of Kensington


{{Authority control Suburbs of Melbourne Suburbs of the City of Melbourne (LGA)