Mount Eliza is a seaside suburb on the Mornington Peninsula 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 metro ...

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 country comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands. With an area of , Australia is the largest country by ...

, south-east 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

Shire of Mornington Peninsula The Shire of Mornington Peninsula is a local government area in southeastern Metropolitan Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. It is located to the south of the Melbourne City Centre. It has an area of 724 square kilometres and in June 2018 it had ...

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 ...

. Mount Eliza recorded a population of 18,734 at the 2021 census.

History

The traditional

Boonwurrung The Boonwurrung people are an Aboriginal people of the Kulin nation, who are the traditional owners of the land from the Werribee River to Wilsons Promontory in the Australian state of Victoria. Their territory includes part of what is now the c ...

name for the mount is ''Berringwallin''. The mount was given its European name in 1836 after Captain William Hobson’s wife, Eliza Elliott. Prior to large scale subdivision, Mount Eliza was mainly a location for holiday homes, with the Mount Eliza Post Office opening on 15 November 1920. This began to change in the early half of the 20th century when many old estates were subdivided. One such subdivision was Ranelagh Estate, designed by

Walter Burley Griffin Walter Burley Griffin (November 24, 1876February 11, 1937) was an American architect and landscape architect. He is known for designing Canberra, Australia's capital city and the New South Wales towns of Griffith and Leeton. He has been cr ...

and

Marion Mahony Griffin Marion Mahony Griffin (; February 14, 1871 – August 10, 1961) was an American architect and artist. She was one of the first licensed female architects in the world, and is considered an original member of the Prairie School. Her work in ...

in 1924 in tandem with the surveyors Tuxen and Miller. Daveys Bay was named after James Davey who constructed a jetty in the 1840s to ship his produce to Melbourne. In 1909 the Daveys Bay Yacht Club was established, and winds its way to a walking track overlooking Mt Eliza Beach on the shores of Canadian Bay, which was named after three Canadians who owned a sawmill in the area in the 1950s. In 1928, the independent girls school Toorak College was built and is one of the oldest independent girls schools in Victoria. By the 1950s the shopping precinct began to develop and by the 1960s was a well established shopping village. Hollywood glamour came to Mt Eliza in 1959 when movie stars Fred Astaire, Gregory Peck and Ava Gardner arrived to shoot the Stanley Kramer film, On The Beach, based on the novel of the same name by British novelist Nevil Shute who had lived at nearby

Langwarrin Langwarrin is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, south-east of Melbourne's Central Business District, located within the City of Frankston local government area. Langwarrin recorded a population of 23,588 at the . Langwarrin is bounde ...

. Adjacent to Sunnyside beach sits a historical property Morning Star Estate. Morning Star Estate is a distinctive example of a Victorian era mansion built as a rural or holiday retreat on the Mornington Peninsula, it incorporates a number of architectural styles – including Tudor and Gothic Revival. Sunnyside estate (now Morning Star Estate) was originally purchased by Londoner Francis Alfred Gillett in 1865 a short time after he arrived in the colony in 1853. Gillett designed the Sunnyside mansion sometime around 1867–1870. In 1932 the property was purchased, with funds from a bequest, by the Catholic Church and became known as Morning Star Boys' Home. The boys’ home was developed into a country-training centre for delinquent boys, giving them exposure to the benefits of rural life. The boys later became involved in an extensive building program, which led to further developments of the property. Despite this, the mansion remained the dominant architectural feature of the property. Renovations and extensions were undertaken by the Franciscans in 1944–1946. Some effort to follow the lead of the mansion was made in the external Tudor/Gothic detailing of the large chapel. A number of courtyards were formed by the new buildings, including a large courtyard which was used for sports and was later enclosed. The remains of a football field lie to the south of the building complex, and a tall angular concrete pillar near the Nepean Highway originally carried a statue of the Virgin Mary sculpted by one of the brothers. Morning Star Estate has been in a number of films due to its location and historical buildings, including a three-month location shoot around the mansion for the movie Partisan, starring French actor

Vincent Cassel Vincent Cassel (; ; born 23 November 1966) is a French actor. He first achieved recognition for his performance as a troubled French Jewish youth in Mathieu Kassovitz's 1995 film ''La Haine (Hate)'', for which he received two César Award nom ...

, during 2013 and 2014. The mansion was also the location for the Kath & Kim movie spin-off Kath & Kimderella. Morning Star estate is also home to possibly the largest rose garden in Victoria, and the gardens surrounding the main mansion are home to more than 700 varieties of ornamental roses.

Geography

The suburb is bordered by Kackeraboite Creek, Humphries Road,

Moorooduc Highway Moorooduc Highway is a 16 km highway which runs from Frankston to Tuerong and, together with the Mornington Peninsula Freeway, was part of the main route from Melbourne to the Mornington Peninsula until the completion of Peninsula Link ...

, Wooralla Drive, the

Mornington railway line The Mornington railway line, in Melbourne, Australia, was a rural railway branching off from the Stony Point railway line at Baxter. The line had a life of 92 years, opening in 1889, and closing in 1981. History Opening A branch was opened ...

, Oakbank Road, Manyung Creek and Port Phillip. There are several beaches and bays located in Mount Eliza, which include Canadian Bay (has had the name since the late 19th Century),

Daveys Bay Daveys Bay is a small shallow bay of Port Phillip, located in Victoria, Australia. It is one of several small bays adjoining the town of Mount Eliza and is the closest region of the Shire of Mornington Peninsula to Melbourne Melbourne ( ; ...

, Half Moon Bay, Moondah Beach, Ranelagh Beach and

Sunnyside North Beach Sunnyside North Beach is a clothes-optional beach located at Mount Eliza, Port Philip Bay, in the State of Victoria Victoria is a state in southeastern Australia. It is the second-smallest state with a land area of , the second most popula ...

. In addition Mount Eliza is also home to the

Moorooduc Quarry Flora and Fauna Reserve The Moorooduc Quarry Flora and Fauna Reserve is located in Mount Eliza, Victoria, Australia and occupies approximately 27 hectares of land. There are entrances to the reserve located on Allison Road, Canadian Bay Road, Two Bays Road and Station ...

and several creeks including Ballar Creek, Earimil Creek (formerly Dennant Creek), Gunyong Creek, Kackeraboite Creek, Manmangur Creek and Manyung Creek (named after the Manyung Fault).

Mount Eliza Village

The suburb’s main shopping area is known as Mount Eliza Village. It is situated at the intersection of Canadian Bay Road and Mount Eliza Way. Two major supermarkets,

Ritchies Stores Ritchies is the largest independent supermarket chain in Australia, owned by a group of private investors including Metcash. It is also known as "Ritchies Supa IGA". The majority of its stores are located throughout Victoria. Ritchies annual re ...

Supa

IGA Iga may refer to: Arts and entertainment * Ambush at Iga Pass, a 1958 Japanese film * Iga no Kagemaru, Japanese manga series * Iga, a set of characters from the Japanese novel '' The Kouga Ninja Scrolls'' Biology * ''Iga'' (beetle), a g ...

and

Woolworths Woolworth, Woolworth's, or Woolworths may refer to: Businesses * F. W. Woolworth Company, the original US-based chain of "five and dime" (5¢ and 10¢) stores * Woolworths Group (United Kingdom), former operator of the Woolworths chain of shop ...

can be found along with many specialty shops. There i
a range of restaurants
from moderately priced restaurants to fine dining.

Education

Secondary schools

Peninsula Grammar , motto_translation = Hold fast that which is good , established = 1961 , type = Independent, co-educational, Anglican, day and boarding school , denomination = Anglican , slogan ...

* Toorak College * Mount Eliza Secondary College

Primary schools

* Kunyung Primary School * Mount Eliza Primary School * Mount Eliza North Primary School * St. Thomas More Catholic Primary School

Kindergartens

*Toorak College Preschool * Peninsula Grammar Early Childhood Centre * Guardian Early Learning Centre Mt Eliza * Mt Eliza Preschool * Kunyung Preschool * Woodlands Early Learning Centre * Walkers Road Preschool * Mt Eliza House Childcare & Early Learning Centre * Little Grasshoppers Early Learning Centre Coolstores There is also another child care centre being built on 1412 Nepean Highway, Mount Eliza VIC 3930 designed by Rauhous

Sport

There are many sporting clubs in Mount Eliza, but most notable is the Mount Eliza Football Club competing in the

Mornington Peninsula Nepean Football League The Mornington Peninsula Nepean Football League (abbreviated "MPNFL") is an Australian rules football competition, governed by the AFL South East. The MPNFL contains teams near the south eastern region of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. At the ...

. Mt Eliza Cricket Club which is one of the most successful Cricket Clubs on the Mornington Peninsula with ten First Eleven premierships and a total of more than 55, including the Juniors. During the 1980s the club was heralded as the largest cricket club in Australia with nine senior teams and eight junior teams. Mount Eliza Soccer Club was formed in 2008 and has grown rapidly. They cater for all age groups and have approximately 500 members. The club competes in both the Football Federation Victoria Metropolitan League and Bayside League.
Mornington Peninsula Pony Club
provides

dressage Dressage ( or ; a French term, most commonly translated to mean "training") is a form of horse riding performed in exhibition and competition, as well as an art sometimes pursued solely for the sake of mastery. As an equestrian sport defined by ...

show jumping Show jumping is a part of a group of English riding equestrian events that also includes dressage, eventing, hunters, and equitation. Jumping classes are commonly seen at horse shows throughout the world, including the Olympics. Sometimes ...

and cross-country facilities for young

equestrian The word equestrian is a reference to equestrianism, or horseback riding, derived from Latin ' and ', "horse". Horseback riding (or Riding in British English) Examples of this are: *Equestrian sports *Equestrian order, one of the upper classes in ...

enthusiasts. The club is affiliated with the

Pony Club Association of Victoria The Pony Club Association of Victoria, commonly abbreviated as PCAV, is the recognised State Sporting Organisation and controlling body for Pony Club in Victoria where young people can ride and learn all disciplines of equestrian sports. The Ass ...

. Other sporting clubs include the Mount Eliza Bowls club, the Mount Eliza Tennis Club and the Peninsula Old Boys Football Club which compete in the

VAFA The Victorian Amateur Football Association (VAFA) is the largest senior community Australian rules football competition in Victoria. It consists of seven senior men's and women's divisions ranging from Premier to Division 4. In addition there ...

. Davey's Bay Yacht Club is located in Mount Eliza. The club celebrated its centenary in 2009. Mount Eliza

Skate Park A skatepark, or skate park, is a purpose-built recreational environment made for skateboarding, BMX, scootering, wheelchairs, and aggressive inline skating. A skatepark may contain half-pipes, handrails, funboxes, vert ramps, stairsets, qua ...

, located in Emil Madsen Reserve, Wooralla Drive, opened in 2012.

Mount Eliza Fire Brigade

Mount Eliza is served by a volunteer fire brigade, part of the

Country Fire Authority The Country Fire Authority (CFA) is a volunteer fire service responsible for fire suppression, rescues, and response to other accidents and hazards across most of the state Victoria, Australia. CFA comprises over 1,200 brigades organised in 2 ...

. The station responds to approximately 250 calls a year within the local area, supporting neighbouring brigades and further afield in the event of large bush fires. The brigade currently has three vehicles, a Scania Type 3 Medium Pumper, a medium tanker for rural fires and a Forward Control Vehicle. Mount Eliza Fire Brigade is part of District 8.

Transport

Mount Eliza is served by two major roadways, the

Nepean Highway Nepean Highway runs south from St Kilda Junction in Victoria, Australia to Portsea, close to the eastern shore of Port Phillip. It is the primary road route to central Melbourne from Melbourne's southern suburbs. History Originally known as A ...

and

. The

Melbourne bus routes This is a list of bus routes that are part of the Buses in Melbourne, bus network, in Melbourne, Australia. Kinetic Melbourne operate approximately 30% of the bus network, signing contracts in 2021 as part of the Melbourne Metropolitan Bus Fra ...

772, 773, 781, 784, 785 & 788 also serve the area.

Notable people

* Sir Reginald Ansett * Sir Edgar Coles * Greg Hunt * Rob Hulls * Nick Warner PSM AO * Walter Burley Griffin * Marion Mahoney Griffin * Gamble Breaux * Peter Mitchell * Emilie de Ravin * Tim Wilson *

Billy Brownless Anthony William Brownless (born 28 January 1967) is a former Australian rules footballer and radio and television media personality who represented in the Australian Football League (AFL) during the 1980s and 1990s. Early life Brownless was ...

*Dani Venn * James Rees * Sir Laurence Hartnett * Brooke Satchwell * Joanna Murray-Smith * Cameron Daddo * Andrew Daddo * Lachie Daddo * Campbell Clerke * Grahame Begg * David Andersen * Alec Potts * Mete Erdogan * Melissa Clarke * Odette Joannidis * Sally McLean * Tim Ross * Mick Molloy * Kate Forster * Summer de Roche * Andrew Wrigglesworth * Jean Kittson * Laura Coates * Harry Norris * James Reyne * Henry Kerley *Ethan Hawkins * Hazel Chow *Czulak, Józef Karol (1915–1985)Josef Czulak, ADB
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Simon Hussey Simon Cyril Hussey (born 7 July 1960) is an Australian multi-instrumentalist, songwriter-arranger, record producer and audio engineer. In 1984 he formed Cats Under Pressure on keyboards with David Reyne (ex-Australian Crawl) on vocals and Mark ...

Awarded Songwriter and Record Producer