Essendon, Victoria
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Essendon is a 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 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 ...
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 ...
. Essendon recorded a population of 21,240 at the 2021 census. Essendon is bounded in the west by Hoffmans Road, in the north by Keilor Road and Woodland Street, in the east by 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. Moonee is largely unpopulated, with nearly all of its land area being part of the Munmorah State Conservation Area. ...
, and in the south by Buckley Street (except for a small section further south bordering
Moonee Ponds Moonee Ponds is an inner-city suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, north-west of Melbourne's Central Business District, located within the City of Moonee Valley local government area. Moonee Ponds recorded a population of 16,224 at the 20 ...
).


History

Essendon and the banks of 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 ...
were originally inhabited by the
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 ...
clan of the
Woiwurrung The Woiwurrung, also spelt Woi Wurrung, Woiwurrong, Woiworung, Wuywurung, are an Aboriginal Australian people of the Woiwurrung language group, in the Kulin people, Kulin alliance. The Woiwurrung people's territory in Central Victoria (Austral ...
speaking people of the
Kulin nation The Kulin nation is an alliance of five Aboriginal nations in south central Victoria, Australia. Their collective territory extends around Port Phillip and Western Port, up into the Great Dividing Range and the Loddon and Goulburn River valley ...
. In 1803, Charles Grimes and James Fleming were the first known European explorers into the Maribyrnong area. Essendon was named after the village of
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 King ...
in Hertfordshire, England. Richard Green, who arrived in Victoria in the 1850s and settled near Melbourne, was a native of Essendon, Hertfordshire, where his father Isaac Green was either owner or tenant of Essendon Mill, and he bestowed the name of his native village on the district in which he had made his new home. In 1851, the gold rush opened up the Moonee Ponds District with miners travelling along
Mount Alexander Road Mount Alexander Road (and its northern section as Bulla Road) is a major road in Melbourne's inner northern suburbs, connecting the northern edges of the city district to just south of Essendon Airport. It was named after its original destina ...
to
Castlemaine Castlemaine may mean: * Castlemaine, Victoria, a town in Victoria, Australia ** Castlemaine Football Club, an Australian rules football club ** Castlemaine railway station * Castlemaine, County Kerry, a town in Ireland * Castlemaine Brewery, Western ...
. Essendon Post Office opened on 18 August 1856. In 1862, 169 residents sought the formation of the Borough of Essendon and Flemington. On 9 January 1871, 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 ...
services began between Essendon and Melbourne, following an unsuccessful private railway operating from 1860 until 1864. In the 1880s, the local Council resisted industrial development in the form of cattle saleyards and brickworks, out of concern for pollution of the Maribyrnong River. Instead it embarked on a program to create, in its upper reaches, a playground for rowers, fishermen and swimmers. In 1890, a large mansion was built in the town. It was designed by eminent architect
R.A. Lawson Robert Arthur Lawson (1 January 1833 – 3 December 1902) was one of New Zealand's pre-eminent 19th century architects. It has been said he did more than any other designer to shape the face of the Victorian era architecture of the city o ...
and built at a cost of £35,000. Originally known as Earslbrae Hall, it was the home of Collier McCracken, a member of a local brewing family. The building now houses
Lowther Hall Anglican Grammar School , motto_translation = Not for Ourselves Alone , established = , type = Independent comprehensive single-sex primary and secondary day school , denomination = Anglican , educational ...
. In 1906, the North Melbourne Electric Tramway and Lighting Company opened its electric tramway system linking Essendon with the city. The company also supplied electric power to the neighbouring suburbs from its power station on Mount Alexander Road, near the intersection with South Street.


Traditional Ownership

The formally recognised
Traditional Owners Native title is the designation given to the common law doctrine of Aboriginal title in Australia, which is the recognition by Australian law that Indigenous Australians (both Aboriginal Australian and Torres Strait Islander people) have rights ...
for the area in which Essendon is located are the
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. The Wurundjeri People are represented by the
Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung Cultural Heritage Aboriginal Corporation The Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung Cultural Heritage Aboriginal Corporation, previously the Wurundjeri Tribe Land and Compensation Cultural Heritage Council, is a Registered Aboriginal Party representing the Wurundjeri people, an Aboriginal Australian ...
.


Demographics

In the , there were 20,596 people in Essendon. 70.2% of people were born in Australia. The most common other countries of birth were India 4.0%, Italy 2.5%, England 1.7%, China 1.4% and New Zealand 1.2%. 70.8% of people spoke only English at home. Other languages spoken at home included Italian 5.0%, Greek 2.6%, Mandarin 1.6%, Hindi 1.3% and Vietnamese 1.1%. The most common responses for religion were Catholic 38.9% and No Religion 25.4%.


Transport

The number 59 tram provides public transport along Mount Alexander and Keilor Roads to the city. Train services are available from
Essendon station Essendon railway station is located on the Craigieburn line in Victoria, Australia. It serves the northern Melbourne suburb of Essendon, and it opened on 1 November 1860.
on Rose Street, Glenbervie station on Glass Street, and
Strathmore station Strathmore Station is a pastoral lease that operates as a cattle station in Queensland. The station is the largest single pastoral lease in the state. Geography The property is situated approximately north east of Croydon and east of No ...
on Woodland Street, all located 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 ...
. Bus services are also available from Essendon railway station with several routes ending at the station or continuing through to
Moonee Ponds Moonee Ponds is an inner-city suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, north-west of Melbourne's Central Business District, located within the City of Moonee Valley local government area. Moonee Ponds recorded a population of 16,224 at the 20 ...
. The suburb is bordered on the south west by the
Maribyrnong River Trail __NOTOC__ The Maribyrnong River Trail is a shared use path for cycling, cyclists and pedestrians, which follows the Maribyrnong River through the north western suburbs of Melbourne, Victoria (Australia), Victoria, Australia. The path, sometimes a ...
, and on the east and north by the
Moonee Ponds Creek Trail __NOTOC__ The Moonee Ponds Creek Trail is a shared use path for cyclists and pedestrians, which follows the Moonee Ponds Creek through the northern suburbs of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. History A public meeting called by State Member of P ...
. Both are used by commuting and recreational cyclists.


Politics

The seat of
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 King ...
, 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 ...
, is based on the suburb. The current state member is Danny Pearson, for the
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 ...
.


Schools

State; * Aberfeldie Primary School, Doone Street, Essendon
Essendon Primary School
Raleigh Street, Essendon
Essendon North Primary School
Keilor road, North Essendon *
Buckley Park College Buckley Park College is a medium-sized, public secondary school located in Essendon, Victoria, Australia. It has around 902 students from year 7 - 12. The current principal of the school is Harold Cheung. Notable alumni * Callum Moore, Aust ...
, Cooper Street, Essendon *
Essendon Keilor College Essendon Keilor College was founded in 1992 from the amalgamation of Queens Park Secondary College (formerly Essendon Technical School), Essendon High School, Niddrie High School and Keilor Heights Secondary College. Essendon Keilor College (cur ...
, Buckley Street, Essendon (Senior Campus) Private;
St. Therese's Primary School
Edward Street, Essendon * St. Columba's College, Leslie Road, Essendon
St. Bernard's College
Rosehill Road, Essendon *
Penleigh and Essendon Grammar School Penleigh: la, Ad Altiora , motto_translation = Essendon: Strength through knowledge;Penleigh: To higher things , location = Essendon, Moonee Ponds, Keilor Park & Keilor East, Victoria , country = Austral ...
, Raleigh Street, Essendon (Junior School (boys) P-6 and kindergarten campus) *
Lowther Hall Anglican Grammar School , motto_translation = Not for Ourselves Alone , established = , type = Independent comprehensive single-sex primary and secondary day school , denomination = Anglican , educational ...
, Leslie Road, Essendon


Sport

Essendon is home of the
Essendon Football Club The Essendon Football Club, nicknamed the Bombers, is a professional Australian rules football club. The club plays in the Australian Football League (AFL), the game's premier competition. The club was formed by the McCracken family in their A ...
(the Bombers), an
Australian rules football Australian football, also called Australian rules football or Aussie rules, or more simply football or footy, is a contact sport played between two teams of 18 players on an oval field, often a modified cricket ground. Points are scored by k ...
club which is a member of the
Australian Football League The Australian Football League (AFL) is the only fully professional competition of Australian rules football. Through the AFL Commission, the AFL also serves as the sport's governing body and is responsible for controlling the laws of the gam ...
. Essendon is one of the most successful football teams in Australia, having won 16 premierships in the VFL/AFL. The
Essendon District Football League The Essendon District Football League (EDFL) is a professional Australian rules football league competition based in Essendon, Victoria, consisting of teams based in the north-west suburbs of Melbourne. Founded in 1930, the men's competition c ...
is one of the most successful suburban football competitions in Melbourne and in the zone days, fed many players into elite level competition.


Climate


Other

Essendon is the birthplace of the late conservationist and television personality
Steve Irwin Stephen Robert Irwin (22 February 19624 September 2006), known as "The Crocodile Hunter", was an Australian zookeeper, conservationist, television personality, wildlife educator, and environmentalist. Irwin grew up around crocodiles and ot ...
(best known as "The Crocodile Hunter") (1962–2006),IMDb: Biography for Steve Irwin
/ref> and singer
Judith Durham Judith Durham (born Judith Mavis Cock; 3 July 1943 – 5 August 2022) was an Australian singer, songwriter and musician who became the lead singer of the Australian folk music group the Seekers in 1963. The group became the first Australian p ...
, whom both went to Essendon Primary School. There are also several churches in Essendon, of various denominations. Baptist churches within the area including the Essendon Community Baptist Church, the International Baptist Church and the Aberfeldie Baptist Church. The closest mosque to Essendon is the Glenroy Sunnah Mosque. Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church in Diaspora is located in Buckley Street Essendon; nearby the Association of Ukrainians in Victoria (AUV) has its head office in Russell Street Essendon.


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 on ...
– Essendon was previously within this former local government area. *
Essendon Airport Essendon Fields Airport , colloquially known by its former name Essendon Airport, is a public airport serving scheduled commercial, corporate-jet, charter and general aviation flights. It is located next to the intersection of the Tullamarine ...


References


External links


Essendon Historical Society Inc
{{Authority control Suburbs of Melbourne Suburbs of the City of Moonee Valley