Eltham, Victoria
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Eltham (Template:IPAc-en) is a suburb of Melbourne, Template:Convert north-east of the Central Business District,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> located within the Shire of Nillumbik local government area. Eltham recorded a population of 18,847 at the 2021 census.
Eltham is one of the '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 many tree-lined streets and leafy reserves. However, the character of the suburb is changing rapidly, with increased road traffic and higher-density housing becoming more common.<ref>Traffic choking Eltham because of infrastructure neglect Graeme Hammond From: Sunday Herald Sun 9 July 2010</ref>
Eltham's tourist attractions include the artists colony Montsalvat and the Diamond Valley Railway, the largest ridable miniature railway in Australia.
History
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 subdivided and sold,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> along with a private subdivision developed by J. M. Holloway, known as Little Eltham. At this time, the town's centre was located around the intersection of Pitt Street and Main Road. An early settler was Henry Dendy who operated a flour mill.<ref>Template:Citation</ref>
Eltham Post Office opened on 1 February 1854.<ref name = "a">Template:Citation</ref>
The first Eltham Cemetery Trust was appointed in February 1860.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The Eltham Court House was built in 1860 and is listed on the Victorian Heritage Database.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The Eltham Magistrates' Court closed on 1 February 1985.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
St Margaret's Church commenced construction in 1861 at 10 John St Eltham.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
The Evelyn Observer was a weekly newspaper published from 1873 to 1942. It had various titles over the years. Digitsed copies can be accessed for various dates via Trove.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Other local newspapers have included Eltham and Whittlesea Shires Advertiser and Diamond Creek Valley Advocate (1917-1922)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and Eltham and Whittlesea Shire Advertiser (1940-1942)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> These papers can also be accessed via Trove.
The Eltham Hotel was established in 1867 and continues to be in business.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
The arrival of the railway line in 1902 drew business further north along Main Road to the current town centre.
A war memorial in the form of an obelisk of granite was unveiled 3 August 1919 in what was then the centre of the township.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In the 1960s it was relocated to the front of the Eltham RSL sub branch. It was moved again in 2010 in front of the Eltham War Memorial Building Complex.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The Eltham War Memorial Building Complex recognises those who served and died in World War 2. The community complex originally featured an infant welfare centre, war memorial gates and a wrought iron arch, memorial garden, pre-school and children's library.<ref name="wwiiathome.com.au">Template:Cite web</ref>
Eltham Presbyterian Church opened in 1958.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
The Eltham Refugee Housing and Support Project was delivered in partnership with St Vincent's Health Australia and CatholicCare to provide accommodation and settlement support to newly arrived refugees from Syria and Iraq. From November 2016 to October 2018, refugees were provided with affordable accommodation in refurbished units on the site of St Vincent's Care Services Eltham Aged Care facility. During this time, CatholicCare provided tenancy and settlement support.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Leader Community Newspapers published the Diamond Valley Leader which included Eltham in its reporting area for some years before it ceased publication in June 2020.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
The historic courthouse, the oldest building in the Shire of Nillumbik was restored by Ducon Building Solutions and RBA Architects and Conservation Consultants and completed by March 2022<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Appeal to artists
Eltham is famous for the Montsalvat artist community, which built a rustic set of medieval-style buildings in the 1930s.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Aside from the Montsalvat artist community, Eltham has also been home to artists such as Walter Withers<ref name="nillumbik.vic.gov.au">Template:Cite web</ref> and Neil Douglas,<ref name="nillumbik.vic.gov.au"/> as well as to writers such as Alan Marshall<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and Mervyn Skipper.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Education
Primary schools include Eltham Primary School which was established in Little Eltham in July 1855,<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> Our Lady Help of Christians Primary, Eltham East Primary and Eltham North Primary School.
Eltham encompasses the state secondary school, Eltham High School, as well as a private girls secondary school, Catholic Ladies College, Eltham. Another private secondary school, Eltham College, takes its name from Eltham, but is located in nearby Research. There are various childcare and early learning centres available. Several schools are also located in the exclusive connecting area of Eltham North, including St. Helena Secondary College, Plenty Valley International Montessori School, Holy Trinity Primary School, Glen Katherine Primary School and near Eltham College there is Research Primary.
Transport
Eltham railway station is located on the Hurstbridge Line.
Eltham is a key connection point of bus services across the northern and eastern suburbs of Melbourne, including the Route 902 orbital service. Eltham Railway Station services as a local hub for buses to locations including Warrandyte, Diamond Creek, Greensborough, Doncaster and local services.
Sport
World champions Emma Carney (triathlete) and Cadel Evans (racing cyclist) are both Eltham residents.
The suburb is home to the Eltham Wildcats Basketball Club which is the largest basketball club in Australia,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Eltham Redbacks Football Club and Eltham Cricket Club.
Eltham Old Collegians Football Club compete in the VAFA.
Eltham Football Club, known as the Panthers<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> is an Australian Rules Club competing in the Northern Football League.<ref name="footy">Template:Citation</ref> Eltham Rugby Union Football Club is centrally located in Bridge St with teams for all groups including Masters.
The suburb is home to the Eltham Tennis Club, Eltham Netball Club and Eltham Bowling Club (which has two synthetic greens), and Eltham Lacrosse Club.
Eltham Little Athletics Club is one of the largest of the eight clubs competing weekly at the Diamond Valley Little Athletics Centre at Willinda Park, Greensborough.
Historic trestle bridge
Eltham is home to a historic wooden railway trestle bridge which was built in 1902<ref>Template:Cite AV media</ref> as part of the extension of the Hurstbridge line from Heidelberg to Eltham. Today, it's the only wooden trestle bridge still in use in Melbourne's electric railway network, and is also one of few wooden trestle bridges in use in Victoria.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Facilities
The Diamond Creek trail passes through Eltham.
Eltham Cemetery<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Eltham Farmers' Market<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Eltham Library is operated by Yarra Plenty Regional Library.
Eltham Leisure Centre features the Platinum Pool Program which meets the gold standard by Life Saving Victoria.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
The Senior Citizen's Centre was completed in 1967.<ref name="wwiiathome.com.au"/>
Victoria State Emergency Service Nillumbik Unit is based in Eltham on Susan Street. This SES Unit was formed in June 1985 and provides a range of emergency service capabilities including rescue, storm & flood emergency response, and search & rescue.
Parks
Alistair Knox Park(Template:Coord) is named after Alistair Knox, a famous local landscape architect who specialised in mud brick. The park is located on Main Road near the central Eltham shopping strip.<ref>"Alistair Knox Park, Main Road, Eltham." Melbourne Playgrounds. N.p., n.d. Web. Retrieved 6 August 2013.</ref> The Eltham Library is located nearby.<ref name="pf" /> The kids playground is found within the open and lightly wooded forest.<ref>"Alistair Knox Park." Template:Webarchive Playful Possum. web. 2014</ref> Facilities include an old wooden playground, toilets, barbecues, a duck pond, and a sculpture.<ref name="pf">"Alistair Knox Park." Template:Webarchive Playground Finder. N.p., 30 April 2011. Web. 6 August 2013.</ref>
Alan Marshall Reserve is located on the corner of Main Road and Leane Drive.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> It was named for the author who lived part of his life locally. The park has been there since at least 2007.<ref>Template:Cite webTemplate:Cbignore</ref>
Barak Bushlands are at the location previously known as Falkiner Street Reserve, located to the west of Wingrove Park along the Diamond Creek. They were named for Indigenous leader William Barak by Nillumbik Shire Council in 2004.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Laughing Waters park is a bushland named after the sound of the kookaburras, and the water running over the rocks in the nearby waterhole, which is a busy spot for tourists. It was a popular spot for the artists of Montsalvat to live and paint. Closer to the Yarra River, it is riparian forest, inland it is damp dry open forest.
Community groups
- 1st Eltham Scouts<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- 2nd Eltham Sea Scouts<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- Eltham Child Care Cooperative<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- Eltham Community Action Group are active in the community and work to maintain Eltham's character.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- Eltham District Historical Society collects, preserves and share stories about the local history of the Eltham district.
- Eltham Toy Library provides an environment for children to learn, grow and play.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- Rotary Club of Eltham<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- Welcome to Eltham supports refugees and people seeking asylum settling in Eltham.<ref>Template:Citation</ref>
Notable residents
- Clem Christesen – Literary Editor
- Nina Christesen – Russian Academic
- Peter Hitchener – news reader
- Kerry Armstrong – actor
- Emily Browning – actor
- Tim Burstall – film director
- Emma Carney – Multiple World Champion Triathlete, Sport Australia Hall of Fame Member, World Triathlon Hall of Fame, Triathlon Australia Hall of Fame. Athletics Australia Member #700.
- Cadel Evans – cyclist
- Peter Helliar – comedian
- Phil Judd – musician and artist. Founder of Split Enz and The Swingers. Wrote the No. 1 hit "Counting The Beat"
- Alistair Knox – house builder and landscape architect
- Percy Leason – Political cartoonist and artist
- Greg Macainsh – musician and songwriter
- Alan Marshall – author
- Ben Mendelsohn – actor
- Peter Moore – Australian Rules Footballer
- Daisy Pearce – Australian rules footballer and coach
- Adam Simpson – former captain of the Kangaroos Australian rules football club
- Donald Thomson – anthropologist
- Terry Wallace – former AFL coach, Western Bulldogs
- Merrick Watts – comedian
- Wilbur Wilde – musician, television personality
See also
- Shire of Diamond Valley – Parts of Eltham were previously within this former local government area.
- Shire of Eltham – Parts of Eltham were previously within this former local government area.
- Eltham copper, a subspecies of butterfly particular to, and named after Eltham
References
External links
Template:Shire of Nillumbik suburbs Template:Authority control