View source for Heathmont

{{Use Australian English|date=August 2019}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2021}}
{{Infobox Australian place
| type     = suburb
| name     = Heathmont
| city     = Melbourne
| state    = vic
| image    = Canterbury_Road,_Heathmont.jpg
| caption  = Canterbury Road, Heathmont
| lga      = City of Maroondah
| alternative_location_map = Australia Victoria metropolitan Melbourne
| coordinates = {{coord|37.829|S|145.246|E|display=inline, title}}
| postcode = 3135
|elevation=113| pop      = 9,933
| pop_year = {{CensusAU|2021}}
| pop_footnotes = <ref name=ABS2021>{{Census 2021 AUS|id=SAL21165|name=Heathmont (Suburbs and Localities)|access-date=4 July 2022|quick=on}}</ref>
| area     = 4.5
| est      =
|county=[[County of Mornington|Mornington]]
| stategov = [[Electoral district of Ringwood (Victoria)|Ringwood]]
| fedgov   = [[Division of Aston|Aston]]
| fedgov2  = [[Division of Deakin|Deakin]]
| dist1    = 26
| dir1=E
| location1= [[Melbourne central business district|Melbourne CBD]] (Central Melbourne)
| near-nw  = [[Ringwood, Victoria|Ringwood]]
| near-n   = [[Ringwood East, Victoria|Ringwood East]]
| near-ne  = [[Bayswater North, Victoria|Bayswater North]]
| near-w   = [[Ringwood, Victoria|Ringwood]]
| near-e   = [[Bayswater North, Victoria|Bayswater North]]
| near-sw  = [[Wantirna, Victoria|Wantirna]]
| near-s   = [[Bayswater, Victoria|Bayswater]]
| near-se  = [[Bayswater, Victoria|Bayswater]]
| local_map = yes
| zoom      = 13
}}

'''Heathmont''' is a suburb of [[Melbourne]], [[Victoria (Australia)|Victoria]], [[Australia]], {{convert|26|km}} east of Melbourne's [[Melbourne City Centre|Central Business District]], located within the [[City of Maroondah]] [[Local government areas of Victoria|local government area]]. Heathmont recorded a population of 9,933 at the [[2021 Australian census|2021 census]].<ref name=ABS2021/>

==History==

Heathmont was originally covered by hedge-to-hedge [[Orchard|apple orchards]].{{cn|date=April 2024}} The name appears to have come from the rising land in the area having heath or low, shrub-like vegetation on it. The first shop opened in 1923 in front of a house. The population has grown from 600 people in 1953 to 8,787 people in 2001.<ref>{{cite web | url = https://victorianplaces.com.au/heathmont | title = Heathmont | website = Victorian Places | year = 2015}}</ref>

Heathmont Post Office opened on 15 February 1929, sometime after the railway station opened in 1926.<ref name = "a">{{Citation| last = Phoenix Auctions History | title = Post Office List | url = http://www.phoenixauctions.com.au/cgi-bin/wsPhoenix.sh/Viewpocdwrapper.p?SortBy=VIC&filter=*Heathmont* | access-date = 31 March 2021 }}</ref>

Heathmont was originally within the municipality of the [[City of Ringwood]], but it became part of [[Maroondah City Council]] in December 1994.<ref>{{cite book |url=http://www.ausstats.abs.gov.au/ausstats/free.nsf/0/76E601D6DB55E88ACA25722500049195/$File/12570_1994-95.pdf |title=Victorian local government amalgamations 1994-1995: Changes to the Australian Standard Geographical Classification |author=Australian Bureau of Statistics |author-link=Australian Bureau of Statistics |date=1 August 1995 |publisher=Commonwealth of Australia |page=9 |isbn=0-642-23117-6}}</ref>

==Public transport==

[[Heathmont railway station]] is located just off [[Canterbury Road, Melbourne|Canterbury Road]] (which runs through the heart of the suburb) and is on the [[Belgrave railway line]]. It is within ticketing <span style="color:blue;">Zone 2</span>.

Ventura bus route 679, which runs from Chirnside Park to Ringwood Station via Lilydale, Mount Evelyn and along Canterbury Road, Great Ryrie St and Bedford Road, serves much of Heathmont.<ref>{{cite PTV route|679}}</ref>

==Shopping==

The Heathmont Shopping Centre provides services to the suburb. It includes a handful of cafes, an [[IGA (Australian supermarket group)|IGA Supermarket]], butcher shop, two bakeries, a [[newsagent]], takeaway shops, multiple hairdressers, several massage parlours, a funeral parlour, a [[car wash]] and a [[post office]]. There is plenty of parking, and the main shopping precinct is opposite the Heathmont railway station. The distant [[Mount Dandenong, Victoria|Mount Dandenong]] and [[Dandenong Ranges National Park|Dandenong Ranges]] are visible from much of this shopping strip.

==Demographics==
===Birth country===
At the [[2021 Australian census|2021 Census]], the top four countries of birth were:<ref name=ABS2021/>
*[[Australia]] (74.8%)
*[[England]] (3.4%)
*[[China]] (2.8%)
*[[India]] (2.5%)

===Language used at home===
The top four languages used at home include:<ref name=ABS2021/>
*[[English language|English]] (80%)
*[[Mandarin Chinese|Mandarin]] (3.9%)
*[[Cantonese]] (1.7%)
*[[Hindi]] (0.7%)

===Religious affiliation===
The top four religious affiliations include:<ref name=ABS2021/>
*No religion (46.9%)
*[[Catholic Church|Catholic]] (17.7%)
*[[Anglican Church|Anglican]] (7.3%)
*[[Baptists|Baptist]] (4.1%)

===Income and work===
The median weekly income of Heathmont residents was $908, and for families was $2566.<ref name=ABS2021/>

The four largest occupational groupings were:<ref name=ABS2021/> 
*Professionals (31.9%)
*Managers (14.7%)
*Clerical and administrative workers (12.7%)
*Technicians and trades workers (11.8%)
The unemployment rate was at 3.5%, below the national average of 5.1%.<ref name=ABS2021/>

==Politics and representation==
{{update section|date=June 2019}}
Heathmont contained four voting booths at the [[2010 Australian federal election|2010 federal election]], all lying within the [[Division of Deakin|federal electorate of Deakin]]. Three of those booths saw the [[Liberal Party of Australia|Liberal]] candidate win the most primary votes, yet only two saw the Liberals win a majority of two-party preferred votes after preferences. The combined booth results across the suburb saw the primary vote split 40.1% to [[Labor Party of Australia|Labor]], 41.4% to the Liberals and 12.7% to the [[Australian Greens|Greens]]. After preferences, the split was 52.5% to Labor and 47.5% to the Liberals.<ref>{{cite web|title=AEC|url=http://results.aec.gov.au/15508/Website/HouseDivisionTcpByPollingPlace-15508-209.htm|work=Election 2010: Virtual Tally Room}}</ref> The suburb tends to be highly competitive electorally and is generally a reliable barometer for the overall voting population. Heathmont and surrounding areas were visited by federal politicians [[Joe Hockey]], [[Kevin Rudd]], [[Tony Abbott]] and [[Wayne Swan]] throughout 2010.<ref>{{cite web|title=Maroondah Leader|url=http://maroondah-leader.whereilive.com.au/news/story/another-pollie-in-deakin-joe-hockey-visits-heathmont/|work=Another pollie in Deakin: Joe Hockey visits Heathmont|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120319070955/http://maroondah-leader.whereilive.com.au/news/story/another-pollie-in-deakin-joe-hockey-visits-heathmont/|archive-date=19 March 2012}}</ref> In 2007, Heathmont was identified as one of the 'wealthier pockets' of Deakin (along with [[Blackburn, Victoria|Blackburn]] and [[Vermont, Victoria|Vermont]]) in an analysis of marginal 'leafy' suburbs in Melbourne's east, that were, by swinging to Labor, proving wrong the notion of a 'rich Lib, poor Labor' myth.<ref>{{cite news|title=The Age|url=http://www.theage.com.au/news/federalelection2007news/end-of-the-rich-lib-poor-labor-myth/2007/10/30/1193618883915.html|work=End of the 'rich Lib', 'poor Labor' myth | location=Melbourne|first=Chris|last=Johnston|date=2007-10-31}}</ref>

==Schools==

===Primary schools===
* Heathmont East Primary School
* Great Ryrie Primary School
* Marlborough Primary School

===Secondary schools===
*  Heathmont College

==Sport and recreation==

There are many parks, such as H.E. Parker Reserve and a mini [[golf]] course. [[Dandenong Creek]] supports much wildlife, including birds and frogs, although swimming is not recommended. There is also a bike track, [[Dandenong Creek Trail]], which runs along Dandenong Creek.

The suburb has an [[Australian Rules]] football team, the Heathmont Jets, competing in the [[Eastern Football League (Australia)|Eastern Football League]], and a lawn bowls club, [[Heathmont Bowls Club]], that plays in the Eastern Ranges Bowls Region.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.easternrangesbowls.org.au/ |title=Home |website=easternrangesbowls.org.au}}</ref><ref name = "d">{{Citation | last = Full Point Footy | title = Eastern Football League | url = http://www.fullpointsfooty.net/eastern_football_league.htm | access-date = 2008-10-21 | postscript = <!--none--> | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20090101213058/http://www.fullpointsfooty.net/eastern_football_league.htm | archive-date = 1 January 2009 | url-status = usurped }}</ref>

Heathmont has two tennis clubs: Heathmont Tennis Club and [http://www.hprtc.org.au H.E. Parker Reserve]. Other sporting facilities include a baseball club and a cricket club.

Golfers play at the Heathmont Par 3 Golf Course on Canterbury Road.<ref name = "golf">{{Citation  | author= Golf Select | title = Heathmont | url = http://www.golfselect.com.au/armchair/courseView.aspx?course_id=2111 | access-date = 2009-05-11  | postscript= <!--none--> }}</ref>

There are two Scout Groups: Heathmont and 3rd Heathmont. Both are located in reserves along the Dandenong Creek: 3rd Heathmont in H.E. Parker, and Heathmont in Kathleen Barrow.

==Churches==
There are also many churches situated in Heathmont:
* Heathmont Baptist Church
* Heathmont Uniting Church Community Living Centre
* Heathmont Presbyterian Church
* Heathmont Christadelphians
* Maroondah Presbyterian Reformed Church

==See also==
* [[City of Ringwood]] – Heathmont was previously within this former local government area.
* [[Heathmont railway station]] - located in the centre of the suburb on the Belgrave line
* [[Maroondah City Council]] - the municipality in which Heathmont resides

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Heathmont, Victoria}}
* [https://www.maroondah.vic.gov.au/Home Maroondah City Council]

{{City of Maroondah suburbs}}

[[Category:Suburbs of Melbourne]]
[[Category:Suburbs of the City of Maroondah]]