Oakleigh, Victoria
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Oakleigh Melbourne, Victoria |
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 Centro Oakleigh shopping centre |
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| Population: | 6876 (2006)[1] | ||||||||||||
| Postcode: | 3166 | ||||||||||||
| Area: | 3.5 km² (1.4 sq mi) | ||||||||||||
| Property Value: | AUD $478,750 [2] | ||||||||||||
| Location: | 17 km (11 mi) from Melbourne | ||||||||||||
| LGA: | City of Monash | ||||||||||||
| State District: | Oakleigh | ||||||||||||
| Federal Division: | Chisholm, Hotham | ||||||||||||
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Oakleigh is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Its Local Government Area is the City of Monash.
The area is traditionally known to have a strong Greek cultural influence, largely due to the influx of said immigrants to Australia in the mid-20th century; evidence of this is the Greek Orthodox church of Agioi Anargyroi and the eponymous college (located in neighbouring Hughesdale but administered by the Oakleigh Greek Orthodox Community), and the Oakleigh Chargers football club which was established in 1972 by Greek immigrants.
The suburb has a thriving shopping district, with an abundance of butchers, bakeries, beauty salons, and specialty shops selling sweets. There are also several Greek-themed cafes that specialise in frappe.
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[edit] History
Originally part of the Parish of Mulgrave, Oakleigh was first surveyed in 1853 and the first blocks of land were sold soon after. The Shire of Oakleigh was created in 1871, and a boom in settlement followed the opening of the Melbourne-Oakleigh railway line in 1877.
Oakleigh, along with Dandenong, soon became one of the closest large cities to Melbourne, and the key to its development was the railway line to Melbourne. Railway workshops, brick works, sand mining, and market gardens became the most important industries in Oakleigh at the end of the 19th century, and contributed greatly to its rapid growth. As a result, Oakleigh has a legacy of many large old buildings and institutions, mostly located between the main road at Dandenong Road which once serviced the city and the railway line. Both Oakleigh and Dandenong have since been absorbed by Melbourne as it sprawled to the south east.
The Oakleigh Hall (1906 formerly Mechanics Institute) which once served as the Town Hall, post office (1924) and courthouse (1934) still remain, as does a grandstand of the cricket and football oval. The Sacred Heart Church, a large Edwardian church with its twin copper dome, is still a landmark of the area and now part of a school.
The Oakleigh General Cemetery was in operation from 1860 until 1960. It is situated in Oakleigh Pioneer Memorial Park.
Oakleigh Primary School No 1601 was established in 1875. The lower-school work in a beautifully renovated building (first opened in 1914). The middle and upper school work in the modern building (opened in 1977). The school opened a purpose built Kindergarten in 2005 for 3 and 4 year old children.
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ Australian Bureau of Statistics (25 October 2007). Oakleigh (State Suburb). 2006 Census QuickStats. Retrieved on 2007-09-29.
- ^ Oakleigh, accessed 9 August 2007
[edit] External links
- Oakleigh, Victoria is at coordinates Coordinates:
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