Westmeadows, Victoria

Infobox Australian Place | type = suburb
name = Westmeadows
city = Melbourne
state = vic


caption = Westmeadows Historic Bridge
lga = City of Hume
postcode = 3049
pop = 5857 (2006) Census 2006 AUS | id = SSC21731 | name = Westmeadows (State Suburb) | accessdate = 2007-09-17 | quick = on]
area = 4.7
est =
propval = $265,500 [ [http://www.domain.com.au/public/suburbprofile.aspx?suburb=Westmeadows&postcode=3049 Westmeadows] , accessed 27 November 2006]
stategov = Yuroke, Broadmeadows
fedgov = Calwell
dist1 = 19
location1= Melbourne
dist2 = 4
location2= Broadmeadows
near-nw = Attwood
near-n = Meadow Heights
near-ne = Coolaroo
near-w = Melbourne Airport
near-e = Dallas
near-sw = Tullamarine
near-s = Gladstone Park
near-se = Broadmeadows

Westmeadows is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 17 km north of the city centre. Its Local Government Area is the City of Hume. At the 2006 Census, Westmeadows had a population of 5857.

It is mainly a residential suburb, although there is a shopping precinct. Westmeadows includes the residential areas east and west of Mickleham Rd. It borders include Yuroke Creek between Johnstone St and Barry Road (the eastern limit), the border with Attwood (the water pipes path parallel to Toora Drive, Linga St, Kenny St) as well as the Moonee Ponds Creek east of Mickleham Rd (the northern limits) and just before the Cleanaway Landfill (the western limit). The area north of residential Westmeadows (still part of Westmeadows) contains the east-west flight path for the Melbourne Airport, Tullamarine. The land under the flight path has been kept undeveloped and is the Broadmeadows Valley Park. It contains two streams which flow into the Moonee Ponds Creek.

History

The Broadmeadows area, home to the Wurundjeri Aboriginal tribe prior to European settlement, was settled by pastoralists in the 1840s.

Westmeadows contains the original Broadmeadows village on the Moonee Ponds Creek, but is now west of the present Broadmeadows. The first Broadmeadows township was laid out by a Government survey in 1850. Ardlie Street was its commercial centre with a hotel (the Broadmeadows Hotel, now Westmeadows Tavern), the police station and the shire office (the District Roads Board Building, opened in 1866).

The Anglican Church was opened in 1850 a little to the east, a Presbyterian Church was opened in the same decade, the Vicarage for the Anglican Church in 1860 and the St Anne’s Roman Catholic Church in 1867. A school begun in Westmeadows in 1851. However, the present primary school site dates from 1870.

Broadmeadows township and the urban centre began to be moved two kilometres eastwards when the railway line and station were opened in 1872. Shire loyalties clung to the old township until new civic offices were built near the railway station in 1928.

The Housing Commission began the building of a 2,226 ha. estate in the Broadmeadows area in 1949. Not until 1975 did it begin building in the vicinity of the old township, which it called Westmeadows Heights. Between 1975 and 1979 it built over 900 houses in the area.

Landmarks

There are many historic buildings and landmarks still surviving in Westmeadows. These include the shire offices and the bluestone bridge over the Moonee Ponds Creek (built in 1869, part of Fawkner St) which are both on the Register of the National Estate. The original Westmeadows Police Station (no longer in use, since the opening of the Broadmeadows Police Station) and the Westmeadows Gaol are also still standing. The original Anglican church is still being used (presently on Raleigh St).

Demographics

The estimated population for Westmeadows, according to the 2001 Census, was 6,374.

Like most of Melbourne, Westmeadows has a multicultural population. According to the 2001 Census, just over two thirds (68.8%)of persons in Westmeadows were born in Australia and 24.6% being born overseas. Around one fifth (19.8%) were born overseas in a non-English speaking country. The most common overseas countries of birth were Italy and the United Kingdom.

Just over two thirds of persons in Westmeadows (67.8%) speak only English at home. The most common foreign languages spoken in Westmeadows are Italian, Turkish, Arabic (including Lebanese), and Greek.

Most of the working age class of Westmeadows is employed. The unemployment rate is 7.6%, which is slightly lower than the unemployment rate for Hume (8.4%).

Public Transport

Bus Routes

There are three bus routes that go through Westmeadows. These are the 477, 484, 500.

Train Station

The closest station is the Broadmeadows railway station. All bus routes through Westmeadows terminate at the station.

Schools

There is one secondary college and two primary schools in Westmeadows. These are
*Hume Central Secondary College Erinbank Campus.
*Westmeadows Heights Primary School
*Westmeadows Primary School

port

porting Clubs

Westmeadows is represented by the following teams in their respective leagues:
*Australian Rules Football
**Westmeadows Football Club (Essendon District Football League)
*Cricket
**Westmeadows Cricket Club
*Tennis
** [http://www.westmeadowstc.org.au Westmeadows Tennis Club]

porting Grounds

Westmeadows has many sporting grounds. It has an Australian Football oval in Willowbrook Reserve which is home to the Westmeadows Football Club and the Westmeadows Cricket Club. There is another Australian Rules/Cricket oval (with nets) in the Westmeadows Reserve near Ardlie Street. The Westmeadows Heights Reserve includes another Cricket oval (with nets) and two Soccer fields. The Westmeadows Tennis Club has 6 courts and is also located in Willowbrook Reserve.

See also

* City of Broadmeadows - the former local government area of which Westmeadows was a part.

References

External links

* [http://www.hume.vic.gov.au/Files/2001WestmeadowsProfile.pdf Westmeadows Profile (Hume City Council)]
* [http://web.archive.org/web/20050314224435/http://www.arts.monash.edu.au/ncas/multimedia/gazetteer/list/westmeadows.html Westmeadows History (Monash University)]
* [http://www.heritageaustralia.com.au/search.php?state=VIC&region=52&view=1330 Broadmeadows History (Heritage Australia)]
* [http://www.westmeadowsfc.com.au/index.html Westmeadows Football Club]
* [http://www.westmeadowstc.org.au/ Westmeadows Tennis Club]