Melton, Victoria

Melton Victoria
Aerial view of Melton urban area
Population	35,490(2006)
• Density	1,408.3/km2 (3,648/sq mi)
Established	1862
Postcode(s)	3337-3338
Area	25.2 km2 (9.7 sq mi)
Location	35 km (22 mi) from Melbourne
LGA(s)	Shire of Melton
State electorate(s)	Melton
Federal division(s)	Lalor
Localities around Melton: Melton West Kurunjang Toolern Vale Melton West Melton Rockbank Brookfield Melton South Melton South

For other uses of the term Melton, see Melton (disambiguation).

Melton is a suburb of Melbourne and a suburban locality in Victoria, Australia, 35 km west from Melbourne's central business district. It is the administrative centre for the Shire of Melton Local Government Area. At the 2006 Census, Melton had a population of 35,490. Melton's population has been estimated at in 2010. Statistically, Melton is considered part of Greater Melbourne.

Since the 1990s as a commuter town in the Melbourne-Ballarat corridor Melton has experienced rapid suburban growth into surrounding greenfield land. Changes to Melbourne's urban growth boundary passed by the state government in 2010 saw Melton's satellite city status relinquished and it became part of Melbourne's metropolitan conurbation.

It is named after Melton Mowbray in the United Kingdom.

Internet/Broadband Conditions

For over a year, Melton has been plagued with congested internet due to overselling at the only phone exchange. Melton and the areas around it all use the Melton exchange.

Well over 50,000 connections go through the exchange leading to extreme congestion and internet speeds of 5-10kbps.

History

Melton was first settled by squatters establishing sheep runs in the area in the 1830s and a small settlement benefited from traffic passing through it on the way to the Ballarat gold fields during the Victorian Gold Rush. The Post Office opened on 1 March 1856.

The area was declared a satellite city in 1974 and a green belt existed between it and the urban area of Melbourne until the late 1990s.

Geography

Melton is located on flat, formerly volcanic plains.

Urban Structure

Melton consists of 6 suburban areas forming a single urban area with Melton being at its centre. In the south of Melton are the suburbs of Melton South and Brookfield. In the north are Kurunjang and Toolern Vale. Melton West is another suburb.

Arts and Culture

Community Hall

Djerriwarrh Festival parade

Many live performances are held at the Melton Civic Centre, on High Street, and also at the Tabcorp Park racing complex, on Ferris Road, Melton South.

And every year, the Djerriwarrh Festival is held in the city each November. The festival includes a street parade down High Street, two-day market stalls, and the Lions Club Carnival, held in the Police Paddock on High Street.

Sport

Melton is the home of the harness racing complex Tabcorp Park, and is the base for Harness Racing Victoria. The 2009 Australasian Breeders Crown was the first major race meeting held at the venue in August 2009.

Melton is also home to the second round of the Continental Australian Superboat Championship, and the 2009 World Series of the V8 Jetboats. Both events are held at the Melton Jetboat Complex at MacPherson Park, about 7 km north of the Melton CBD.

Governance

Shire of Melton offices

Melton is the administrative centre for the Shire of Melton. The Shire of Melton's Coburn Ward covers the central Melton area.

Its state government electorate is the Electoral district of Melton and the Federal government electorate is the Lalor, the seat of Julia Gillard both considered safe Australian Labor Party seats.

Media

All areas of Melton receive the same analogue and digital television stations as Melbourne. It is also within in the broadcast range of all commercial radio stations from Melbourne, and is an end point for digital radio broadcasts in metropolitan Melbourne. Digital radio is available in most of the city but signal diminishes towards the West.

Melton has two local newspapers - The Melton Leader and Melton Weekly.

Public Transport

Melton railway station

Melton railway station (located in Melton South) is on the Ballarat railway line. V/Line provides VLocity passenger train services run to and from Southern Cross Station (journey time of between 27–48 minutes). Although specifically mentioned in the Victorian Transport Plan, the government is yet to commit to a project plan for railway electrification system to Melton despite strong local lobby for it.

Buses also service the city between 5:30am-9pm on weekdays and 8am-9pm on weekends.

Melton Airfield, located to the north in Toolern Vale provides general aviation.

Education

Melton has several primary and secondary schools.

Primary Schools

• Melton Primary School - Unitt Street, City.
• St. Dominic's Catholic Primary School - Unitt Street, City.
• Wedge Park Primary School - Cambrian Way, West Melton.
• St. Catherine of Siena Primary School - Bulmans Road, Melton West.
• St. Anthony of Padua Primary School - Wilson Road, Melton South.
• Melton South Primary School - Station Road, Melton South.
• Coburn Primary School- Richards Road, Melton South

Secondary Schools

• Kurunjang Secondary College - Kurunjang Drive, Kurunjang.
• Melton Secondary College - Cnr. Coburns Rd. and High Streets, Melton West.
• Catholic Regional College - Bulmans Road, Melton West.
• Mowbray College - Centenary Avenue, Melton North.
• Staughton College (Formerly Wilson Park Secondary College) - Wilson Road, Melton South.

External links

• Shire of Melton official website
• History of Melton
• Melton Sucks, a Forum dedicated to the people of Melton wanting to make the community better.