Wollert, Victoria
| Wollert Victoria | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Uniting church | |||||||||||||||
| Population | 509 (2011 census)[1] | ||||||||||||||
| Postcode(s) | 3750 | ||||||||||||||
| Elevation | 100 m (328 ft) | ||||||||||||||
| Location | |||||||||||||||
| LGA(s) | City of Whittlesea | ||||||||||||||
| State electorate(s) | |||||||||||||||
| Federal division(s) | |||||||||||||||
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Wollert is a town in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 27 km north of Melbourne's central business district. Its local government area is the City of Whittlesea. At the 2011 census, Wollert had a population of 509.
History
"Wollert" is an Aboriginal word meaning "where possums abound", and the suburb takes its name from the land parish in which part of it is situated.[citation needed] From 1836 until the early 1850s, sheep raising was the main activity. In 1853, much of the land was subdivided into smaller farm lots, and necessary access roads laid out. During this period Wollert became a dairying community, with significant dairy production continuing for the Melbourne market until the 1960s. In more recent years, dairying has largely ceased and smaller-scale grazing and Wollert's quarrying and brickmaking facilities represent the suburb's main industries.
The first school, established by the Church of England, commenced in 1852. A bluestone Government school replaced it in 1877 and continued until 1994. A Methodist Church was built in 1878 to replace an earlier one built in 1859. This church continued as the Wollert Uniting Church. The Wollert General Store is still in operation, but the adjacent Dance Palais is no longer is use. Wollert Post Office opened on 1 September 1876, closed in 1895, then reopened in 1902.[2]
During the late 1940s, several large Wollert properties were purchased by the Soldier Settlement Commission. They were then subdivided and allocated to eligible ex-servicemen[3]
Landmarks
- Australia's largest brickmaker, Brickworks Limited, operates a plant in Wollert.
- "The Christian Church in Melbourne" has its meeting hall at Wollert, on the site of the former Government school.
- The historic 1878 Methodist church in Wollert now houses the Annunciation Sisterhood of the Russian Orthodox Church Abroad.
Notable locals
- Trent Cotchin - AFL Footballer[4]
References
- ^ Australian Bureau of Statistics (31 October 2012). "Wollert (State Suburb)". 2011 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 23 June 2012.
- ^ Premier Postal History. "Post Office List". Retrieved 11 April 2008.
- ^ City of Whittlesea Heritage Study, 1990
- ^ Hustwaite, Megan (27 April 2010). "Wollert's Cotchin is born to lead". Whittlesea Leader. Retrieved 21 June 2010.
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