Doncaster East, Victoria
Encyclopedia
Doncaster East is a suburb in Melbourne
, Victoria
, Australia
, 19 km north-east from Melbourne's central business district
. Its Local Government Area is the City of Manningham
. At the 2006 Census, Doncaster East had a population of 26,698.
It is located in the hills between the Koonung Creek
and the Mullum Mullum Creek.
, Indigenous Australians
of the Kulin
nation, who spoke variations of the Woiwurrung
language group. After European settlement, the area was used for agriculture, predominantly orchard
s. A small settlement was established in the 1860s known as Waldau, which was home to many German settlers who planted the large areas of pine trees that still exist today. German Lane was the original name for George Street, and Bismarck Street the original name for Victoria Street. The names were replaced during the First World War and the present names adopted.
The Post Office opened on 8 August 1887. A Tunstall Square office was open from 1965 until 1990.
Like much of the City of Manningham, Doncaster East was predominantly covered in fruit orchards for some time before subdivision began and it became a contiguous part of Melbourne. Housing estates began to replace orchards in the 1960s, generally along Doncaster Road, in the southern half of the suburb. The north half of the suburb was developed through the 1970s and 1980s, with the last orchard being removed in the 1990s. As the young parents who moved into these estates now retire and move away, many houses from the 60s and 70s are being converted into units. Today land prices continue to rise and it is not uncommon to see medium density residential apartments/units under construction somewhere at any time of the year.
, to which it lies east of. It is commonly referred to by locals as East Doncaster or East Donnie, however its official name is Doncaster East. The suburb is heavily vegetated with non-native species. There is little remnant native bushland left, with the exception of the area around the Mullum Mullum Creek in the north-east of the suburb, which includes Currawong Bush Park
. Septic tank seepage from properties in the suburb is one of the major causes of pollution in both the Mullum Mullum and Koonung Creek
s.
As a result of the suburb's continuous development from the 1960s onward, East Doncaster has a versatile array of architectural styles. Many fine examples of 1970s and 1980s architecture can be seen in the northern sections of the suburb, while further south towards Doncaster Road and between Doncaster Road and the Eastern Freeway, there is an abundance of Early Modern and L-Shape styles. Due to development of large tracts of land in the north of the suburb in the 1970s, there are many good examples of some of the first speculation built houses in Melbourne. Today, Doncaster East houses 24% of the total population of Manningham
.
to the east and the further rolling hills of Templestowe
to the west.
Three main watercourses flow through or border the suburb:
The native vegetation of Doncaster East has been almost totally cleared, notable exceptions being the north-east of the suburb around the Mullum Mullum Creek where small areas of native riparian bushland remain. Many small areas of Pine Trees were planted by early German settlers and can be found all over the suburb particularly around George & Victoria Streets and to the south-east, in many places they were used as wind breaks or property boundaries for agriculture and serve as a good indicator of historical property boundaries. Many European deciduous trees were planted in the 1970s and 1980s and have since matured on roadsides and on private properties, invasive species remain as one of the suburbs major environmental problems.
and Templestowe, the Mullum Mullum Creek, Springvale Road and Tunstall Road in the east adjoining Warrandyte and Donvale
, and the Koonung Creek
to the south adjoining Blackburn North. The north-east section of the suburb sits on the western side of the Mullum Mullum Valley and is very occasionally referred to as being whole or part of West Warrandyte and rarer still; East Templestowe. There are many small anecdotal localities that have established individual community identities within the suburb, some of these include:
The suburb contains a fitness centre, Anglican, Baptist, Catholic, Gospel, Islamic and Uniting places of worship, an athletics track, three Australian rules football/cricket ovals, soccer grounds, small to medium commercial services, a childcare centre, kindergarten, library, indoor sporting facilities, various playgrounds, retirement villages, medical centres, a small community hall, Donvale Rehabilitation Centre, many restaurants and strip shops, and The Pines
Shopping Centre.
Educational services in Doncaster East:
Shopping Strips and Centres in Doncaster East:
Public transportation in the City of Manningham
consists of regular bus services that cover most of the suburb. Plans for a railway line to Doncaster East were scrapped by Cain Labor Government
, and as a result local residents rely heavily on the use of cars.
The suburb is serviced primarily by the Eastern Freeway to the south, and Reynolds Road in the north. Through traffic consists primarily of cars and buses traveling to neighbouring Warrandyte
and Donvale
through the use of Heidelberg - Warrandyte Road, Reynolds Road and Tindals Road (Old Warrandyte Road)
Within the suburban boundaries, Doncaster East is serviced by George Street, King Street and Victoria Street. Running north-south is Blackburn Road which holds most of the flow of traffic during weekday peak hour times, together with Springvale Road as residents travel from their homes to the Eastern Freeway and into the city.
and then south to join with the Monash and Mornington Peninsula
Freeways, has recently been completed. This enables residents of Doncaster East increased ease of travel throughout Melbournes eastern and south-eastern suburbs.
Certain areas of land are currently awaiting development including the former Box Hill Institute TAFE East Doncaster campus, now a newly subdivided small housing estate, and a large area surrounding the Cherry Hill Tavern, which is proposed for a reception centre.
There are several vacant blocks of land in the suburb, many surrounding the Pines Shopping Centre. Various uses have been proposed and many applications for restaurants or fast food providers have been met with opposition from surrounding residents.
The suburb has an Australian Rules football team, The Doncaster East Sharks, competing in the Eastern Football League
.
The Manningham Cricket Club plays at Rieschiecks Reseve and competes in the Eastern Cricket Association MacGibbon Shield.
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
, Victoria
Victoria (Australia)
Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, 19 km north-east from Melbourne's central business district
Melbourne city centre
Melbourne City Centre is an area of Melbourne in Victoria, Australia. It is not to be confused with the larger local government area of the City of Melbourne...
. Its Local Government Area is the City of Manningham
City of Manningham
The City of Manningham is a Local Government Area in Victoria, Australia. It is located in the northeastern suburbs of Melbourne. The total population is 118,544 , divided up into 10 suburbs, the largest being Doncaster and Templestowe, over an area of 113 square kilometres.The district spans a...
. At the 2006 Census, Doncaster East had a population of 26,698.
It is located in the hills between the Koonung Creek
Koonung Creek
Koonung Creek is a small tributary of the Yarra River in Melbourne's east. The creek originates in Nunawading near Springvale Road, and flows to join the Yarra at the border between Ivanhoe East, Bulleen and Balwyn North. The place the two waterways meet forms the borders between these suburbs...
and the Mullum Mullum Creek.
History
The area was originally occupied by the WurundjeriWurundjeri
The Wurundjeri are a people of the Indigenous Australian nation of the Woiwurrung language group, in the Kulin alliance, who occupy the Birrarung Valley, its tributaries and the present location of Melbourne, Australia...
, Indigenous Australians
Indigenous Australians
Indigenous Australians are the original inhabitants of the Australian continent and nearby islands. The Aboriginal Indigenous Australians migrated from the Indian continent around 75,000 to 100,000 years ago....
of the Kulin
Kulin
The Kulin nation, was an alliance of five Indigenous Australian nations in Central Victoria, Australia, prior to European settlement. Their collective territory extended to around Port Phillip and Western Port, up into the Great Dividing Range and the Loddon and Goulburn River valleys. To their...
nation, who spoke variations of the Woiwurrung
Woiwurrung
Woiwurrung is an Indigenous Australian language spoken by some of the Kulin Nation clans, the Wurundjeri people, of Central Victoria, from Mount Baw Baw in the east to Mount Macedon, Sunbury and Gisborne in the west.The Woiwurrung clans inhabited the Yarra River, called Birrarung in Woiwurrung,...
language group. After European settlement, the area was used for agriculture, predominantly orchard
Orchard
An orchard is an intentional planting of trees or shrubs that is maintained for food production. Orchards comprise fruit or nut-producing trees which are grown for commercial production. Orchards are also sometimes a feature of large gardens, where they serve an aesthetic as well as a productive...
s. A small settlement was established in the 1860s known as Waldau, which was home to many German settlers who planted the large areas of pine trees that still exist today. German Lane was the original name for George Street, and Bismarck Street the original name for Victoria Street. The names were replaced during the First World War and the present names adopted.
The Post Office opened on 8 August 1887. A Tunstall Square office was open from 1965 until 1990.
Like much of the City of Manningham, Doncaster East was predominantly covered in fruit orchards for some time before subdivision began and it became a contiguous part of Melbourne. Housing estates began to replace orchards in the 1960s, generally along Doncaster Road, in the southern half of the suburb. The north half of the suburb was developed through the 1970s and 1980s, with the last orchard being removed in the 1990s. As the young parents who moved into these estates now retire and move away, many houses from the 60s and 70s are being converted into units. Today land prices continue to rise and it is not uncommon to see medium density residential apartments/units under construction somewhere at any time of the year.
Today
Today, the suburb hosts an abundance of recreational parks and small sporting facilities. It borrows its current name from the neighbouring suburb of DoncasterDoncaster, Victoria
Doncaster is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 15 km north-east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Manningham. At the 2006 Census, Doncaster had a population of 17,879....
, to which it lies east of. It is commonly referred to by locals as East Doncaster or East Donnie, however its official name is Doncaster East. The suburb is heavily vegetated with non-native species. There is little remnant native bushland left, with the exception of the area around the Mullum Mullum Creek in the north-east of the suburb, which includes Currawong Bush Park
Currawong Bush Park
Currawong Bush Park is an important riparian bushland park, located in the outer eastern suburbs of Melbourne on the borders of Doncaster East, Warrandyte and Donvale, on the eastern bank of the Mullum Mullum Creek...
. Septic tank seepage from properties in the suburb is one of the major causes of pollution in both the Mullum Mullum and Koonung Creek
Koonung Creek
Koonung Creek is a small tributary of the Yarra River in Melbourne's east. The creek originates in Nunawading near Springvale Road, and flows to join the Yarra at the border between Ivanhoe East, Bulleen and Balwyn North. The place the two waterways meet forms the borders between these suburbs...
s.
As a result of the suburb's continuous development from the 1960s onward, East Doncaster has a versatile array of architectural styles. Many fine examples of 1970s and 1980s architecture can be seen in the northern sections of the suburb, while further south towards Doncaster Road and between Doncaster Road and the Eastern Freeway, there is an abundance of Early Modern and L-Shape styles. Due to development of large tracts of land in the north of the suburb in the 1970s, there are many good examples of some of the first speculation built houses in Melbourne. Today, Doncaster East houses 24% of the total population of Manningham
City of Manningham
The City of Manningham is a Local Government Area in Victoria, Australia. It is located in the northeastern suburbs of Melbourne. The total population is 118,544 , divided up into 10 suburbs, the largest being Doncaster and Templestowe, over an area of 113 square kilometres.The district spans a...
.
Geography
The area of land that is occupied by Doncaster East mostly consists of rolling hills, creek valleys and short ridges. Andersons Creek Road runs along an unnamed ridge that when atop, gives views of Mount DandenongMount Dandenong, Victoria
Mount Dandenong is both a mountain and small township/suburb of Greater Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 35 km east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the Shire of Yarra Ranges...
to the east and the further rolling hills of Templestowe
Templestowe, Victoria
"Templestowe" redirects here. For the Victorian Legislative Council Province, please see Templestowe Province.Templestowe is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 17 km north-east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Manningham...
to the west.
Three main watercourses flow through or border the suburb:
- Mullum Mullum Creek
- Koonung CreekKoonung CreekKoonung Creek is a small tributary of the Yarra River in Melbourne's east. The creek originates in Nunawading near Springvale Road, and flows to join the Yarra at the border between Ivanhoe East, Bulleen and Balwyn North. The place the two waterways meet forms the borders between these suburbs...
- Ruffey Creek
The native vegetation of Doncaster East has been almost totally cleared, notable exceptions being the north-east of the suburb around the Mullum Mullum Creek where small areas of native riparian bushland remain. Many small areas of Pine Trees were planted by early German settlers and can be found all over the suburb particularly around George & Victoria Streets and to the south-east, in many places they were used as wind breaks or property boundaries for agriculture and serve as a good indicator of historical property boundaries. Many European deciduous trees were planted in the 1970s and 1980s and have since matured on roadsides and on private properties, invasive species remain as one of the suburbs major environmental problems.
Political geography
The suburb boundaries roughly form the shape of an L flipped horizontally, bordered by Wetherby Road, Victoria Street and Blackburn Road to the west adjoining DoncasterDoncaster, Victoria
Doncaster is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 15 km north-east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Manningham. At the 2006 Census, Doncaster had a population of 17,879....
and Templestowe, the Mullum Mullum Creek, Springvale Road and Tunstall Road in the east adjoining Warrandyte and Donvale
Donvale, Victoria
Donvale is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 20 km east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Manningham. At the 2006 Census, Donvale had a population of 11,667...
, and the Koonung Creek
Koonung Creek
Koonung Creek is a small tributary of the Yarra River in Melbourne's east. The creek originates in Nunawading near Springvale Road, and flows to join the Yarra at the border between Ivanhoe East, Bulleen and Balwyn North. The place the two waterways meet forms the borders between these suburbs...
to the south adjoining Blackburn North. The north-east section of the suburb sits on the western side of the Mullum Mullum Valley and is very occasionally referred to as being whole or part of West Warrandyte and rarer still; East Templestowe. There are many small anecdotal localities that have established individual community identities within the suburb, some of these include:
- Donburn - Around the Blackburn Road/George Street intersection
- Deep Creek - The northernmost area of the suburb near the Mullum Mullum Creek
- MilgateMilgate Park EstateThe Milgate Park Estate is a housing estate in Doncaster East, a suburb of Melbourne, Australia. The estate comprises 40 hectares of land situated around a section of Long Valley, a gully bed that no longer carries surface water, which flows northeast and into the Mullum Mullum Creek...
- Milgate Park and surrounds - Tunstall - Around Tunstall Square and Tunstall Road
- Waldau - Historically, the area surrounding George and Victoria Streets
- The Pines - The area north of The Pines Shopping Centre
Community
Doncaster East has had a significant Chinese minority for many years and several restaurants of note are found in Doncaster East - one of the few areas outside Chinatown in Little Bourke Street to have exceptional Chinese cuisine.The suburb contains a fitness centre, Anglican, Baptist, Catholic, Gospel, Islamic and Uniting places of worship, an athletics track, three Australian rules football/cricket ovals, soccer grounds, small to medium commercial services, a childcare centre, kindergarten, library, indoor sporting facilities, various playgrounds, retirement villages, medical centres, a small community hall, Donvale Rehabilitation Centre, many restaurants and strip shops, and The Pines
Stockland The Pines
Stockland The Pines is a sub regional shopping centre owned by Stockland in Doncaster East, Victoria, a suburb of Melbourne, Australia. It was opened on 27 October 1986 by the state opposition leader of the time Jeff Kennett. The centre is located 19 km east of the Melbourne CBD on the corner...
Shopping Centre.
Educational services in Doncaster East:
- Onemda Day Training Centre
- Milgate Primary School
- Doncaster Gardens Primary School
- East Doncaster Secondary College
- Donburn Primary School
- St. Peter & St. Pauls School
- Beverley Hills Primary School
Shopping Strips and Centres in Doncaster East:
- Stockland The PinesStockland The PinesStockland The Pines is a sub regional shopping centre owned by Stockland in Doncaster East, Victoria, a suburb of Melbourne, Australia. It was opened on 27 October 1986 by the state opposition leader of the time Jeff Kennett. The centre is located 19 km east of the Melbourne CBD on the corner...
- Donburn Shops A.K.A. The Blackie Road shops
- Jacksons Court
- Devon Plaza
- Commercial Services either side of Doncaster Road near the intersection of Blackburn Road
- Tunstall Square
Transportation
City of Manningham
The City of Manningham is a Local Government Area in Victoria, Australia. It is located in the northeastern suburbs of Melbourne. The total population is 118,544 , divided up into 10 suburbs, the largest being Doncaster and Templestowe, over an area of 113 square kilometres.The district spans a...
consists of regular bus services that cover most of the suburb. Plans for a railway line to Doncaster East were scrapped by Cain Labor Government
John Cain II
John Cain , Australian Labor Party politician, was the 41st Premier of Victoria, holding office from 1982 to 1990.-Biography:...
, and as a result local residents rely heavily on the use of cars.
The suburb is serviced primarily by the Eastern Freeway to the south, and Reynolds Road in the north. Through traffic consists primarily of cars and buses traveling to neighbouring Warrandyte
Warrandyte, Victoria
Warrandyte is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 24 km north-east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Manningham...
and Donvale
Donvale, Victoria
Donvale is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 20 km east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Manningham. At the 2006 Census, Donvale had a population of 11,667...
through the use of Heidelberg - Warrandyte Road, Reynolds Road and Tindals Road (Old Warrandyte Road)
Within the suburban boundaries, Doncaster East is serviced by George Street, King Street and Victoria Street. Running north-south is Blackburn Road which holds most of the flow of traffic during weekday peak hour times, together with Springvale Road as residents travel from their homes to the Eastern Freeway and into the city.
Education
Beverley Hills Primary School, located on Cassowary Street, is a government primary school established in 1959.Development
The EastLink tollway project, which extends the Eastern Freeway to Ringwood, VictoriaRingwood, Victoria
Ringwood is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, east of Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Maroondah. At the 2006 Census, Ringwood had a population of 15,185....
and then south to join with the Monash and Mornington Peninsula
Mornington Peninsula
The Mornington Peninsula is a peninsula located south-east of Melbourne in Victoria, Australia. It is surrounded by Port Phillip to the west, Western Port to the east and Bass Strait to the south, and is connected to the mainland in the north. Geographically, the peninsula begins its protrusion...
Freeways, has recently been completed. This enables residents of Doncaster East increased ease of travel throughout Melbournes eastern and south-eastern suburbs.
Certain areas of land are currently awaiting development including the former Box Hill Institute TAFE East Doncaster campus, now a newly subdivided small housing estate, and a large area surrounding the Cherry Hill Tavern, which is proposed for a reception centre.
There are several vacant blocks of land in the suburb, many surrounding the Pines Shopping Centre. Various uses have been proposed and many applications for restaurants or fast food providers have been met with opposition from surrounding residents.
Sport and recreation
Many people are active members of certain clubs or facilities in Doncaster East. Popular activities include Scouts, Athletics, Football (AFL), Soccer, Lawn Bowls, Walking, Bike Riding and Dog Walking. The waters of the Mullum Mullum Creek are too shallow for swimming in the summer months, however, this does not stop exploration or walks on the paths around the creek.The suburb has an Australian Rules football team, The Doncaster East Sharks, competing in the Eastern Football League
Eastern Football League (Australia)
The Eastern Football League is an Australian rules football League, based in the eastern suburbs of metropolitan Melbourne....
.
The Manningham Cricket Club plays at Rieschiecks Reseve and competes in the Eastern Cricket Association MacGibbon Shield.
Parks and gardens
- Deep Creek Reserve (Baseball)
- Linear Park Reserve
- Prowes Reserve
- The Pines Reserve
- Mullum Mullum Creek Linear Park (Bicycle & Walking) - Mullum Mullum Creek TrailMullum Mullum Creek TrailThe Mullum Mullum Creek Trail is a shared use path for cyclists and pedestrians, which follows Mullum Mullum Creek in the outer eastern suburbs in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia....
- Mullum Mullum Wetlands
- Anderson Park (Soccer)
- Pinehill Reserve
- Landscape Drive Reserve
- Milgate Park Estate
- Cat Jump Park
- Zerbes Reserve (Football Oval, Scouts/Guides & Proposed Skate Park)
- Rieschiecks Reserve (Football Oval, Athletics, Scouts and Schramms Cottage)
- Doncaster Reserve (Football Oval)
- Bullen Street Reserve
- St. Clems Reserve
- Koonung Creek Park
- Boronia Grove Reserve (Scouts)
Notable people
- Alisa CamplinAlisa CamplinAlisa Camplin OAM is an Australian aerial skier who won gold at the 2002 Winter Olympics, the second ever winter olympic gold medal for Australia. At the 2006 Winter Olympics, Camplin finished third, a bronze medal...
- aerial skier, Olympic gold medallist - Michele TimmsMichele TimmsMichele Margaret Timms is a retired Australian professional basketball player who played for the Phoenix Mercury in the Women's National Basketball Association...
- basketballer, Olympic silver medallist
External resources
See also
- Milgate Park EstateMilgate Park EstateThe Milgate Park Estate is a housing estate in Doncaster East, a suburb of Melbourne, Australia. The estate comprises 40 hectares of land situated around a section of Long Valley, a gully bed that no longer carries surface water, which flows northeast and into the Mullum Mullum Creek...
- DoncasterDoncaster, VictoriaDoncaster is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 15 km north-east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Manningham. At the 2006 Census, Doncaster had a population of 17,879....
- List of Melbourne suburbs