Vermont South is a suburb in
MelbourneMelbourne is the capital city and most populous city of the State of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne city centre is the anchor of the larger geographical area and statistical division known as the Greater Melbourne metropolitan area – of which Melbourne is...
,
VictoriaVictoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales to the north, South Australia to the west, and Tasmania to the south, across the Bass Strait. Victoria is the most densely populated state, with over 70% of...
,
AustraliaAustralia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the continental mainland , the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans...
, 20 km east from Melbourne's
central business districtMelbourne also known as the Melbourne city centre is a locality surrounded by metropolitan Melbourne which comprises the original settlement, the central business district, parkland and other built-up areas...
. Its
Local Government AreaThere are 79 Local Government Areas in the Australian state of Victoria. LGA's are constituted as cities, shires, rural cities and, in one case, a borough...
is the
City of WhitehorseThe City of Whitehorse is a Local Government Area in Victoria, Australia. It is located in the eastern suburbs of Melbourne. It has an area of 64 km². At the 2006 census it had a population of 144,768....
. At the 2006 Census, Vermont South had a population of 11,485.
The eastern boundary of Vermont South is the
Dandenong CreekDandenong Creek, originally known as Narra Narrawong, runs from the Dandenong Ranges in the Dandenong Ranges National Park, in the eastern suburbs of Melbourne, Australia, through the urban areas of Boronia and The Basin, eventually meeting Mordialloc Creek and the manmade Patterson River...
, which travels from the
Dandenong RangesThe Dandenong Ranges, originally known as Corhanwarrabul, are a set of low mountain ranges, rising to 633 metres at Mount Dandenong, approximately 35 km east of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia...
through to
Port PhillipPort Phillip is a large bay in southern Victoria, Australia. Geographically, the bay covers and the shore stretches roughly . Although it is extremely shallow for its size, most of the bay is navigable. The deepest portion is only , and half the region is shallower than...
. The suburb was mostly developed in the late 1970s and early 1980s, after developers bought the local apple orchards in the area.
History
Prior to the first European settlers, the landscape was thickly timbered bushland, occupied by the
WurundjeriThe 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 AustraliansIndigenous Australians are the original inhabitants of the Australian continent and nearby islands, and these peoples' descendants. Indigenous Australians are distinguished as either Aboriginal people or Torres Strait Islanders, who currently together make up about 2.6% of Australia's...
of the
KulinThe 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
WoiwurrungWoiwurrung 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. They were hunters and gatherers, camping near the creeks and gullies of the area now known as Bellbird Dell. The creek flowed from immediately north of the Dell, through it, and on to join the Dandenong Creek.
The first settlers, who were woodcutters and charcoal burners, came in the 1850s before land sales. Selectors followed and they marked out, leased and improved allotments which would enable them to gain freehold titles from the Crown. Temporary wattle and daub huts were erected and later substantial timber cottages.
Apart from some general farming, orchards dominated the landscape until the 1950s and 60s when the demand for new housing areas led to the subdivision of orchards. Nunawading Council (Whitehorse Council) began the acquisition of property in 1966 with the purchase of a large block (7.26 hectares) from local orchardist Cecil Rhodes to form Bellbird Dell.
Vermont South Post Office opened on 22 October 1974 as the suburb developed.
In 1972 when, after heavy rains, the increased run-off from the subdivisions caused flooding of Morack Road and the Burwood Highway, BellBird Dell creek was barrelled and the natural watercourse disappeared, but the site and its adjoining land was reserved as public open space.
Vermont South was the location of the Australian Gun Club in the 1960's and 1970's.
Landmarks
Pin Oak Court, Vermont South, is the filming location for "
Ramsay StreetRamsay Street is a fictional street in the long-running Australian soap opera Neighbours and is located in the fictional suburb of Erinsborough, Melbourne....
" in the famous Australian
soap operaA soap opera, sometimes called "soap" for short, is an ongoing, episodic work of dramatic fiction presented in serial format on television or radio. The name "soap opera" stems from the original dramatic serials broadcast on radio that had soap manufacturers such as Procter & Gamble,...
NeighboursNeighbours is a Logie Award-winning Australian soap opera, which began airing in March 1985. The series follows the lives of families who live in the six houses at the end of Ramsay Street, a short cul-de-sac in the fictional middle-class suburb of Erinsborough. Storylines explore the romances,...
. A
Neighbours Tour Bus operates on a regular basis which is very popular with
UKThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is a sovereign state located off the northwestern coast of continental Europe. It is an island country, spanning an archipelago including Great Britain, the northeastern part of Ireland, and many small islands...
Backpackers.
Vermont South is also the home of the Nunawading motorcross track just off Burwood Highway. Behind the motorcross track is a series of bush walk trails connecting to Dandenong Creek and a spectacular lookout. The lookout is located at the peak of a man-made hill, this hill is the remains of The City of Nunawading Tip that was closed in the 1970's. These walking/bike trails (
Dandenong Creek TrailThe Dandenong Creek Trail is a shared use path for cyclists and pedestrians, which follows Dandenong Creek through the outer eastern and south-eastern suburbs of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.-Following the Path:...
) connect to the greater bike trails of eastern Victoria, including: Mt Dandenong National Park, Nortons, Napier, and Jells Parks.
The Burvale Hotel (named after its location at the intersection of Springvale Road and Burwood Highway), with a pub, bottle shop (previously a drive-thru, now developed into a Dan Murphy's Store) and motel. The Dan Murphy's Store has now closed at Vermont South Shopping Centre.
Commercial Areas
Vermont South Shopping Centre is located on
Burwood HighwayBurwood Highway is a major transportation link with Melbourne's eastern suburbs. It begins in the suburb of Kooyong, Melbourne at the junction of the Monash Freeway as Toorak Road between Monash Freeway and Warrigal Road, and finishes in Belgrave, Victoria in the Dandenong Ranges...
which contains a Coles supermarket, and adjoining McDonalds,
Pizza HutPizza Hut is an American restaurant chain and international franchise based in Addison, Texas , offering different styles of pizza along with side dishes including pasta, buffalo wings, breadsticks, and garlic bread...
,
SubwaySubway is a fast food franchise that primarily sells submarine sandwiches, salads and personal pizzas. It is owned and operated by Doctor's Associates, Inc. . Subway is one of the fastest growing franchises in the world with approximately 31,835 restaurants in 91 countries as of September 2009...
, Blockbuster Video and other small outlets. On the south side of Burwood Highway is the head office and laboratories of the former Australian Road Research Board, now ARRB Group Ltd. This property has now sold majority of its land to developers, where a retirement village has been constructed.
The following business' have previously been established in the Burwood Highway front location of Vermont South Shopping Centre:
Venture (department store)Venture was a chain of defunct discount department store operating across Australia. It was developed by South Australian department store John Martins and was first opened in 1970. The chain grew to cover much of the country...
, Jewel Supermarket,
Dan Murphy'sDan Murphy's is an Australian big box liquor supermarket chain owned by Woolworths Limited, who also owns BWS, another liquor chain with smaller stores.-History:...
Liquor Super Store and Get Fresh Green Grocer and butcher (current occupier).
At the end of 2005, the largest
Bunnings WarehouseBunnings Warehouse is the southern hemisphere's largest hardware chain, with 223 stores in Australia and New Zealand.The chain is owned by Australia's largest employer Wesfarmers Limited, based in Perth, Western Australia.-History:-Pre 1900s:...
in the Southern Hemisphere was built in Vermont South. The Australian Lifestyle television program, Better Homes and Gardens filmed a special at this location.
Transport
The
Government of VictoriaThe Government of Victoria, under the Constitution of Australia, ceded certain legislative and judicial powers to the Commonwealth, but retained complete independence in all other areas...
extended
tram route 75Tram route 75 is a public transport service in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. It is operated by Yarra Trams from the Camberwell Depot and runs from the corner of Spencer Street and La Trobe Street in the city centre to Vermont South in the eastern suburbs....
from its former terminus at
Burwood EastBurwood East is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, located 17 km east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Whitehorse. The suburb is bounded by Springvale Rd to the east, by Middleborough Rd to the west, by Eley Rd and Hawthorn Rd to the...
to the Vermont South Shopping Centre in 2005. In addition to the tram, a Transit Bus Link has been added, which travels down Burwood Highway to Knox City Shopping Centre.
This transit bus, named the "Knox Transit Link" runs up to 21 hours per day, in conjunction with the route 75 tram timetable, making a "seamless connection" to and from the tram.
On Weekdays it runs from 4:30am-1:20am the next morning, running at every 10 minutes in the daytime off-peak period, and from every 5-7 minutes in the morning and afternoon peak periods, while after 7:30pm on weeknights, service intervals are set at every 20 minutes. On Saturdays, the Knox Transit Link bus service also runs from approximately 4:30am-1:20am the next morning, at 12 minute intervals in the daytime, and every 15-20 minutes beyond the 12 minute interval periods. On Sundays, a 12 minute daytime frequency is offered with a 30 minute service in the early morning and at night, with the last service to run from Vermont South at approximately 12:45am.
These improvements make route (Vermont South - Knox City) arguably the most frequent bus service in Metropolitan Melbourne in that section only. However, while the remaining sections of the 732 which have not been upgraded to the same extent (Box Hill-Vermont South and Knox City-Upper Ferntree Gully), they are still sufficient enough, with a recent upgrade in November 2007 seeing the introduction of an hourly Sunday service and buses running until 9pm 7 days a week.
Vermont South is also served by Ventura Routes Mitcham - Glen Waverley - Blackburn & Eastland - Glen Waverley - Chadstone. Since May 2008 these routes have been upgraded to run until 9pm 7 days a week.
Parks and Reserves
Vermont South has many local parks including Billabong Park, Charlesworth Park, Terrara Park, Tyrol Park and Dandenong Valley Metropolitan Park (West of Dandenong Creek).
Bellbird Dell is a natural park, located in the north of the suburb. It is a 1.4 km linear park with an area of 17.5 hectares, named after the many
bellbirdsThe Bell Miner, Manorina melanophrys, colloquially known as the Bellbird, is a colonial honeyeater endemic to southeastern Australia. They were given their common name because they feed almost exclusively on the dome-like coverings of certain psyllid bugs, referred to as "bell lerps," that feed on...
that can be heard in the park. The majority of the park is thick bush, however there are many walking trails,
wetlandA wetland is an area of land whose soil is saturated with moisture either permanently or seasonally. Such areas may also be covered partially or completely by shallow pools of water. Wetlands include swamps, marshes, and bogs, among others. The water found in wetlands can be saltwater, freshwater,...
s and ornamental lakes. Open grassed areas with picnic tables provide places for quiet enjoyment. For walkers 'The Dell' offers short or long strolls but dogs must be on a leash as the main pathways are shared with cyclists. Many varieties of birds and frogs can be seen and heard here and, in spring, there are many wildflowers. Victoria's floral emblem the Pink Heath (
Epacris impressa) can be seen growing 'wild' within the remnant areas.
Hanover Reserve in Vermont South is a great playground for children of all abilities and also has an accessible swing. A pocket guide to Walking and Wheeling in Whitehorse has been produced highlighting some of the great parks and walking trails in the municipality.
Schools and Child Care Services
- Emmaus College
Emmaus College is a Coeducational Catholic secondary college which serves the middle eastern suburbs of Melbourne, Australia. The school has a Junior Campus in Vermont South and a VCE campus in Burwood. It has a population of around 1100 students and slowly growing...
(Years 7-10 Campus)
- Vermont South Special School
- Weeden Heights Primary School
- Livingstone Primary School
- Holy Saviour Primary School
- Barriburn Pre-School, Birralee Pre-School Association, Terrara Pre-School Association,
- Vermont South Children's Services Centre
Clubs and Facilities
- Vermont South Tennis Club
- Vermont South Cricket Club
- Vermont South School of Physical Cultures
- Morack Golf Course
- Holy Saviour Tennis Club
- Livingstone Netball Club
- Hi-Lites Netball Club
- Lions Club of Vermont South Incorporated
- Vermont South Club
$1 Million redevelopment works began at Vermont South Club on October 3, 2007. The redevelopment for the Bowling Clubhouse would be extended to increase capacity from 60 people to 120 people. Other changes proposed include improving disabled access, toilet, shower and kitchen facilities.
- Sustainability Street Hub Activities
Sustainability Street hubs have been operating successfully in Blackburn, Box Hill, Vermont South and most recently Wattle Hill. Participating communities are guided through a process where they learn about sustainability and how to share practical sustainable principles and actions with others, as well as how to organise themselves as a group in implementing an event/project. This six month training period is loosely organised around four stages called mulch (learn), sow (plan), grow (do) and harvest (teach).
- Sportlink multipurpose indoor sports facility
A new $8 million, multi-purpose netball stadium was opened in Hanover Road on the 7
th of February, 2009.
Sharelle McMahonSharelle McMahon is an Australian netball player, and current captain of the Australian national netball team. McMahon plays in the goal attack and goal shooter positions, and is known for her remarkable speed in sprinting, dodging, passing, fast reflexes and elevation...
gave a motivational speech and umpired a community netball match for the occasion. It provides for netball, basketball, indoor soccer, badminton and volleyball games, and is already home to a number of local clubs.
The new multipurpose indoor sports facility in Vermont South was opened on Saturday 7 February 2009. To celebrate this milestone event, everyone was invited to join in the ‘Come and Try Day’ at Sportlink Vermont South in Hanover Road, with the chance to see the new development, watch sports demonstrations and take part in fun activities. Sportlink, which features four indoor and four outdoor courts, includes a multipurpose room, community room, café, first aid room and change rooms. It includes netball, basket ball, volley ball, bad mitten and many more Planning for this facility started in 2006 with Community consultation conducted in November 2006.
- Vermont South Skateboard Ramp
Located at Lookout Trail Park, on the corner of Morack Road and Burwood Highway, Vermont South. The ramp features a vertical half pipe that is suitable for advanced skaters and is built to international standards.
Churches
- Vermont South Evangelical Church
- Holy Saviour Catholic Church
- Anglican Church of the Holy Name of Jesus
- Evangelical Church
Services
Vermont South
Metropolitan Fire BrigadeMetropolitan Fire Brigade could refer to:*Metropolitan Fire Brigade - The operational arm of the Metropolitan Fire and Emergency Services Board which operates in the metropolitan area of Melbourne, Australia....
(South Vermont Fire Station No. 28) is located at 721 Highbury Road, on the corner of Springvale Road. This Brigade moved from 535 High Street Road, Mount Waverley in 1999. The building won a design award soon after being commissioned.
The Vermont South Community House, is one of nine community and neighbourhood houses that provide a diverse range of courses and activities for all age groups within the
City of WhitehorseThe City of Whitehorse is a Local Government Area in Victoria, Australia. It is located in the eastern suburbs of Melbourne. It has an area of 64 km². At the 2006 census it had a population of 144,768....
. Vermont South Community House was established in 1976 and has been a sustainable community organisation ever since. They have created an environment where the community can gather in a nurturing space and work together to achieve common goals. The house is run by an extensive volunteer network who run programs to share information and advocate on behalf of the community. The Community House was the winner of the 2008 Whitehorse Sustainability Awards.
- Whitehorse Manningham Regional Library - Vermont South Campus The Whitehorse Manningham Regional Library Corporation holds over 421,503 items which includes books, magazines, audio cassettes, language kits, videos, compact discs, electronic games, sheet music and large print books. Joining the library is free.
The library now loans books, talking books, videos, CDs, and CD-Roms in Chinese.
- Whitehorse Recycling & Waste Centre
The Centre processes & manages Green Waste located at 638-640 Burwood Highway, Vermont South (Corner of Morack Road).
Future Developments
SmartBusSmartBus is a series of bus routes operating in the city of Melbourne, Australia. It was originally a policy initiative of the Kennett Liberal state government of Victoria, Australia in the late 1990s, but has been slowly implemented under the current Labor government headed formerly by Steve...
Routes 888/889 travelling south are often delayed due to traffic congestion in the morning and evening peak periods. A combination of new linemarking and traffic signal modifications has been completed creating a short bus lane to give buses priority, enabling them to cross the intersection before other traffic. Springvale Road forms part of the Green Orbital SmartBus route, this jump lane will improve public transport through the intersection and overall region.
Statistics
According to Census the population in Vermont South has reduced by 170 people over a 5 year period.
11,655 (2001 census)
11,485 (2006 census)
External links