Altona, Victoria
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Altona Melbourne, Victoria | |||||||||||||
| Image:Altona, Victoria main street.jpg Main street of Altona. | |||||||||||||
| Population: | 9,893 (2001 Census) | ||||||||||||
| Postcode: | 3018 | ||||||||||||
| Area: | 16.9 km² | ||||||||||||
| Property Value: | AUD$333,000 <ref>Altona Suburb Profile. domain.com.au (2006). Retrieved on [[2006-11-27]].</ref> | ||||||||||||
| Location: | 13 km from Melbourne | ||||||||||||
| LGA: | City of Hobsons Bay | ||||||||||||
| State District: | Altona, Williamstown | ||||||||||||
| Federal Division: | Gellibrand | ||||||||||||
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Altona () is a south-western suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Its Local Government Area is the City of Hobsons Bay.
Altona is a large suburb consisting of low density residential in the southern half, with mixed industry in the northern half. Altona Beach which overlooks Port Phillip is one of only two swimming beaches in the western suburbs.
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[edit] History
Prior to arrival of Europeans, the Altona area was home to Kurung-Jang-Balluk Aboriginal people, of the Woiwurrung clan. It is estimated at the time of European settlement, the local Aborigines numbered 40.
Altona was first permanently settled in 1842, with the construction of The Homestead by Alfred Langhorne. From 1886 housing in the Altona and Merton Street estates was sold, and by 1901 the Victorian Government owned an explosives reserve in the west of Altona.
Coal mining formed the basis of the local economy from 1908 to 1919, however this was brought to an end in 1930 when open cut mining was developed in the Latrobe Valley.
Similar to the rest of Melbourne, following the Second World War Altona embraced a large influx of immigrants, primarily from the Mediterranean, Central Europe and a small number from the Middle East.
From 1864 Altona was a town in the Shire of Werribee, until the City of Altona was formed in 1968. The City of Altona included Altona and the surrounding suburbs of Altona Meadows, Altona North and Seaholme.
In 1994 during local government amalgamations by the Kennett Government, the City of Altona merged with the City of Williamstown and City of Laverton to form the City of Hobsons Bay. Some residents still use the name Altona to refer to Altona and surrounding suburbs.
[edit] Education
Altona has three primary schools consisting of Altona Primary School, Altona West Primary School, and Saint Marys Catholic Primary School. The secondary schools include Altona Secondary College, Mt. St. Joseph Girls College, and St. Mary's School.
[edit] Arts and culture
Altona has a healthy arts and culture community including various murals around town mostly drawn by local school students, various sculptures and Altona Civic Theatre, which has its own resident company Altona City Theatre (ACT), producing two major musicals and a smaller pantomime which coincides with the local Bayside Festival. The festival is an opportunity for locals to show off their creative skills with an annual art show and sand sculpting competition.
[edit] Sport
Altona is home to many sporting clubs including Australian rules football, soccer, hockey, basketball, and cricket.
Altona Roosters are the local Victorian Rugby League team, whose home ground is Loft Reserve in neighbouring Newport. The Roosters are the current premiers, defeating the Casey Sharks 20-12.
[edit] Transport
The two train stations in Altona are Altona railway station and Westona railway station, both on the Werribee railway line.
[edit] Industry
Major industry includes an oil refinery, manufacturing and distribution. This was a major environmental concern to residents in the 1970s and 1980s, however strict environmental controls and local projects involving industry, government and environmental groups have reduced these concerns, cleaning up coastal areas that were once neglected.
[edit] External links
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- Street map from Street Directory, MSN Maps and Multimap.
- Satellite image from Google Maps, WikiMapia and Terraserver.
- Australian Places - Altona
- Altona City Theatre
| Suburbs of the City of Hobsons Bay | |
|---|---|
|
Altona | Altona Meadows | Altona North | Brooklyn | Laverton | Newport | Seabrook | Seaholme | South Kingsville | Spotswood | Williamstown | Williamstown North |
