Gladstone Park, Victoria

Gladstone Park Melbourne, Victoria
Gladstone Park
Coordinates	37°41′17″S 144°53′31″E / 37.688°S 144.892°E / -37.688; 144.892Coordinates: 37°41′17″S 144°53′31″E / 37.688°S 144.892°E / -37.688; 144.892
Population	8,329 (2011 census)[1]
• Density	2,251/km2 (5,830/sq mi)
Postcode(s)	3043
Area	3.7 km2 (1.4 sq mi)
Location	15 km (9 mi) from Melbourne 5 km (3 mi) from Broadmeadows
LGA(s)	City of Hume
State electorate(s)	Sunbury
Federal Division(s)	Calwell
Suburbs around Gladstone Park: Westmeadows Westmeadows Broadmeadows Tullamarine Gladstone Park Jacana Tullamarine Gowanbrae Gowanbrae

Gladstone Park is a suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 15 km north-west from Melbourne's central business district. Its local government area is the City of Hume. At the 2011 Census, Gladstone Park had a population of 8,329.

Gladstone Park is bounded by the Tullamarine Freeway and Mickleham Road to the west, Broadmeadows Road to the north, the Jacana Valley to the east and the Western Ring Road to the south.

History

The Broadmeadows district was originally inhabited by the Wurundjeri nation of Indigenous Australians. European settlement of the area now known as Gladstone Park began in the 1840s, with the land used for agriculture.^[2] The modern suburb is named after Thomas Gladstone, who was a local land owner in the 1800s.^[2] Development of the residential suburb began in the 1960s as an estate of Tullamarine. Most of the homes in the suburb were built between 1972 and 1975, as a typical part of (then) Melbourne's outer suburban expansion. The post office was opened on 4 February 1985, as the suburb developed.^[3]

Carl Williams was shot in the stomach by Jason Moran at a small park in Barrington Crescent in 1999, in one of the early events of the Melbourne gangland killings.^[4]

Demographics

In Gladstone Park, 60.8% of people were born in Australia. The most common countries of birth were Italy 4.1%, India 2.5%, England 2.0%, Lebanon 2.0% and Egypt 2.0%.

Community Facilities

Gladstone Park Community Centre

The Gladstone Park Community Centre is located on South Circular Road, and hosts a number of community bodies, such as the basketball club and mothers' groups. It is located adjacent to the Meadow Park Eagles soccer clubrooms.

Gladstone Park Hotel

The hotel is located on Mickleham Road. It has extensive pokies and betting facilities, as well as a bistro and bar. It also contains hotel rooms and a drive through bottle shop. It is part of the shopping centre precinct.

Gladstone Park Secondary College Library

The high school contains a public library which is part of the Hume Libraries network.^[5]

Gladstone Park Shopping Centre

Gladstone Park Shopping Centre is a minor shopping centre. Its major stores include a Woolworths Supermarket, an IGA Supermarket and Dimmeys. It contains the suburb's post office as well as branches of ANZ Bank, Commonwealth Bank and Westpac and numerous major real estate offices. As well as the major stores, there are a number of minor stores and a food court.^[6]

Parks

Elmhurst Park

Elmhurst Park is named after Elmhurst Road, where it is located. The park contains two playgrounds, a bike track, a small skate park and picnic facilities with barbecues. The Gladstone Park Tennis Club is located next to the park.

Gladstone Park Reserve

Gladstone Park Reserve is located on South Circular Road. The park contains a playground, and is connected to the Gladstone Park Secondary College oval via a gate in the south-east corner. It is the home ground of the Meadow Park Eagles, and is adjacent to the Gladstone Park Primary School. Sporting facilities include a synthetic cricket pitch and a soccer pitch and goals.

Gladstone Park Secondary College grounds

The Gladstone Park Secondary College has large sports grounds which are open to public use. Sporting facilities include a football oval, soccer pitch, two concrete cricket nets, three concrete basketball/ netball courts and a concrete hockey/futsal pitch.

Jacana Valley

The Jacana Valley marks the eastern boundary of Gladstone Park. The Moonee Ponds Creek flows through the valley, and there is and extensive wetlands reserve. The Moonee Ponds Creek Trail follows the creek through the park.

Jack Ginifer Reserve

Jack Ginifer Reserve is named after a former Member of Parliament.^[7] It is located on Carrick Drive, opposite the Gladstone Views Primary School. The Gladstone Park Cricket Club is based at 'Ginifer', and it has a temporary turf wicket during the summer, and football goals. Being adjacent to the Jacana Valley, Jack Ginifer Reserve gives wide views of neighbouring suburbs.

Other parks

There are numerous other small parks and reserves in Gladstone Park. These include:

• Barrington Crescent Reserve, containing a playground.
• Belmont Place
• Carrick - Elmhurst Reserve, containing the Uniting Church and Bowls Club.
• Carrick Reserve
• Clarke Drive Reserve
• Fairbank Avenue Reserve, containing a playground.
• Harcourt Crescent Reserve, containing a playground.
• John Coutts Reserve
• Snaefell Walkway
• Trentham Reserve, containing a playground and barbecue facilities.
• Vaucluse Drive Reserve, containing a playground.^[8]

Places of worship

Good Shepherd Catholic Church

The Good Shepherd Catholic Church is located on South Circular Road, and incorporates the School of the Good Shepherd. The Church opened in 1975. The previous parish church built was demolished in mid-2008, having reached a stage where it was beyond repair. The new church was modelled on St. Ambrose Church on Sydney Road and built from Mount Gambier limestone. Construction was completed May 2010. Archbishop Denis Hart consecrated The Good Shepherd Gladstone Park/Greenvale church in the presence of 1000 parishioners. .^[9]

Gladstone Park Uniting Church

The Gladstone Park Uniting Church is located on the corner of Carrick Drive and Elmhurst Road. It was formed in 1983 when the Tullamarine Methodist Church, Westmeadows Presbyterian Church and the Gladstone Park Uniting Church merged. The current church building opened in 1990 and retains the windows from the Tullamarine church, and the bell from the Westmeadows church.^[10]

Schools

Gladstone Park Secondary College

The Gladstone Park Secondary College (GPSC) was founded in 1970 and is one of the largest schools in the local area, with roughly 1500 students. The GPSC has close relations with local primary schools of the area. It is located on Taylor Drive, next to the Gladstone Park Primary School.

Gladstone Park Primary School

The Gladstone Park Primary School (GPPS) was founded in 1970. The school has enrolments of between 350 and 400 students. Facilities of GPPS include a gym and artificial sports fields. Located on Taylor Drive, GPPS is next to the Gladstone Park Secondary College.^[11]

Gladstone Views Primary School

The Gladstone Views Primary School (GVPS) was founded in 1976. Taking in students from grades Prep to Six, the GVPS has roughly 330 students. The school is located on Carrick Drive and boasts a full sized basketball stadium.^[12]

School of the Good Shepherd

The School of the Good Shepherd is a Catholic primary school which had its first intake in 1975. Located on South Circular Road next to the Catholic Church of the Good Shepherd, it has roughly 250 students.^[13]

Sport

Gladstone Park Basketball Club

The Gladstone Park 'Power' play its games at the Gladstone Park Community Centre on South Circular Road. It competes in the Broadmeadows Basketball Association Junior Competitions, with teams from Under 8 to Under 19. Its colours are light blue, dark blue and white.^[14]

Gladstone Park Bowls Club

The Gladstone Park Bowls Club was founded in 1990. It is based at the Carrick - Elmhurst Reserve, on Carrick Drive.

Gladstone Park Cricket Club

The Gladstone Park Cricket Club first played during the 1978/79 season. Currently playing in the North West Cricket Association, the club plays its home games at Ginifer Reserve on Carrick Drive. Nicknamed the 'Burras', the club's colours are navy blue and red. The club won the senior Luscombe Shield in 1993/94 and 2005/2006.^[15]

Gladstone Park Tennis Club

The Gladstone Park Tennis Club was founded in 1968. It has six synthetic clay courts and three en-tout-cas courts. It is based at Elmhurst Park.^[16]

Meadow Park Soccer Club

The Meadow Park 'Eagles' was founded in 1975 as a Junior club, with seniors beginning in 1983. The Eagles play in the Men's Provisional League Division 3 North-West. The club plays its home games at the Gladstone Park Reserve on South Circular Road. The club's colours are dark blue and gold, having started in brown and gold.^[17]

Transport

The Broadmeadows station, on the Craigieburn Line is the closest station to Gladstone Park. The closest tram line is Tram route 59 in Airport West. Numerous bus routes link the suburb to the Broadmeadows station and Airport West, with stops at the shopping centre, and each of the schools.

Controversy - Third Melbourne Airport Runway

In Dec 2013 the Melbourne Airport Masterplan was approved in principle. A new third runway will expose most of Gladstone Park to Aircraft Noise. ^[18]

See also

• City of Broadmeadows - the former local government area of which Gladstone Park was a part

References

External links

• Monash.edu.au - Gladstone Park