Elsternwick, Victoria

Elsternwick Melbourne,Victoria
Victorian shopfronts on the corner of Glen Huntly & St Georges Roads
Elsternwick Location in metropolitan Melbourne
Coordinates	37.887°S 145.006°E/-37.887; 145.006
Population	10,887 (2021 census)
• Density	4,190/km2(10,850/sq mi)
Established	1861
Postcode(s)	3185
Elevation	26 m (85 ft)
Area	2.6 km2(1.0 sq mi)
Location	10 km (6 mi) fromMelbourne 3 km (2 mi) fromPort Phillip 2 km (1 mi) fromCaulfield Racecourse
LGA(s)	City of Glen Eira
State electorate(s)	Caulfield
Federal division(s)	Goldstein Macnamara
Suburbsaround Elsternwick: Elwood St Kilda East Caulfield North Ripponlea,Brighton Elsternwick Caulfield Brighton Gardenvale Caulfield South

Elsternwickis an inner suburb inMelbourne,Victoria,Australia,9 km south-east of Melbourne'sCentral Business District,located within theCity of Glen Eiralocal government area.Elsternwick recorded a population of 10,887 at the2021 census.

Administrative division

In terms of itscadastral division,Elsternwick is in theparish of Prahranwithin theCounty of Bourke.

Location

Elsternwick is bounded by theNepean Highway,Elster Avenue, Kooyong Road, Glen Eira Road, and Hotham Street (the continuation of Williams Road).

Formerly Elsternwick covered the area located in theCity of Baysidebounded by Head/Bridge Street, Nepean Highway, Glen Huntly Road and St. Kilda Street. This includes the cricket ground (originally the home of the Elsternwick Cricket Club) and currently known asthe Sportscover Arena.It is located within the larger area known asElsternwick Park– located at the junction of the Nepean Highway and Glen Huntly Road – as is the former Elsternwick Park Golf Course.

Name

In the same way thatRipponleatook its name from theRippon Lea EstateofSir Frederick Sargood,Elsternwick took its name from the largest property in the district:Charles Ebden's houseElster(Elsteris German for "magpie").The area was previously known as Red Bluff.

The creek nearby became known as the Elster Creek; and, when a village grew up on the creek, the Anglo-Saxon suffix 'wick', meaning village, was added.

History

The Elsternwick village was proposed in 1851[1].Elsternwick was originally situated across three municipalities - Caulfield, Brighton and St Kilda. At the end of the 1880s unsuccessful attempts were made for Elsternwick to become administratively independent. Today it is in theLocal Government Areaof theCity of Glen Eira.Thepostcodeis 3185.

Elsternwick village was surveyed in 1856, and Elsternwick Post Office opened on 22 June 1860.

In 1861 arailway line,operated by theMelbourne & Hobson's Bay Railway Company,was built fromMelbournetoBrightonwhich included arailway station at Elsternwick.The first site ofCaulfield Grammar School,founded in 1881, was adjacent to the Elsternwick railway station.

In the 1880s, Elsternwick railway station was also the Melbourne end of the railway line to the large-scale sugar beet processing mill at Rosstown (seeRosstown Railway) – now known asCarnegie– and beyond. This railway was seldom used, and it ceased to function in 1916.

A tramline was opened along Glen Huntly Road in 1889. Another tramline, running between Elsternwick andPoint Ormond,was opened on 4 June 1915,and was closed on 22 October 1960.

TheABCstudios in Melbourne were located in Gordon Street. The studios were built during the 1950s and 1960s and were decommissioned in 2017. Many programs were filmed and produced in the studios, such asCountdown,RecoveryandAdam Hills in Gordon Street Tonight.

Today

Shopping strip of Glen Huntly Road

Glen Huntly Road in Elsternwick has a variety of cafés and restaurants. Elsternwick was the home of perhaps the best-known brothel in Australia, and certainly Melbourne;Daily Planet,which was the first in the world to be listed on a stock exchange (theAustralian Securities Exchange).

Hattam (Mens and Boys Wear) Stores, at 383 Glenhuntly Road, a long, narrow shop, is one of the last locations in Australia that still has aLamson "Rapid Wire" Cash Carrierin place; it connects three locations in the lower section of the shop with the central cashier's desk.

The2017 seasonofThe Blockwas filmed in Regent Street.

Population

St Josephs Church Elsternwick

Elsternwick Congregational Church

In the 2016 Census, there were 10,349 people in Elsternwick. 65.3% of people were born in Australia. The next most common countries of birth were England 3.9%, New Zealand 1.9%, India 1.7%, South Africa 1.7% and China 1.5%. 73.0% of people spoke only English at home. Other languages spoken at home included Greek 2.6%, Hebrew 2.0%, Russian 1.9%, Yiddish 1.8% and Mandarin 1.7%. The most common responses for religion were No Religion 35.5%, Catholic 18.0%, and Judaism 17.8%.

Transport

Aerial panorama of Elsternwick Park and Port Philip Bay. Shot February 2023.

Elsternwick railway stationon theSandringham railway lineis located on Riddell Parade next to Glen Huntly Road. For a number of years (in the late 1800s and early 1900s) it was also where theRosstown Railwaylinked up with the Sandringham railway line.

Elsternwick Park Aerial panorama with Yalukit Willam Nature Reserve and the Cricket Club in the frame.

Melbourne tram route 67links Elsternwick to theMelbourne city centre.It travels along Glen Huntly Road fromCarnegie,throughGlen HuntlyandCaulfield Southto Elsternwick and, then, viaBrighton RoadandSt Kilda Roadto the CBD, viaSwanston Street.It terminates at theUniversity of Melbourne.

Sport

The Elsternwick Club Sandham St est 1919 includes Lawn Bowls on Tiff Dwarf green and various function rooms.

The Elsternwick Cricket Club was founded in August 1901. The Elsternwick Main Oval, now known as Sportscover Arena orElsternwick Park,was established shortly after the club's foundation. The 'Wickas', as the club is affectionately known, plays in theVictorian Sub-District Cricket Association.

Golfers played at Elsternwick Park Golf Club, also known as Royal Elsternwick, on Glen Huntly Road until 2018, when the course closed to be used as passive open space.

The Elsternwick Croquet Club, founded in 1911, is situated in the Hopetoun Gardens.

Schools

State Schools

The Elsternwick Primary School – once officially located in "Brickwood Street, Elsternwick" – is now, without any shift in its physical position, officially located in Murphy Street,Brighton([2]); and, consequently, the suburb currently has no government schools.

Private Schools

• Wesley College- Elsternwick Campus (formerly:Methodist Ladies' Collegeand Cato College)
• Leibler Yavneh College
• St Joseph's Primary School

Heritage sites

Classic Cinemas

Built as a public hall in 1889 and converted into a cinema in 1911,Classic Cinemasis Melbourne's oldest continuously running cinema.

Elsternwick contains a number of heritage-listed sites, including:

• 192 Hotham Street:Rippon Lea Estate
• 2-4 Selwyn Street:Elsternwick Metropolitan Fire Brigade Station
• 84-86 Orrong Road: Union Church
• 6-8 Rusden Street: Elsternwick Tram Substation
• 296-298 Glenhuntly Road & 1A-1B Riddell Parade: Elsternwick Post Office

Notable Elsternwick people

Aerial perspective of Yalukit Willam Nature Reserve

Aerial perspective of the lake at Elsternwick Park

• Hildred Butler(1906–1975), microbiologist, born in Elsternwick
• Joan Chambers,néeMurray(1930–2016), Member of the Victorian Legislative Assembly, born in Elsternwick.
• "Chris" Christiansen(1913–2007), radio astronomer and electrical engineer, grew up in Elsternwick.
• Ben Cousins(1978–), former AFL footballer.
• Moira Dynon,néeShelton(1920–1976), welfare worker and scientist, born in Elsternwick.
• Joyce Evans(1929–2019), photographer, artist, gallery director, born in Elsternwick.
• Ray Groom(1944–), lawyer, sportsman, and politician, 39thPremier of Tasmania,born in Elsternwick.
• Joy St. Clair Hester(1920–1960), artist, born in Elsternwick.
• Sir Edwin William Hicks(1910–1984), public servant and diplomat, born in Elsternwick.
• Edward Honey(1885–1922), journalist, born in Elsternwick, suggested the "Two-minute silence"observed on 11 November each year.
• Dave Hughes(1970–), comedian; purchased a house built onThe Block2017.
• Les Johnson(1908–January 1942), Essendon and North Melbourne Footballer, killed in action in World War II, born in Elsternwick.
• William JoyntVC(1889–1986), soldier, printer and publisher, born in Elsternwick.
• Geoffrey LemprièreOBE(1904–1977), woolbuyer and soldier, born in Elsternwick.
• Samuel Mauger(1857–1936), reformer, manufacturer, politician, died in Elsternwick.
• Keith Miller(1919–2004), a resident of Elsternwick in his childhood.
• Enid Moodie-Heddle(1904–1991), poet and children's author, born in Elsternwick.
• Sir Alister Murdoch(1912–1984), air force officer, born in Elsternwick.
• Harold Parker(1892–1917), St Kilda footballer, killed in First World War.
• Bill Ponsford(1900–1991), a resident in the 1920s and 1930s.
• Peter Rowsthorn(1963–), actor and comedian.
• Roy Schilling(1896–1979), politician, died in Elsternwick.
• Percival Serle(1871–1951), accountant, biographer, and bibliographer, born in Elsternwick.
• George Strickland(1942–), Member of the Western Australian Legislative Assembly, born in Elsternwick.
• Frederick Taylor(1810–1872), squatter and mass murderer.
• Richard Toutcher(1861–1941), politician, died in Elsternwick.
• Sir Alexander George Wales(1885–1962), businessman, politician, Lord Mayor of Melbourne, died in Elsternwick.
• Charlie Watts(1895–1965), soldier and cleric, born in Elsternwick.
• Harry Llewellyn Williams(1915–1961), champion golfer, born in Elsternwick.

Residential architecture

• 
  "Lisbon House", 70 Orrong Road, is a grand Victorian terrace home.
• 
  1930s remodelled Victorian terraces, Glen Eira Road (oppositeCaulfield Grammar School)
• 
  Elsternwick railway stationwarehouses converted to townhouses and apartment in Horne Street
• 
  Elsternwick Retirement Apartment (Victoria by the Park) next to Hopetoun Gardens

Non-residential architecture

• 
  The Elsternwick Hotel (built 1856), corner of Glen Huntly andBrightonRoads
• 
  JewishHolocaustMuseum, Selwyn Street
• 
  Former Elsternwick Post Office and former Caulfield City rifle club buildings
• 
  Former Elsternwick Fire Station
• 
  Tudor style dominates Glen Eira shopping village (Corner of Glen Eira & Orrong Roads) in Elsternwick
• 
  Rsl Elsternwick

Open space

• 
  Elsternwick Park Golf Club
• 
  Elsternwick Hopetoun Gardens in Glen Huntly Road (cannons made in England 1866)
• 
  Nepean Highwayin Elsternwick (9 km towardsMelbourne CBD)

See also

• City of Caulfield– Elsternwick was previously within this former local government area.
• Rosstown Railway
• Rosstown Railway Heritage Trail

External links

• Glen Eira City Council
• Australian Places - Elsternwick
• Elsternwick Traders' Association website- includes a business directory, articles and attractions in Elsternwick