Flemington, Victoria

Flemington is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, situated between the Maribyrnong River and Moonee Ponds Creek 4 km north-west from Melbourne's central business district. It was named by settler James Watson after Flemington estate in Scotland. Its Local Government Areas are the Cities of Melbourne and Moonee Valley. At the 2006 Census, Flemington had a population of 7,376.

The Melbourne Cup Thoroughbred horse race has been held at Flemington Racecourse since 1861.

Flemington includes the locality of Newmarket, in which the main commercial area, Racecourse Road is located.

History
In 1839, James Watson came to Port Phillip to purchase land for himself and English and Scottish investors. He named the area Flemington after Flemington estate in Scotland where his wife’s father was manager, which was in turn named because of Flemish settlement in the area.

Flemington and the adjacent Kensington consist primarily of weatherboard cottages mixed with attached brick single-storey and some double-storey terrace houses. Most of the homes are in Victorian or Boom style with some Edwardian and Federation style homes. Some sections originally contained factories and industry.

The earliest land release was in the 1840s when fertile land adjacent to the Maribyrnong River was taken up for cattle grazing. Land for Flemington Racecourse was reserved as early as 1845. Around this time the Melbourne Municipal Saleyards were relocated from Elizabeth Street, West Melbourne to Flemington. Also around this time abbatoirs and other commercial activities were established. Various industrial activities were clustered around the Maribyrnong River and the Moonee Ponds Creek.

The Victorian Goldrush of the 1850s encouraged further development as Mount Alexander Road was the main route to the North Western Goldfields. Flemington Post Office opened on 1 January 1854.

It was originally included in the City of Essendon at its formation in 1861 and the first Melbourne Cup was run at Flemington the same year. Buntingford Tannery (now demolished) was located adjacent to Moonee Ponds Creek. This business, established by members of the Debney family, moved to the site in 1876 and at one time covered more than an acre of ground and consisted of several buildings.

Flemington and Kensington broke away from the City of Essendon in 1882 to form the Borough of Flemington and Kensington as the decade saw intensified residential development consisting of detached single-storey weatherboard homes and some brick semi-detached or attached single-storey homes on small allotments. Some larger homes including grandiose double-storey brick homes on double allotments, and some double-storey brick terrace homes were also constructed. Industry consisting of mills, factories and warehouses continued in the area taking advantage of the low-cost flat land. By 1911 the population was 6,109.

In 1905 the Borough of Flemington and Kensington was subsumed by the City of Melbourne.

During the 1950s there was an influx of European immigrants, mostly from Italy.

Flemington Racecourse


Flemington racecource is famous for the Melbourne Cup horse race, run on the first Tuesday in November since 1861, by the Victoria Racing Club.

Commercial areas and Racecourse Road
Racecourse Road is the suburb's main commercial area. Pin Oak Crescent has a small number of shops and cafes. Railway station Newmarket Station is on Pin Oak Crescent, near its intersection with Racecourse Road.

In the late 1990s a new supermarket was constructed on an old car sale yard on Racecourse Road, directly west of Newmarket Station. Several new apartment buildings were built on empty allotments behind the Racecourse Road and Pin Oak Crescent shops.

In regard to Flemington's commercial area Barry Humphries declared in 2005 that his favourite building in Melbourne was the Flemington Post Office, which is on Wellington Street and went on to say: I think one of the most interesting streets in Melbourne is Racecourse Road, Kensington [sic]. Ever been there? Isn't it incredible? African restaurants! I've discovered Racecourse Road, Kensington and I'm a big fan.

Schools
It has three kindergartens, three primary schools, a secondary college and a special needs school.

Parks and open space
It has twelve parks, reserves and ovals.

Demographics
Flemington is home to a diverse migrant population.

The 2001 census data shows that its largest immigrant groups originate from Vietnam, China, United Kingdom, Italy, New Zealand, Greece, Egypt, Philippines, India and Hong Kong. The 1990s and 2000s has also seen a Northeast African and Latin American community emerge in the area. Many immigrants continue to settle, particularly from Somalia and various other Horn of Africa nations.

Housing
Flemington has a mix of housing styles including detached single family homes, terrace houses and semi-detached homes, many dating to the Victorian and Edwardian eras. The area around Wellington Street and Farnham Street includes many walk-up privately owned flats built during the 1960s and 1970s.

Flemington also contains public housing estates. The largest public housing estate is the Holland Court Housing Commission of Victoria estate. This consists of four twenty storey towers and several three and four storey walk-up blocks of flats. This was constructed in the 1960s on flat land adjacent to the Moonee Ponds Creek on a site previously occupied by factories.

Small tracts of Housing Commission houses are dotted through other parts of Flemington.

Train
The main road arterial is Racecourse Road which is part of the Princes Highway. The CityLink tollway also runs along the suburb's boundary to the east.

The main railway station is Newmarket Station on the Craigieburn railway line. Macaulay and Flemington Bridge stations on the Upfield line also service the suburb.

The Flemington Racecourse branch line runs through the suburb. The line branches off from the Craigieburn line just past Newmarket Station. This branch line has two stations: Flemington Racecourse and Showgrounds. The line's trains do not stop at Newmarket Station and run only on event days.

Tram

 * Tram Route 57 travels from West Maribyrnong (Cordite Avenue) to City (Flinders Street / Elizabeth Street)
 * Tram Route 59 travels from Airport West to City (Flinders Street / Elizabeth Street)

Bus

 * 404 Footscray – Moonee Ponds&#32;via Flemington, Ascot Vale, Newmarket&#32;(Monday to Saturday). Operated by Sita Bus Lines.
 * 472 Moonee Ponds – Williamstown&#32;via Ascot Vale, Flemington Racecourse, Footscray, North Williamstown RS&#32;(every day). Operated by Sita Bus Lines.
 * 942 City – St Albans (occasionally Sunbury)&#32;via Footscray, Sunshine, Deer Park&#32;(Saturday and Sunday mornings). Operated by Dyson's Bus Services.