Altona, Victoria
Encyclopedia
Altona is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
, 13 km south-west from Melbourne's central business district
. Its Local Government Area is the City of Hobsons Bay
. At the 2006 Census, Altona had a population of 9685.
Altona is a large suburb consisting of low density residential in the south-eastern half, with mixed industry in the north-western half. A key feature is Altona Beach on Port Phillip
, which is one of only two swimming beaches in the western suburbs (the other being Williamstown Beach).
Altona takes its name from the then independent German city of Altona
which is today a borough of Hamburg
.
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. The name 'Altona' first appeared on maps in 1861. It was named by a German man named Taegtow, who hailed from Altona
in Hamburg. Taegtow believed that coal was to be found in the area, and in 1881 he formed the Williamstown (Taegtow) Prospecting Company. 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.
On 20 February 1911 J J Hammond flew the first cross country flight between towns in Australia from Altona Bay to Geelong in Victoria , and on 23 February, also at Altona Bay in Victoria, he undertook the first powered passenger flight in Australia.
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
.
By 1918 the population was sufficient to justify a Post Office which opened on 14 January 1918.
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 smaller number from the Middle East
.
From 1862 Altona was a town in the Shire of Werribee, but in 1957, the Altona Riding of the Shire, which included Altona itself as well as Altona North
and Altona Meadows
, was incorporated, and became the City of Altona
in 1968. This was merged into the City of Hobsons Bay
in 1994 under local government amalgamations undertaken by the Kennett government
.
On 24 June 2010, Altona became home to Australia's Prime Minister. Julia Gillard
, an Altona resident, who was voted by the governing Australian Labor Party as its leader, making her Australia's 27th Prime Minister. Gillard said that she would not move into The Lodge until she was elected to the role of Prime Minister by the Australian people.
Altona has many significant parks and gardens, including some important environmental conservation areas and wetlands along the shores of Port Phillip which are also used by visitors and residents recreationally including a long promenade along the bay.
Altona has a library
branch, which contains the Environmental Resources Centre. This centre provides the community access to media concerning the environmental initiatives of Hobsons Bay, including Industry Environment Improvement Plans from local industry.
The Altona Bayside Festival is held annually to promote and celebrate Hobsons Bay and the western suburbs. It involves various activities during a weekend, including a street parade on Sunday 15 March 2009, arts and home craft exhibition, competitions, professional entertainers and fireworks
. The 30th anniversary was held in 2007. The festival was previously known as Operation Recreation and some residents still refer to it by this name. It enjoyed a brief period of heightened prominence in 2002 when it was featured on the Channel 9
travel program Postcards
in a segment hosted by Geoff Cox
. The street parade is regularly interrupted by suburban passenger trains as they pass through nearby Altona station
. Scouts Australia is a major feature of the parade and community activities at Cherry Lake Reserve - (Mel Ref 54 G9)
The Altona City Theatre
is a production company based in the Altona Civic Theatre, producing two major musical
s and a smaller pantomime
annually. The pantomime coincides with the Bayside Festival and was originally intended as an outlet for young directors.
Scouts Australia
has two groups in Altona. The 1st Altona Scout Group runs from the Scout Hall. The 4th Altona Scout Group are located at the Pines, an old camp owned by the City of Hobsons Bay.
, soccer
, hockey, basketball, cricket and lacrosse
. Melbourne Ballpark
is a baseball complex in the west of Altona.
Altona is represented by many teams but most popular is Altona Magic
. The team currently competes in the Victorian State League Division 1
which is the third tier
in Australia behind the A-League
and the Victorian Premier League
.
Another popular team is Altona City. This side plays in Victorian State League Division 2 N/W.
The suburb has an Australian Rules football team competing in the Western Region Football League
.
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 for the title.
Golfers play at the course of the Kooringal Golf Club on Wilga Avenue.
Additionally, the area of the beach directly west of Altona Pier is one of Melbourne's most popular spots for kitesurfing
.
Melbourne bus routes 411, 412, 415, and 903 also services the area.
The Hobsons Bay Coastal Trail
is a shared path for cyclists and pedestrians, which follows the coast through Altona. This is linked to a path which loops around Cherry Lake. Most major roads have onroad cycleways.
, 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.
Just outside of Altona is the Toyota Australia Altona Plant
. It is at this plant that Camrys and Aurions are built, with 80% of the cars produced at this plant being for the world market.
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, 13 km south-west from Melbourne's central business district
Central business district
A central business district is the commercial and often geographic heart of a city. In North America this part of a city is commonly referred to as "downtown" or "city center"...
. Its Local Government Area is the City of Hobsons Bay
City of Hobsons Bay
The City of Hobsons Bay is a Local Government Area in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. It comprises the south-western suburbs between 6 and 20 km from the Melbourne city centre....
. At the 2006 Census, Altona had a population of 9685.
Altona is a large suburb consisting of low density residential in the south-eastern half, with mixed industry in the north-western half. A key feature is Altona Beach on Port Phillip
Port Phillip
Port Phillip Port Phillip Port Phillip (also commonly referred to as Port Phillip Bay or (locally) just The Bay, is a large bay in southern Victoria, Australia; it is the location of Melbourne. Geographically, the bay covers and the shore stretches roughly . Although it is extremely shallow for...
, which is one of only two swimming beaches in the western suburbs (the other being Williamstown Beach).
Altona takes its name from the then independent German city of Altona
Altona, Hamburg
Altona is the westernmost urban borough of the German city state of Hamburg, on the right bank of the Elbe river. From 1640 to 1864 Altona was under the administration of the Danish monarchy. Altona was an independent city until 1937...
which is today a borough of Hamburg
Hamburg
-History:The first historic name for the city was, according to Claudius Ptolemy's reports, Treva.But the city takes its modern name, Hamburg, from the first permanent building on the site, a castle whose construction was ordered by the Emperor Charlemagne in AD 808...
.
History
Indigenous Australians
Indigenous Australians are the original inhabitants of the Australian continent and nearby islands. The Aboriginal Indigenous Australians migrated from the Indian continent around 75,000 to 100,000 years ago....
, of the Woiwurrung
Woiwurrung
Woiwurrung 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,...
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. The name 'Altona' first appeared on maps in 1861. It was named by a German man named Taegtow, who hailed from Altona
Altona, Hamburg
Altona is the westernmost urban borough of the German city state of Hamburg, on the right bank of the Elbe river. From 1640 to 1864 Altona was under the administration of the Danish monarchy. Altona was an independent city until 1937...
in Hamburg. Taegtow believed that coal was to be found in the area, and in 1881 he formed the Williamstown (Taegtow) Prospecting Company. 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.
On 20 February 1911 J J Hammond flew the first cross country flight between towns in Australia from Altona Bay to Geelong in Victoria , and on 23 February, also at Altona Bay in Victoria, he undertook the first powered passenger flight in Australia.
Coal mining
Coal mining
The goal of coal mining is to obtain coal from the ground. Coal is valued for its energy content, and since the 1880s has been widely used to generate electricity. Steel and cement industries use coal as a fuel for extraction of iron from iron ore and for cement production. In the United States,...
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
Latrobe Valley
The Latrobe Valley is an inland geographical region and urban area of Gippsland in the state of Victoria, Australia. It is east of the City Of Melbourne and nestled between the Strzelecki Ranges to the south and the Great Dividing Range to the north – with the highest peak to the north of the...
.
By 1918 the population was sufficient to justify a Post Office which opened on 14 January 1918.
Similar to the rest of Melbourne, following the Second World War Altona embraced a large influx of immigrants, primarily from the Mediterranean, Central Europe
Central Europe
Central Europe or alternatively Middle Europe is a region of the European continent lying between the variously defined areas of Eastern and Western Europe...
and a smaller number from the Middle East
Middle East
The Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...
.
From 1862 Altona was a town in the Shire of Werribee, but in 1957, the Altona Riding of the Shire, which included Altona itself as well as Altona North
Altona North, Victoria
Altona North is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 10 km south-west from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Hobsons Bay...
and Altona Meadows
Altona Meadows, Victoria
Altona Meadows is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 17 km south-west from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Hobsons Bay. At the 2006 Census, Altona Meadows had a population of 18,748....
, was incorporated, and became the City of Altona
City of Altona
The City of Altona was a Local Government Area located about west of Melbourne, the state capital of Victoria, Australia. The city covered an area of , and existed from 1957 until 1994.-History:...
in 1968. This was merged into the City of Hobsons Bay
City of Hobsons Bay
The City of Hobsons Bay is a Local Government Area in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. It comprises the south-western suburbs between 6 and 20 km from the Melbourne city centre....
in 1994 under local government amalgamations undertaken by the Kennett government
Jeff Kennett
Jeffrey Gibb Kennett AC , a former Australian politician, was the Premier of Victoria between 1992 and 1999. He is currently the President of Hawthorn Football Club. He is the founding Chairman of beyondblue, a national depression initiative.- Early life :Kennett was born in Melbourne on 2 March...
.
On 24 June 2010, Altona became home to Australia's Prime Minister. Julia Gillard
Julia Gillard
Julia Eileen Gillard is the 27th and current Prime Minister of Australia, in office since June 2010.Gillard was born in Barry, Vale of Glamorgan, Wales and migrated with her family to Adelaide, Australia in 1966, attending Mitcham Demonstration School and Unley High School. In 1982 Gillard moved...
, an Altona resident, who was voted by the governing Australian Labor Party as its leader, making her Australia's 27th Prime Minister. Gillard said that she would not move into The Lodge until she was elected to the role of Prime Minister by the Australian people.
Parks and gardens
- Kororoit CreekKororoit CreekKororoit Creek is a major waterway of over 80 km in length in the north-west and western parts of Melbourne. Its headwaters are north of Sunbury at 400m above sea level in ordovician geology...
- Cherry LakeCherry Lake (Victoria)Cherry Lake is part of historical coastal wetlands in Altona, a suburb of Melbourne, Australia. The wetlands were converted to a lake with construction of retaining walls, levees, and flow channels...
- Altona Coastal ParkAltona Coastal ParkAltona Coastal Park, a 70 hectares intertidal and salt marsh area located 11 km from Melbourne CBD in the western suburb of Altona, is an important recreational and nature conservation area, providing habitats for a large biodiversity of flora and fauna...
- Truganina Coastal ParklandsTruganina Coastal ParklandsThe Truganina Coastal Parklands are located 15 km west of Melbourne CBD, on the shores of Port Phillip Bay, stretching from Altona to Altona Meadows and adjacent to the Cheetham Wetlands and the Point Cook Coastal Park...
Education
Altona has three primary schools consisting of Altona Primary School, Altona College, and St. Marys Catholic Primary School. The secondary schools include Mount St. Joseph Girls' College and Altona College (Altona Secondary College changed their name in 2007).Altona has a library
Library
In a traditional sense, a library is a large collection of books, and can refer to the place in which the collection is housed. Today, the term can refer to any collection, including digital sources, resources, and services...
branch, which contains the Environmental Resources Centre. This centre provides the community access to media concerning the environmental initiatives of Hobsons Bay, including Industry Environment Improvement Plans from local industry.
Culture
Fireworks
Fireworks are a class of explosive pyrotechnic devices used for aesthetic and entertainment purposes. The most common use of a firework is as part of a fireworks display. A fireworks event is a display of the effects produced by firework devices...
. The 30th anniversary was held in 2007. The festival was previously known as Operation Recreation and some residents still refer to it by this name. It enjoyed a brief period of heightened prominence in 2002 when it was featured on the Channel 9
GTV-9
GTV is a commercial television station in Melbourne, Australia owned by the Nine Network. The station is currently based at a new high-tech, purpose-built studios at 717 Bourke Street, Docklands.-History:...
travel program Postcards
Postcards (TV series)
Postcards Australia and Postcards are Australian holiday and travel television series. The shows are produced by WIN Television and Channel 9 Adelaide...
in a segment hosted by Geoff Cox
Geoff Cox
Geoff Cox is an Australian musician and media personality. He is often referred to as Coxy.He is most notable for having played drums with the Little River Band. More recently he became a light entertainment presenter on the Seven Network. Currently he hosts Coxy's Big Break.Cox has been an...
. The street parade is regularly interrupted by suburban passenger trains as they pass through nearby Altona station
Altona railway station, Melbourne
Altona is a railway station in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, located in the suburb of Altona, on the Werribee railway line. Altona is unmanned and is in Metcard Zones 1+2 overlap.-Facilities:...
. Scouts Australia is a major feature of the parade and community activities at Cherry Lake Reserve - (Mel Ref 54 G9)
The Altona City Theatre
Altona City Theatre
Altona City Theatre, or ACT, is a community based production company residing at the Altona Theatre in Altona, Victoria, Australia.The company is over 30 years old and has been at its home in the Altona Theatre for over half that time....
is a production company based in the Altona Civic Theatre, producing two major musical
Musical theatre
Musical theatre is a form of theatre combining songs, spoken dialogue, acting, and dance. The emotional content of the piece – humor, pathos, love, anger – as well as the story itself, is communicated through the words, music, movement and technical aspects of the entertainment as an...
s and a smaller pantomime
Pantomime
Pantomime — not to be confused with a mime artist, a theatrical performer of mime—is a musical-comedy theatrical production traditionally found in the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Jamaica, South Africa, India, Ireland, Gibraltar and Malta, and is mostly performed during the...
annually. The pantomime coincides with the Bayside Festival and was originally intended as an outlet for young directors.
Scouts Australia
Scouts Australia
Scouts Australia is an organisation for children and young adults from 6 to 26 years of age. Scouts Australia is part of the global Scouting movement and has been a national member of the World Organization of the Scout Movement since 1953...
has two groups in Altona. The 1st Altona Scout Group runs from the Scout Hall. The 4th Altona Scout Group are located at the Pines, an old camp owned by the City of Hobsons Bay.
Sport
Altona is home to many sporting clubs including Australian rules footballAustralian rules football
Australian rules football, officially known as Australian football, also called football, Aussie rules or footy is a sport played between two teams of 22 players on either...
, soccer
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
, hockey, basketball, cricket and lacrosse
Lacrosse
Lacrosse is a team sport of Native American origin played using a small rubber ball and a long-handled stick called a crosse or lacrosse stick, mainly played in the United States and Canada. It is a contact sport which requires padding. The head of the lacrosse stick is strung with loose mesh...
. Melbourne Ballpark
Melbourne Ballpark
The Melbourne Ballpark is home to baseball and softball in Victoria, Australia. It was built in 1990, with a seating capacity of about 5000, although in recent years seats along the base lines have been removed and replaced with standing room area leaving the only seating in the main grandstand.The...
is a baseball complex in the west of Altona.
Altona is represented by many teams but most popular is Altona Magic
Altona Magic
Altona Magic Soccer Club is a football team based in Altona North, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. They currently play in the Victorian State League Division 1.-History:...
. The team currently competes in the Victorian State League Division 1
Victorian State League Division 1
The Victorian State League Division 1 is the second tier association football competition in Victoria, Australia, and the third nationally, including the A-League...
which is the third tier
Australian football (soccer) league system
The Australian league system for football is a series of leagues for club soccer in Australia . The league system in Australia since 1977 has involved a one divisional league controlled by the national body and many leagues run within each state below...
in Australia behind the A-League
A-League
The A-League is the top Australasian professional football league. Run by Australian governing body Football Federation Australia , it was founded in 2004 following the folding of the National Soccer League and staged its inaugural season in 2005–06. It is sponsored by Hyundai Motor Company...
and the Victorian Premier League
Victorian Premier League
The Victorian Premier League is the highest State level association football competition in Victoria, Australia, and second highest nationally after the A-League...
.
Another popular team is Altona City. This side plays in Victorian State League Division 2 N/W.
The suburb has an Australian Rules football team competing in the Western Region Football League
Western Region Football League
The Western Region Football League is an Australian rules football semi-professional league, based in the western suburbs of Melbourne, for both seniors and juniors.-History:The league was formed in 1931, as the Footscray District Football League...
.
Altona Roosters are the local Victorian Rugby League
Victorian Rugby League
The Victorian Rugby League is responsible for administering the game of rugby league in the Australian state of Victoria. Victoria is an Affiliated State of the overall Australian governing body the Australian Rugby League...
team, whose home ground is Loft Reserve in neighbouring Newport
Newport, Victoria
Newport is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 7 km south-west from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Hobsons Bay. At the 2006 Census, Newport had a population of 11,244.-History:...
. The Roosters are the current premiers, defeating the Casey Sharks for the title.
Golfers play at the course of the Kooringal Golf Club on Wilga Avenue.
Additionally, the area of the beach directly west of Altona Pier is one of Melbourne's most popular spots for kitesurfing
Kitesurfing
Kitesurfing or Kiteboarding is an adventure surface water sport that has been described as combining wakeboarding, windsurfing, surfing, paragliding, and gymnastics into one extreme sport. Kitesurfing harnesses the power of the wind to propel a rider across the water on a small surfboard or a...
.
Transport
The three train stations in Altona are Altona, Westona and Seaholme, each of which is on the Werribee railway line.Melbourne bus routes 411, 412, 415, and 903 also services the area.
The Hobsons Bay Coastal Trail
Hobsons Bay Coastal Trail
The Hobsons Bay Coastal Trail is a shared use path for cyclists and pedestrians, which follows the coast line of Hobsons Bay in the inner western suburbs in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. The trail forms part of the western half of the Bayside Trail which encircles Port Phillip...
is a shared path for cyclists and pedestrians, which follows the coast through Altona. This is linked to a path which loops around Cherry Lake. Most major roads have onroad cycleways.
Industry
Local industry includes petrochemical storagePetrochemical
Petrochemicals are chemical products derived from petroleum. Some chemical compounds made from petroleum are also obtained from other fossil fuels, such as coal or natural gas, or renewable sources such as corn or sugar cane....
, manufacturing
Manufacturing in Australia
Although primary production is the main industry in Australia, manufacturing in Australia is still a significant industry.-History:The contribution of manufacturing to Australia's gross domestic product peaked in the 1960s at 25%, and had dropped to 13% by 2001–2 and 10.5% by 2005–6.In 2004–05, the...
and distribution
Distribution (business)
Product distribution is one of the four elements of the marketing mix. An organization or set of organizations involved in the process of making a product or service available for use or consumption by a consumer or business user.The other three parts of the marketing mix are product, pricing,...
. This was a major environmental concern to residents in the 1970s
1970s
File:1970s decade montage.png|From left, clockwise: US President Richard Nixon doing the V for Victory sign after his resignation from office after the Watergate scandal in 1974; Refugees aboard a US naval boat after the Fall of Saigon, leading to the end of the Vietnam War in 1975; The 1973 oil...
and 1980s
1980s
File:1980s decade montage.png|thumb|400px|From left, clockwise: The first Space Shuttle, Columbia, lifted off in 1981; American President Ronald Reagan and Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev eased tensions between the two superpowers, leading to the end of the Cold War; The Fall of the Berlin Wall in...
, 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.
Just outside of Altona is the Toyota Australia Altona Plant
Toyota Australia Altona Plant
Toyota Motor Australia has a manufacturing plant in Altona in Melbourne, its only such plant in Australia. The plant mainly produces Camrys and Aurions for sale locally in Australasia and for export to East and Southeast Asia and the Middle East. In December 2009, full-scale production of the new...
. It is at this plant that Camrys and Aurions are built, with 80% of the cars produced at this plant being for the world market.