Noble Park, Victoria

Noble Park Melbourne, Victoria
File:Springvalestationsiemens.jpg Noble Park Station
Noble Park
Coordinates
Population	28,377 (2011 census)
• Density	2,288/km2 (5,927/sq mi)
Established	1909
Postcode(s)	3174
Area	12.4 km2 (4.8 sq mi)
Location	25 km (16 mi) from Melbourne 4 km (2 mi) from Dandenong
LGA(s)	City of Greater Dandenong
State electorate(s)	Dandenong Keysborough Mulgrave
Federal Division(s)	Bruce Hotham Isaacs
Suburbs around Noble Park: Springvale Noble Park North Dandenong North Springvale South Noble Park Dandenong Keysborough

Noble Park is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 25 km south-east of Melbourne's central business district. Its local government area is the City of Greater Dandenong. At the 2011 census, Noble Park had a population of 28,377.

Noble Park has a mixture of residential, commercial and industrial zones and is home to a highly multicultural population, with residents who have immigrated from Europe, Asia, the Americas, and Africa.

History

The history of Noble Park as a suburb in Melbourne began in 1909. Allan Buckley nicknamed the land subdivision Nobel Park after the Swedish inventor Alfred Nobel. Buckley had used the estate to demonstrate Nobel's explosives but the name was soon transformed to Noble Park by common usage. Early settlement was encouraged by building a community centre, church, school, postal centre and later, a railway station. The postal centre was opened in August 1910 and the railway station was completed in July 1912. In the early days, growth was relatively slow due to the lack of population growth in the area. In the early 1920s, the Railway Department set up a poultry farm and eventually a plant nursery was set up in the eastern part of the suburb. The focus of the small community was based around its local town hall. In the 1980s Noble Park became known for its infamous gangs that carried out violent crimes against the community as well as the scene of a major shoot out between members of the Victorian Police and Pavel Marinof, a burglar on the run. Residential growth in the second half of the century saw an end to the grazing paddocks and market gardens. By the 1990s, 56% of Noble Park’s population was born overseas, with the largest being from Great Britain and Ireland), followed by Bosnians, Italians and Greeks); and South and South East Asians (including Indians, Sri Lankans and Vietnamese), according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics. In recent years there has been an upsurge of migrants and refugees settled from North African countries, especially Sudan.

Today

In 2014, Noble Park had an estimated population of 29,000 residents. The suburb is characterised by similar social conditions to those across Greater Dandenong, including high levels of migrant settlement and cultural diversity, relatively low incomes, elevated rates of early school leaving, substantial crime rates and a high density of flats. The 2011 Census recorded that 60% of Noble Park residents were born overseas, the same as for Greater Dandenong and nearly twice the corresponding metropolitan percentage (33%). Among the 121 birthplaces of residents were India, accounting for 9% of residents, Vietnam (8%) as well as others such as Sri Lanka, Cambodia, China, Bosnia, Afghanistan and Sudan.

Rates of migrant settlement are correspondingly high, with 7% of residents having arrived in Australia within the previous 2.5 years – the same as for Greater Dandenong. Languages other than English are spoken by about three-fifths of residents (61%) – twice the metropolitan average. Reflecting this diversity of languages, 13% of Noble Park residents have limited fluency in the use of spoken English, much the same as for the municipality, and over three times the metropolitan level of 4%. Patterns of religious faith are similar to those seen across the municipality, with 18% of residents adhering to Buddhism, 4% following Hinduism, and 9% Islam.

Contemporary educational outcomes are marked by a high rate of early school leaving, with 13% of young adults (20–24 years) having left school before completing year 11 – equivalent to the municipal average, but higher than the metropolitan level, of 10% Median individual gross incomes, recorded in the Census, stood at 68% of the metropolitan median - similar to municipal levels, which are the lowest in metropolitan Melbourne.

Among the 10,200 homes in Noble Park, a third are flats - twice the proportion of metropolitan Melbourne. Sixty per cent of homes in the suburb are owned or being purchased by their occupants - less than the corresponding metropolitan level of 71%.

Recent years have witnessed substantial investment by local and state governments, including the Paddy O'Donoghue Community Complex which opened in 2006, the redevelopment of Noble Park Railway Station and the construction of the new Aquatic centre which is home to Melbourne's largest water slide. Public amenities include number of schools, as well as Churches, Temples and Mosques. The Noble Park shopping district houses boasts high quality bakeries, cafés and restaurants and convenience stores. Noble Park has an active Rotary Club and an active Rotaract Club

Being formerly market gardens, Noble Park has fertile soil and to this day still has a large number of River Red Gum trees.

Transport

Noble Park is serviced by two bus services (which is operated by Grenda's Bus Services; Route 811 and 815) and multiple train services (which are the Cranbourne/Pakenham railway lines) from Noble Park railway station. To use public transport in Noble Park requires a valid myki; Zone 2 fares apply.

However, technically, there are two stations in the Noble Park vicinity (Noble Park and Yarraman) and four bus routes that service the suburb.

Landmarks

• Home to Melbourne's largest water slide located at the Noble Park Swim Centre

Sport

The suburb has an Australian Rules football team, The Noble Park Bulls, competing in the Eastern Football League, and whose legalised gambling makes it one of the League's richest football clubs. It includes cricket and lawn bowls.

Noble Park is represented by Southern Stars FC. 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.

Noble Park is also home to the Parkfield Netball Club and Parkfield Cricket Club.

Notable residents

• John Farnham Australian singer and songwriter
• Jarrod Fox DJ J-RED World ITF DJ mixing champion 2005
• Darren Millane Australian rules football
• Stephen Milne Australian rules football
• Adam Ramanauskas Australian rules football player
• Glenn Archer Australian rules football
• James Gwilt Current Australian rules football
• Adam Treloar, Australian rules footballer

See also

• City of Springvale - the former local government area of which part of Noble Park was a part.
• City of Dandenong - the former local government area of which part of Noble Park was a part.