Population 7,857 (2011) Area 3 km² | Postcode(s) 3126 Postal code 3126 | |
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State electorate(s) Box HillBurwoodHawthornKew | ||
Canterbury is a suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 10km east of Melbourne's Central Business District. Its local government area is the City of Boroondara. At the 2011 Census, Canterbury had a population of 7,857.
Contents
- Map of Canterbury VIC 3126 Australia
- Geography
- History
- Culture
- Notable residents
- Sport
- Schools
- Places of Worship
- References
Map of Canterbury VIC 3126, Australia
Famed for its leafy green boulevards and substantial, opulent historic residences, Canterbury is among Melbourne's most expensive and exclusive suburbs.
Geography
Canterbury extends as far as Mont Albert Road in the north, Burke Road in the west, Chatham and Highfield Roads in the east and Riversdale Road to the south. The main thoroughfare through Canterbury is Canterbury Road, which runs east-west and roughly bisects the suburb.
Canterbury is the home to many of Victoria's oldest and most prestigious private schools, including Camberwell Grammar School, Camberwell Girls Grammar School and Strathcona Baptist Girls Grammar School. Other schools include Camberwell High School, Canterbury Girls' Secondary College and Canterbury Primary School. Canterbury contains various parks and gardens and is home to the Camberwell Hockey Club in Matlock Street. The Canterbury Sports Ground, home of cricket and Australian football, is in Chatham Road.
The main shopping area in Canterbury is around the railway station and includes shops in Canterbury Road, as well as Maling Road. Larger shopping centres nearby include Burke Road in Camberwell and Whitehorse Road in Balwyn.
Canterbury is serviced by the Canterbury and East Camberwell stations, on the Lilydale and Belgrave train lines. It is also serviced by tram routes 72 and 109.
History
The railway station is in many ways responsible for the suburb's existence: before the opening of the railway to the City in 1882, the area was a semi-rural area. Even then, it was occupied by the well to do. Many of these early residents and in some cases, their properties, are remembered in the street names of the suburb, notably Logan Street and Monomeath Avenue.
Canterbury Post Office opened on 22 November 1870 (it was closed between 1887 and 1892).
The first subdivision in the area came in 1885, when Michael Logan created the 'Claremont Park Estate' within the area of Canterbury Road, Bryson Street, Prospect Hill Road and Logan Street.
At around this time, Edward Snowden settled on 7 hectares in the area centred on a manor he named Monomeath. In 1900 Snowden's estate was subdivided and sold off to form what is now Monomeath Avenue and residents such as notable architect Percey Kernot and prominent citizen George Coghill moved in. The road was paved in 1911 and lined with oak trees. Over time it has gained much cachet in Australian society, famed for its wealthy and sometimes eccentric residents.
Culture
Canterbury is regarded as one of Melbourne's most exclusive suburbs, particularly the "Golden Mile" - a term referring to a part of Mont Albert Road, running west from Balwyn Road and the avenues that connect it to Canterbury Road, including Monomeath Avenue, which is lined by large, century old oak trees and grand ornate mansions and is home to many notable politicians and leaders of business and industry.
Other blue-chip locales along this stretch include Alexandra Avenue, Hopetoun Avenue, Victoria Avenue and The Ridge. It consistently ranks in the top three suburbs for average house prices in Melbourne.
Notable residents
Past and present residents of Monomeath Avenue include or have included:
Sport
The suburb has an Australian rules football team, competing in the Yarra Junior Football League.
Schools
Canterbury has a number of primary and secondary schools in its vicinity. These include Canterbury Primary School, Camberwell High School, Strathcona Baptist Girls' Grammar School, and Canterbury Girls' School.