Rockbank, Victoria
| Rockbank Melbourne, Victoria | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Rockbank Community Hall | |||||||||||||||
  Rockbank Location in metropolitan Melbourne | |||||||||||||||
 | |||||||||||||||
| Coordinates | 37°44′S 144°40′E / 37.733°S 144.667°E | ||||||||||||||
| Population | 2,583 (2021 census)[1] | ||||||||||||||
| Postcode(s) | 3335 | ||||||||||||||
| Elevation | 116 m (381 ft) | ||||||||||||||
| Location | |||||||||||||||
| LGA(s) | City of Melton | ||||||||||||||
| State electorate(s) | Kororoit | ||||||||||||||
| Federal division(s) | Gorton | ||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||
Rockbank is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 28 km (17 mi) west of the Melbourne central business district, located within the City of Melton local government area. Rockbank recorded a population of 2,583 at the 2021 census.[1]
The land contains many large volcanic rocks making it poor for cultivating crops. The rocks have been used to build walls between paddocks – characteristic of the area west of Melbourne. Mount Cottrell is the highest land point in the vicinity.
The rich, red volcanic soil in the area has helped build the reputation of local wineries. Rockbank is also the host to Victoria's annual Olive Festival.
History
[edit]Rockbank Post Office opened on 1 January 1862 and closed on 1 July 1996.[2]
The earlier agricultural activities date back to the pastoral exploits of William Cross Yuille on the plains.[3] He founded the pastoral estate of Rockbank, which soon became the largest estate in the Melton district.[4] The former Rockbank pastoral station is now known as the Deanside Woolshed.[5][6]
Following a proposal for eleven new suburbs by the City of Melton, the northern portion of Rockbank became the suburb of Aintree in 2017.[7][8]
Geography
[edit]Location
[edit]Rockbank borders the Western Freeway to the north and Greigs Road to the south. The area lies east of the satellite city of Melton and the suburbs of Thornhill Park and Cobblebank, and west of the suburbs of Caroline Springs and Deanside, as well as the development area of Mount Atkinson.
Land features
[edit]The Kororoit Creek runs through Rockbank.
Services
[edit]Education
[edit]Rockbank has a K-6 school named Rockbank Primary School.[9] There is also a kindergarten.[10]
Transportation
[edit]Rockbank railway station is on the Ararat line. It was upgraded in August 2019 as part of the Regional Rail Revival project.[11]
Rockbank is also serviced by two bus routes and one Night Network bus route:
- 444 from Rockbank station to Aintree
- 456 from Sunshine station to Melton via Rockbank
- 943 from Watergardens station to Melton via Rockbank (Night Bus)
Sport
[edit]The town has an Australian rules football and netball team, the Western Rams, competing in Division Two of the Western Football Netball League. They play at the Ian Cowie Recreation Reserve.[12]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ a b Australian Bureau of Statistics (28 June 2022). "Rockbank (Suburbs and Localities)". 2021 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 23 July 2022.
- ^ Phoenix Auctions History. "Post Office List". Retrieved 2 April 2021.
- ^ Mennell, Philip (1892). . The Dictionary of Australasian Biography. London: Hutchinson & Co – via Wikisource.
- ^ School of Historical Studies, Department of History. "Rockbank - Place - eMelbourne - The Encyclopedia of Melbourne Online". www.emelbourne.net.au. Retrieved 6 February 2025.
- ^ "Rockbank | Victorian Places". www.victorianplaces.com.au. Retrieved 6 February 2025.
- ^ "HO4 - Deanside Woolshed Complex (former Rockbank pastoral station)". vhd.heritagecouncil.vic.gov.au. Retrieved 6 February 2025.
- ^ "New suburbs". Archived from the original on 17 June 2018. Retrieved 6 February 2025.
- ^ "Eleven new suburbs to be established in the Melton growth area, west of Melbourne's CBD - realestate.com.au". www.realestate.com.au. Retrieved 6 February 2025.
- ^ "Rockbank Primary School – Rockbank Primary School". Retrieved 19 May 2019.
- ^ "Rockbank Kindergarten". Sparkways. Retrieved 6 February 2025.
- ^ "Rockbank Station". Victoria’s Big Build. 27 July 2021. Retrieved 6 February 2025.
- ^ "Home - Western Rams Football Sporting Club". Western Rams Football Sporting Club. Archived from the original on 26 July 2024. Retrieved 6 February 2025.
 | This article about a place in Melbourne is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |