Broadmeadows is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia 16 km from the city centre. With a sprawling suburban population of over 102,996 its is often used as a reference for the suburbs around it, although as it used to be a municipality. However recently Broadmeadows has experienced significant development and has encountered a degree of gentrification since the rough times of the 1970s.
Facilities
In the center of Broadmeadows there is a Magistrate court, next to the 24 hour police station. Located behind this is a VicRoads office opposite the health centre for day procedures. Across the road is the Primary School, Lesuire centre with a 25 m pool, 3 basketball courts, Gym, Spa and Sauna, all are a stone's throw from with each other. Next to the leisure centre the Kangan Batman TAFE runs along side the Broadmeadows Shopping Centre which boasts most of the major retailers. The Library, Hall, Council Offices and Centerlink sit between the shopping center and the Broadmeadows railway station which services the Broadmeadows railway line. Also at the station there is a bus terminal which services the surrounding areas. Scattered around Broadmeadows are industrial areas, Office blocks, High schools and smaller shopping precincts. Most of which are west of the suburb
History
The landscape of Broadmeadows was flat bush land between the Merri Creek and Moonee Ponds Creek Creeks which in the 1840's was populated by pastoralists. In 1850 broadmeadows was along the Moonee Ponds Creek valley but that area was renamed Westmeadows. East of Westmeadows is today's Broadmeadows, although even then the early town centre was Campbellfield.
Then in 1872 the Broadmeadows railway line was built which extended the Essendon Line to Seymour. The station built along the line about 2 km. east of the village can be thought of as being the now center of Broadmeadows. The Upfield railway line was then built in 1889 which attracted the Broadmeadows urban sprawl and it brought with it the Broadmeadows shire and in 27 January, 1871 the local municipal council was declared part of the Broadmeadows shire. Although Broadmeadows its self was cut off by open grass lands.
Broadmeadows itself was subdivided from dairy farms, and other large holdings in the early 1900s. Then on the 1 October, 1915, the shire of Merriang was included in Broadmeadows increasing its size. Reticulated water came with the establisment of the Broadmeadows Military Camp which was developed 15 days after the beginning of World War 1 in 1914 and to the southern part of the shire in 1924 and 1925.
The southern area was subdivided in the 1880s and then later on in the 1920s along with Broadmeadows had its (railway) Station Estate and the lines electrification.
In the 1930s financial depression stunted Broadmeadows growth leaving it full of derelict, undeveloped subdivisions, 17,000 allotments all up.
During the 1950s - 1960s the development of the sprawl with Housing Commission houses put pressure on the local facilities for a period until the government caught up.
During the 1970s and 1980s Broadmeadows had a reputation for boisterous youth: the Broady Boys rode the trains and daubed graffiti proclaiming that they "rule, O.K." By the 1990s this had lessened and there was a catch-up of some of the facilities long denied.
The Broadmeadows municipality contained Campbellfield, Coolaroo, Dallas, Fawkner, Gladstone Park, Glenroy, Glenroy, Tullamarine, Upfield and Westmeadows. (Some of these contained smaller localities which are mentioned in their descriptions.) On 15th December, 1994, Broadmeadows city was united with most of Bulla shire and parts of Keilor and Whittlesea cities to form Hume City.
Famous Residents
- Former residents
- Eddie McGuire (the "Broadmeadows boy")
- John Ilhan (of "Crazy Johns")
External links
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