Wendouree West, Victoria

Wendouree West is a suburb of Ballarat, a city in the Australian state of Victoria. The current population is 3000.

History

Establishment

The suburb was established in the early 1950s as a Housing Commission of Victoria estate, although up to 64% of homes and land have been sold into private ownership since 1952. The suburb was originally planned in 1949 to relieve an acute post war housing shortage resulting from Ballarat's post war baby boom and rapid intake of post war immigrants. The estate originally consisted of 750 prefabricated timber and concrete single story cottages that were primarily built between 1952 and 1962.

Early plans envisaged an estate that was to be an urban planning model, however development and infrastructure was considerably slower with many homes not being serviced with sewerage and sealed roads until the late 1950s. During the 1950s an aggressive and active community development committee was established, and elements of this committee still remain today promoting the ongoing development of the community and the estate. During the 1970s a further 500 more substantial brick veneer houses were built and sold privately to many of the early residents and settlers. In the mid 1950s a small shopping centre, public play grounds, a kinder garden and other amenities were established. By the late 1970s the population of the suburb peaked at approximately 5,000.

Redevelopment

The suburb is presently undergoing a significant redevelopment program with the removal of many of the early prefabricated cottages and the construction of retirement units and modern private and government sector housing. Some 300 of the original houses are to be retained and many have already undergone extensive renovation and modernisation in order to keep the social and historical character of the area intact. The Primary school was demolished in early 2007 and construction has commenced on a new civic hub that will consist of a new primary school (Amalgamating both the original primary school and Yuille Park Primary School), public meeting centre and adult training facilities as well as an upgrade of the original shopping centre.

ervices

Wendouree West is situated adjacent to a large indoor shopping mall complex known as 'Stockland Wendouree', which was established in 1978 as 'Wendouree Village' and a number of large homemaker and DIY complexes. The suburb is well serviced with regular public transport bus services that transit the suburb every 30 minutes and transit to Ballarat City via Wendouree and the Ballarat Base Hospital.

Demographics

During the 1950s to late 1970s the suburb consisted of numerous large families and a high population of children. The 2006 census indicates that the population mix has changed significantly and declined reflecting a higher concentration of residents over 50 years of age today.

port

The local soccer team, 'The Wendouree Wanderers' in the 1970s wore gold and black. The Wendouree West Australian Rules Football Club again wore a gold sash over a black guernsey similar to the Richmond Football Club of the Australian Football League today. It wasn't uncommon in the 1970s for many local children to predominately support Richmond as their preferred AFL team.

Wendouree West Primary School

An eight classroom primary school (Numbered '4071' on the Victorian State Schools Register) was opened in 1957. The school was later expanded with the addition of four classrooms during the early 1960s. In 1972 the Primary School was awarded for having the best maintained school ground in the State of Victoria with extensive plantings of flower beds and native trees. In 1975 a library, art room and multi-function hall complex was built at the expense of the removal of many of the best native flower and rose beds. In 1977 the primary school population peaked at 437 children (aged 5 to 12). This number decreased significantly with the establishment of the temporary Yuille Park Primary school to the north in 1981. The school motto is "We are the Best" (First used in 1976).

References