Belmont, Victoria

Infobox Australian Place | type = suburb
name = Belmont
city = Geelong
state = vic

---

caption = High Street, Belmont
lga = City of Greater Geelong
postcode = 3216
pop = 13,646 (2006 census)Census 2006 AUS | id = SSC22016 | name = Belmont (State Suburb) - Vic | quick = on | accessdate=2008-02-28]
area = 9.2
propval = [http://www.domain.com.au/Public/SuburbReport.aspx?searchTerm=3216 $260,000] (2006)
stategov = South Barwon
fedgov = Corangamite
near-nw = Fyansford
near-n = Geelong South
near-ne = Geelong East
near-w = Highton
near-e = Breakwater
near-sw = Waurn Ponds
near-s = Grovedale
near-se = Marshall
dist1 = 4
location1= Geelong

Belmont is a southern suburb of Geelong, Victoria, Australia. The name means "beautiful hill". [ [http://web.archive.org/web/20041013063908/www.arts.monash.edu.au/ncas/multimedia/gazetteer/list/belmont.html Australian Places - Belmont] ] Belmont is geographically separated from the Geelong central business district by the Barwon River. The suburb is primarily residential, with some light industry along Barwon Heads Road. The suburb is part of the City of Greater Geelong local government area.

History

1800s

The area was settled by Geelong mayor Dr. Alexander Thomson in 1836 his pastoral run and subsequent purchases of crown land were managed from the homestead Kardinia. Early settlement was hampered by the lack of a secure bridge. By the mid to late 1850s a township had developed with general store and a number of pubs. The Post Office opened on 21 January 1860. Citation
last = Premier Postal History | title = Post Office List | url = https://www.premierpostal.com/cgi-bin/wsProd.sh/Viewpocdwrapper.p?SortBy=VIC&country= | accessdate = 2008-04-11 ]

Many of the streets in the area are named after early properties; for instance Roslyn Road was originally a track which led to the homestead Roslyn in the suburb of Wandana. A few significant older buildings remain, such as Royd Grange which was built by Godfrey Hirst in 1897. [ [http://www.adb.online.anu.edu.au/biogs/A090316b.htm Australian Dictionary of Biography: Hirst, Godfrey (1857 - 1917)] ]

In 1850 Dr Alexander Thomson offered for sale 93 allotments as the township of Belmont between Mount Pleasant and Roslyn Roads. Further land sales occurred in 1886, 25 acres of Crown land was offered for sale in 25 allotments. The economic depression of the 1890s adversely affected land sales. [http://www.geelongcity.vic.gov.au/library/pdf/5276/11.pdf Belmont Heritage Areas Report - Volume 1 August 2007 (PDF-3133KB)] ]

1900s

In 1909 a substantial proportion of the area, bound by Thomson, Regent and Scott Streets, and Roslyn Road, was acquired by the Geelong Grammar School. On 21 October 1910, Chairman of the school, W.T. Manifold turned the first sod that was expected to be the new era of the school. These plans had faded by August 1911, when adjoining rural land was offered for sale as the Belmont Hill Estate. The Grammar School council indicated that an adjacent suburban subdivision would work against their plans for a boarding school, not one catering for day boys. The school made the decision to buy land on the opposite side of Geelong at Corio, with the land at Belmont, sold for further residential subdivision.

The immediate years after the First World War in the early 1920s witnessed the transformation of the rural farmland in Belmont into a residential area. On 6 December 1913, 86 residential sites were auctioned, forming the Belmont Heights Estate. The streets of this new estate were named after well-known Polar explorers: Scott, Shackleton, Peary and Amundsen. Further subdivision occurred in the 1920s, stimulated by the construction of a new bridge over the Barwon River in 1926, and the extension of the Geelong tramway system in 1927. Construction of houses started during the interwar and early postwar years, most built as affordable homes for textile workers, drivers, labourers, clerks, secretaries, teachers and builders.

Major housing development of Belmont commenced in the years following World War 2, with housing developments spreading from the original township on the hill, westwards towards Highton. Later development in the 1970s saw subdivision to the south towards Grovedale.

The CSIRO established laboratories in Belmont in 1948 [ [http://www.austehc.unimelb.edu.au/asaw/biogs/A000616b.htm Australian Science at Work: CSIRO Division of Textile Industry] ] to perform research to support the wool industry, it has since become one of the leading textile research centres in the world.

Aviation

The Belmont Common was a site of early aviation in the Geelong area. The first person to fly from the Common was Hans Anderson, a garage owner who flown his home made biplane until he crashed the plane at Lovely Banks.cite book
last = Begg
first = Peter
title = Geelong - The First 150 Years
publisher = Globe Press
date = 1990
isbn = 0-9592863-5-7 ]

He was followed by Charles and Percy Pratt. [http://www.visitgeelong.org/parksgardens/belmontcommon.asp Geelong Parks and Gardens - Belmont Common] ] Pilots involved in World War I, the erected a large hangar and workshops, from which they taught gliding and flying, overhauled airplanes and motors, and practised aerial photography.Roy H Holden: "Notes on Belmont" (at Geelong Heritage Centre)]

In 1928, 10,000 Geelong residents turned up at the aerodrome to welcome famous Australian aviator Bert Hinkler who had just completed a 16-day England-Australia flight. Percy Pratt started the Geelong Gliding Club in 1929 which still exists at Bacchus Marsh. [ [http://www.gfa.org.au/museum/downloads/TheFlyerFrontPage.pdf Australian Gliding Museum] ] On August 4, 1937 Percy Pratt took off from the Common and completed the longest towed glider flight in Australia up to that time.cite book
last = Begg
first = Peter
title = Geelong - The First 150 Years
publisher = Globe Press
date = 1990
isbn = 0-9592863-5-7 ]

Avro Anson bombers used by Bass Island Airways on the run to King Island were housed and serviced at the Belmont Common, one being destroyed by floods in 1952. [ [http://www.adf-serials.com/2a4.shtml ADF Serial - RAAF A4 Avro Anderson] ] By the early 1950s the aerodrome on the Common had closed.

Railway

A narrow gauge tourist railway operated on the Belmont Common from 1969 to 1976. Operated by the Australian Railway Historical Society's Geelong division under the Geelong Steam Preservation Society name, the railway started with convert|100|ft|m of track and two steam locomotives donated by the Australian Portland Cement company, once used on their private industrial railway at Fyansford. [ [http://www.australiansteam.com/vicprivate.htm Victorian Preserved Steam Locomotives] ]

Further rolling stock was acquired throughout the 1970s, with plans drawn up for track extension though the Common, and all the way along the Barwon River to Buckleys Falls. However the mid 1970s regular flooding had dampened enthusiasm, and the construction of the Princes Highway bypass of Belmont would cut the current railway line in half. At the same time, the closure of the Victorian Railway's Queenscliff line presented an opportunity for the society, which relocated to Queenscliff in 1976, where it now operates at the Bellarine Peninsula Railway. [Paul and Kathleen Kenny (2004) "Trains, Troops and Tourists"]

Geography

Belmont is bounded by the Barwon River to the north and east, Waurn Ponds Creek to the south, and the former Kardinia Creek to the west, which was placed underground in the 1960s. Low lying lands follow the banks of the Barwon River. Further parklands follow the Waurn Ponds Creek.

The area of Belmont Common is flood-prone during heavy rainfall. It was also a site of early aviation in the area and a flying school was operated in the area in the 1920s. During 1952, the Barwon River broke its banks, flooding the entire Belmont Common area; [cite web|url=http://www.bom.gov.au/lam/climate/levelthree/c20thc/flood11.htm|title=Bureau of Meteorology - Southeastern Australia, June 1952|accessdate=2007-07-19] flooding covering the same area, including the caravan park and K-mart car park is not uncommon in recent history. [ [http://www.geelongcity.vic.gov.au/soe/detail.asp?id=94 City of Greater Geelong: Flooding] ]

The older populated areas of the suburb are located on top of a hill centred upon High and Regent Streets, overlooking the river and the rest of Geelong. The area near Reynolds Road and High Street are much flatter, and where developed during the post war period. The lower lying areas near Torquay Road were settled from the 1970s onward.

Demographics

In the 2006 census, 13,646 persons resided in Belmont. 16% of the population were children aged between 0-14 years, and 31% were aged 55 years and over. Belmont is an ageing suburb, with the median age of residents being 40 years, compared with 37 years for persons in Australia. 90% of residents are Australian citizens with 80.3% born in Australia, the most common foreign birthplace being England (3.6%). [http://www.census!!.abs.gov.au/ABSNavigation/prenav/ProductSelect?newproducttype=QuickStats&btnSelectProduct=View+QuickStats+%3E&collection=Census&period=2006&areacode=SSC22016&geography=&method=&productlabel=&producttype=&topic=&navmapdisplayed=true&javascript=true&breadcrumb=LP&topholder=0&leftholder=0&currentaction=201&action=401&textversion=false 2006 Census QuickStats : Belmont (State Suburb)] ]

The average household size was 2.3 persons, with the majority of dwellings being separate houses. Family households occupied 60% of private dwellings, with lone person households making up 32%. The median weekly family income was $1,053, compared with $1,171 in Australia.

Transportation

Roads

High Street is the main road in Belmont, running from the centre of Geelong towards Colac. A four lane bridge over the Barwon River links Belmont to the north and the rest of Geelong. Once part of the Princes Highway, a bypass of Belmont was commenced during the early 1980s. Completed in the 1990 with the completion of the four lane James Harrison Bridge over the Barwon River, it removed heavy through traffic from the main shopping centre and diverted traffic down an upgraded Settlement Road. [ [http://mrv.ozroads.net.au/southwest/M1princes/M1princeswest.htm Main Roads Victoria - M1 - Princes Freeway / Highway West] ] The Princes Highway remains on this route today until the opening of the Geelong Ring Road.

Other major roads include the Surfcoast Highway which runs from Settlement Road south to Grovedale, Torquay before forming the Great Ocean Road, Barwon Heads Road which forms an important link to Barwon Heads and other smaller coastal towns, Shannon Avenue which porvided a northerly connection to the rest of Geelong, and Barrabool Road which runs west to Highton and Wandana Heights.

Trams

Trams served Belmont from 1927 to 1956. The tramline was opened on December 16, 1927 when the 'South' route was extended from the Barwon Bridge, to Colac Road. The extension was made possible by the construction of a new wider bridge over the Barwon the same year. The tram line ran along High Street to the terminus on the corner of Roslyn Road.cite book
last = Begg
first = Peter
title = Geelong - The First 150 Years
publisher = Globe Press
date = 1990
isbn = 0-9592863-5-7 ]

The line was single track, except for a one crossing loop near the river bridge, and a second south of Mount Pleasant Road. In 1951 4 trams per hour operated over the line during peak times. The line was the last of Geelong tramways to close, the last run being on March 25, 1956. Buses replaced the services. [ [http://www.tmsv.org.au/papers/geelong.htm Geelong tramways — a short history] ]

Buses

A motor bus service to Belmont commenced on January 15 1914. Using convert|12|hp double decker buses capable of travelling at convert|12|mi|km an hour (19km/h),cite book
last = Begg
first = Peter
title = Geelong - The First 150 Years
publisher = Globe Press
date = 1990
isbn = 0-9592863-5-7 ] they were later replaced by the tram service.

Today Belmont is served by a number of bus routes operated by Benders Busways that link the suburb with the city, Highton and Grovedale. All routes run into the suburb via High Street, before splitting off to various destinations. Bus services to Torquay also stop in Belmont to pick up passengers, as do V/Line road coaches to Lorne and Apollo Bay.

Facilities

hopping

The High Street shopping stip is the largest strip shopping centre in Geelong, stretching from Barwon Heads Road to Roslyn Road. The shopping strip was upgraded in 2006. [ [http://www.dpc.vic.gov.au/domino/Web_Notes/newmedia.nsf/bc348d5912436a9cca256cfc0082d800/3585f83bc9d568c2ca25712b007f7a65!OpenDocument 'BRUMBY OPENS REVITALISED BELMONT HIGH STREET 'Wednesday, March 8, 2006] ]

Education

Belmont is served by a number of Primary and Secondary schools:
*Belmont Primary School was the first primary school in the suburb, opened on December 1 1856. [Judy Laging (1974) "Shire of South Barwon - A Brief History"] Located on Mount Pleasant Road, the school suffered from declining enrolment during the 1990s but has stabilised, and celebrated it's 125th anniversary in 2006.
*St Bernards Catholic Primary School was the school of the St Bernards Catholic parish. Located on the corner of High and Regent Streets, the school was merged with Highton's Mercia Catholic Primary School in 1999, to form Clairvaux Catholic Primary School on Reynolds Road.
*Belmont High School is situated off Roslyn Road, and was the first secondary school in Belmont. It opened during the post war population boom in the district.
*Roslyn Primary School is located adjacent to Belmont High, opening about the same time.
*Oberon Primary School is located on Torquay Road and Dorothy Avenue, and also opened when "Belmont" was first being developed post-war.
*Oberon High School opened on Kidman Avenue in the late 1960s to serve the growing population south of the Barwon River. The school also caters for students from the coastal and country areas to the south of Geelong.
*Oberon South Primary School is located next to Oberon High School on Tintinara Cresent.

Belmont was once home of the South Barwon Technical School on Reynolds Road which opened in the late 1970s. The school was closed in the early 1990s as part of the then-State Government reforms of vocational education. The buildings are now occupied by Clairvaux Catholic Primary School.

A number of kindergartens are also located in Belmont.

Research laboratories

The CSIRO Division of Textiles and Fibres Technology is located on Henry and High Streets.

Parklands, sport and recreation

Belmont has a large number of reserves catering for both passive and active recreational activities. It is also home to a number of local sporting clubs.

The extensive Belmont Common follows the Barwon River to the east of the suburb, and has a path along the river for people on foot or bicycle. The Common also houses the Barwon Valley Public Golf Course, golf driving range, a number of baseball fields, motocross course, indoor and outdoor shooting ranges, dog obedience school, and cricket and football ovals.

Further major reserves are Winter Reserve on Kidman Avenue, and McDonald Reserve on Reynolds Road. Eastablisted in the late 1960s, [Klaus G Clapinski (October 15 1967) "The Shire of South Barwon"] both reserves have a number of ovals that see heavy use during the football and cricket seasons.

The suburb has an Australian Rules football team, South Barwon Swans, competing in the Geelong Football League and the Belmont Lions team competing in the Geelong & District Football League.

The Barwon Valley Activity Centre is located on Barwon Heads Road and houses indoor basketball and netball courts. The centre is also home to a Sunday market and a number of special events.

The Geelong Bowls Club is located on Sommers Street, adjacent to the Geelong Lawn Tennis Club. The Belmont Bowls Club is located on Reynolds Road, and the Geelong RSL Bowls Club is on Barwon Heads Road.

The Leisurelink Swimming Complex is located on Reynolds Road, and houses an enclosed 25 metre swimming pool, a number of smaller pools, four external waterslides, and a gym and aerobics centre. The ageing centre is due to be replaced by a new complex in Waurn Ponds by 2009. [ [http://www.geelongadvertiser.com.au/article/2007/08/31/6509_news.html Geelong Advertiser: 'Broken glass showers from roof above pool' - 31Aug07] ]

Next door to the Leisurelink is the Geelong Bowling Lanes. Opened in the 1980s, for a number of years it was the only tenpin bowling lanes in Geelong.

Belmont has a number of children's playgrounds throughout the suburb, the major one being the Barwon Valley Fun Park, located off Barrabool Road.

Community

The Belmont Senior Citizens centre is located on Thompson Street behind the High Street shopping strip.

The Geelong RSL clubrooms are located on Barwon Heads Road, relocating from the city in the early 1990s.

Four scout troops were once based in Belmont - 1st and 3rd Belmont at a hall in Rugby Street, and 2nd and 4th Belmont in Dean Street. Only the 3rd Belmont troop remains today.

References

External links

* [http://web.archive.org/web/20041013063908/www.arts.monash.edu.au/ncas/multimedia/gazetteer/list/belmont.html Australian Places - Belmont]