St Andrews, Victoria

St Andrews
St Andrews Hotel
St Andrews Hotel
St Andrews is located in Melbourne
St Andrews
St Andrews
Map
Interactive map of St Andrews
Coordinates: 37°35′38″S 145°16′08″E / 37.594°S 145.269°E / -37.594; 145.269
CountryAustralia
StateVictoria
LGA
Location
Government
 • State electorate
 • Federal divisions
Elevation
209 m (686 ft)
Population
 • Total1,186 (2021 census)[2]
Postcode
3761
Localities around St Andrews
Strathewen Kinglake Kinglake
Arthurs Creek St Andrews Yarra Glen
Cottles Bridge Smiths Gully Christmas Hills

St Andrews is a town in Victoria, Australia, 52 km north-east of Melbourne's Central Business District, located within the Shire of Nillumbik local government area. St Andrews recorded a population of 1,186 at the 2021 census.[2]

St Andrews is well known for its alternative market, which is open every Saturday from 8am to 2pm except total fire ban days. It also contains a hotel, primary school, bakery, CFA, general store and the Wadambuk community centre where a mobile library managed by Yarra Plenty Regional Library has a regular scheduled stop.[3]

History

Originally called Queenstown, the area was surveyed in 1858 and proclaimed a town on 25 February 1861.[4] Located between Panton Hill and Kinglake, by 1865 it was also known as St Andrews, and the presence of large numbers of Scottish miners gave rise to the town being called both ‘Caledonia’ and ‘St Andrews’.[4]

St Andrew Post Office had opened earlier on 1 January 1856 and was renamed St Andrews in 1923.[5]

It experienced population growth during the Victorian gold rush, when prospectors mined the hills around the town. St Andrews was the earliest goldfield in the area and by 1855 there were 3000 miners.[4] The first discovery of gold in Queenstown was recorded in The Herald on 9 and 11 March 1855 and was attributed to a George Boston and two Scotsmen.

Bushfires

On 7 February 2009 a major bushfire destroyed houses on Ninks, Muller, Jacksons and Wild Dog Creek Roads, as well as Buttermans Track and Olives Lane.[6] Its progression toward the town centre was halted by a southerly wind change,[6] which saved the rest of the town, but drove the fire front further east, destroying the towns of Kinglake and Marysville.

Facilities

A mobile library service managed by Yarra Plenty Regional Library stops weekly at the Wadamuk Community Centre.[7]

Notable residents

See also

  • Shire of Eltham – St Andrews was previously within this former local government area.

References

  1. ^ Australian Bureau of Statistics (28 June 2022). "St Andrews (urban centre and locality)". Australian Census 2021. Edit this at Wikidata
  2. ^ a b Australian Bureau of Statistics (28 June 2022). "St Andrews (Vic.) (Suburbs and Localities)". 2021 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 2 July 2022. Edit this at Wikidata
  3. ^ "Service timetable". Yarra Plenty Regional Library. 2019. Retrieved 7 February 2019.
  4. ^ a b c "St Andrews | Victorian Places". www.victorianplaces.com.au. Retrieved 3 May 2019.
  5. ^ Phoenix Auctions History. "Post Office List". Retrieved 12 February 2021.
  6. ^ a b Jackson, William (8 February 2009). "St Andrews residents devastated after fires". Whittlesea Leader. Retrieved 11 February 2009.
  7. ^ "Locations, Timetable & Facilities | YPRL Mobile Library". Yarra Plenty Regional Library. Retrieved 25 February 2025.