St Andrews, Victoria

St Andrews is a town in Victoria, Australia, 52 km north-east of Melbourne's Central Business District. Its local government area is the Shire of Nillumbik. At the 2016 Census, St Andrews had a population of 1,226.[1]

St Andrews
Victoria
St Andrews Hotel
St Andrews
Coordinates37.594°S 145.269°E / -37.594; 145.269
Population1,226 (2016)[1]
Postcode(s)3761
Elevation209 m (686 ft)
Location
LGA(s)Shire of Nillumbik
State electorate(s)Eildon
Federal Division(s)McEwen
Localities around St Andrews:
Strathewen Kinglake Kinglake
Arthurs Creek St Andrews Yarra Glen
Cottles Bridge Smiths Gully Christmas Hills

St Andrews is well known for its alternative market, which is open every Saturday from 8am to 2pm it is closed on total fire ban days however. 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.[2]

History

Originally called Queenstown, the area was surveyed in 1858 and a town proclaimed on 25 February 1861.[3] 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’.[3]

St Andrew Post Office had opened earlier on 1 January 1856 and was renamed St Andrews in 1923.[4]

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 by1855 there were 3000 miners.[3] 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.

In April 2015, it was named Victoria's Wealthiest Town, as a result of ATO statistics. The town beat Toorak and Portsea, traditional leaders in this ranking.

St Andrews has a great community feel and is much loved by its residents and visitors alike.

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.[5] Its progression toward the town centre was halted by a southerly wind change,[5] which saved the rest of the town, but drove the fire front further east, destroying the towns of Kinglake and Marysville.

See also
  • Shire of Eltham - St Andrews was previously within this former local government area.

References
  1. Australian Bureau of Statistics (27 June 2017). "St Andrews (State Suburb)". 2016 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 4 July 2017.
  2. "Service timetable". Yarra Plenty Regional Library. 2019. Retrieved 7 February 2019.
  3. "St Andrews | Victorian Places". www.victorianplaces.com.au. Retrieved 3 May 2019.
  4. Premier Postal History. "Post Office List". Retrieved 11 April 2008.
  5. Jackson, William (8 February 2009). "St Andrews residents devastated after fires". Whittlesea Leader. Retrieved 11 February 2009.


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