About The Area

South Morang

Originally named Morang South, South Morang is named after the Parish of Morang where the suburb originally and still exists today. Until the mid-1990’s the suburb remained a country hamlet like many other suburbs in the municipality of Whittlesea, centred around the former Whittlesea steam railway line which used to run through South Morang until it was closed in the 1950’s.

The first primary school in South Morang was built in 1877. The suburb is now entrenched in metropolitan Melbourne boasting a population of approx. 25,000 people.

South Morang is known for its ethnic diversity 84% of its residents are Australian born but are associated with ethnic groups including Italian, Greek, Maltese, Croatian, Macedonian, Indian, Sri Lankan, Chinese, British, New Zealander and many more.

The suburb is also known for its parkland along the Plenty river namely, the Hawkstowe and Plenty Gorge Parklands which are home to two sites of historical and cultural significance: Farm Vigano and Le Page Homestead at Plenty Gorge Park.

Schooling in Sth Morang includes:
Morang South Primary
The Lakes South Morang P-9 and Senior Schools
Marymede Catholic College P-12

The central hub of South Morang moved from the Commercial hotel and Gorge road shops on Plenty Rd to the railway station, and Westfield Plenty Valley shopping centre on McDonalds Road.

There are many sporting facilities through the area. The Sth Morang Football, Cricket and Netball clubs have the mascot of a lion and call Mill Park Lakes Recreation Reserve home.

Mill Park

Mill Park was named after Henry "Money" Miller who bred racehorses and conducted a range of dairy and grazing activities at his property named, The Findon Hounds and the Findon Harriers Hunt Club' until 1930. The Residential development of Mill Park began in the 1970s.

Modern Mill Park consists of both the traditional Mill Park land and the expanding neighbourhood of Mill Park Lakes, located to the Northeast.

Shopping in Mill Park consists of The Stables Shopping Centre, located on Childs Road, Westfield Plenty Valley Shopping Centre, located on McDonalds Road and Rivergum Plaza, located on the corner of Plenty Road and Development.

There are many schooling options in Mill Park which include:
St Francis Primary School
Mill Park Heights Primary
Plenty Parklands Primary
Findon Primary
Mill Park Primary
Mill Park Secondary College

Mill Park is not short of fast-food restaurants, with McDonalds, Hungry Jacks, KFC and Domino's Pizza all within close proximity of one another

The Mill Park Library (Located on Plenty Rd) was built in 2002. It is a vastly modern and spacious building designed by Oaten Stanistreet Architects and used liberally by the residents of Mill Park and other suburbs alike.

Mernda

The name Mernda means "young girl" in the local Wurundjeri Aboriginal language. When Mernda was named in 1913 the township consisted of a school, a Methodist church, a store and a railway station. In the early 1900s there were many dairy farms in Mernda that supplied milk to Melbourne.

The suburb remained relatively unchanged until the early 2000’s when it had a population of just 1300. Between 2005 and 2020 Mernda was consistently one of the fastest growing suburbs in Australia. The current population is in excess of 23,000 people.

In 2018, Mernda was reconnected to the metropolitan rail network with its state-of-the-art elevated train station.

Mernda boasts many shopping options which include The Mernda Villages on Mernda Village Blvd, Mernda Central and town centre on the corners of Plenty and Bridge Inn Rd, and Bunnings on Plenty Rd.

Schooling options in Mernda include:
Mernda Park Primary School
Mernda Central College
Mernda Primary
St Joseph’s Catholic Primary

The Mernda Football, Cricket and Netball Clubs and known as the “Demons” and operate out of Woodland Waters Reserve on Waterview Drive in Mernda

Doreen

Doreen was initially established by Europeans in 1844. One of the early settlers was Patrick Reid who named the area "Hazel Glen". In 1862 the land was subdivided into farmland, which lead to more settlers coming to the area. This lead to the construction of a Primary School and Methodist church on the corner of Yan Yean Road and Chapel Lane. In 1895 the area was renamed Doreen.

The suburb remained in its rural state until 2000 when the Drapac Corp. was successful in obtaining planning permission for the Laurimar township. Since 2000 the suburb has grown to boast a population of over 21,000.

With population growth comes amenities such as schools, sporting facilities and shopping. The schools in Doreen include:
Laurimar Primary School
Hazel Glen College
Doreen Primary
St Paul the Apostle Catholic School
Ivanhoe Grammar School (Plenty Campus)

Shopping is primarily catered for at the Laurimar town centre. The local football, netball and cricket clubs play as Larimar Power.

Whittlesea

Whittlesea, as the township came to be called, was named after Whittlesey in England. Close to 1889 a railway from Whittlesea to Melbourne was established to transport goods produced in the region to Melbourne. The railway closed in 1959.

Although located only a few kilometres from the outer fringes of metropolitan Melbourne, Whittlesea lies outside the Urban Growth Boundaries of the Melbourne 2030 metropolitan development plan. It is therefore expected to maintain its status as a separate township until atleast 2030.

Providing essential services to the town, there is a volunteer (CFA) fire brigade as well as a limited hours Police station, SES centre and an ambulance station.

Much of the township’s amenities are supplied on the strip shopping centre along Church Street.

Whittlesea has both a primary and secondary school.

Local attractions include the Funfields Water Park, Torourrong Reservoir, Yan Yean Reservoir, Bear's Castle and the old Courthouse (now a tourist information center).

The local football, Netball and cricket clubs play as the Eagles out of the showgrounds located just north of the township.