A Quick Look at the City of Whittlesea, One of Melbourne's Northern Suburbs

As one of the northernmost of Melbourne's suburbs, the City of Whittlesea combines easy access to urban amenities with plenty of open spaces and fresh air. Whittlesea's interesting history is one where consolidation and realignment played major roles in making the city what it is today. Now home to about 200,000, the City of Whittlesea has much to offer to residents and visitors alike.

Historical Expansion and Growth Lead to Modern Stability and Prosperity

The two major forebears of today's city were founded in 1862 and 1864, respectively. Just over half a century later, the two shires were combined as part of a major reorganisation of suburban authorities throughout the state of Victoria.

Annexation of neighbouring cities and shires like Broadmeadows and Bulla followed about ten years after the Second World War. With Whittlesea's population also steadily expanding thanks to births and newcomers, the city first hosted 50,000 residents by the late 1970s.

The pace of growth picked up soon thereafter, with the city's population taking fewer than twenty years to double once again. The same rate of growth over the course of the following two decades has left the City of Whittlesea with somewhere around 200,000 residents at the present time.

Nicely Situated Between Melbourne and a Beautiful National Park

Whittlesea's proximity to the metropolis of Melbourne is one clear reason for its long-standing appeal. A drive of about an hour, at least when traffic is not overly heavy, is all that it takes to move from Melbourne City Centre to the far more sparsely developed Whittlesea.

Heading in roughly the opposite direction for a similar amount of time yields up Kinglake National Park, one of Victoria's natural treasures. Visitors enjoy seeing the legendary Masons Falls there, along with plenty of wildlife and native plants.

A Well Rounded City Presents Plenty of Options to Explore

Many residents of Whittlesea, though, are just as happy to spend the majority of their time within the city itself. Some of the local highlights include:

• Epping Plaza Shopping Centre. With more than 215 stores, the still-young Epping Plaza Shopping Centre has become a destination for people from all over the Melbourne area. Residents of Whittlesea tend to prefer one or the other of the plaza's two top quality supermarkets. Attractions like a large cinema and a wide selection of eateries make the Epping Plaza Shopping Centre an enjoyable place to relax.

• Parks. Whittlesea has put its sprawling size to great use by devoting much of it to parkland. Compact local parks spread across the city serve particular neighbourhoods, while major parks include features like playgrounds, barbecue stations, and sheltered outdoor seating.

• Libraries. There are four public libraries within today's Whittlesea, with three branches located in Lalor, Mill Park, and Thomastown, respectively. Up north on Laurel Street, the main Whittlesea library offers not just books but a wide range of services and amenities. A mobile library even makes regular rounds to reach readers throughout the city.

Thanks to attractions like these and many others, Whittlesea stands as an especially appealing place for many to live and raise families. As many visitors have discovered, this far northern suburb of Melbourne has a distinctive character of its own.