Noble Park, Victoria

The history of Noble Park as a suburb in Melbourne began in 1909. Allan Buckley nicknamed the land subdivision Nobel Park[2] after the Swedish inventor Alfred Nobel, as Buckley had used the estate to demonstrate Nobel's explosives, but the name was soon transformed to Noble Park by common usage.[3]

Early settlement was encouraged by building a community centre, church, school, postal centre and later, a railway station. The postal centre was opened in August 1910 and the railway station was completed in July 1912, but in the early days, the town's growth was relatively slow due to the lack of population growth in the area. In the early 1920s, the Railway Department set up a poultry farm and eventually a plant nursery was set up in the eastern part of the suburb. The focus of the small community was based around its local town hall.[2]

In the 1980s Noble Park became known for its infamous street gangs that carried out violent crimes against the community,[4] as well as the scene of a major shootout between members of the Victoria Police and Pavel Marinof, a burglar on the run.[5] Residential growth in the second half of the century saw an end to the grazing paddocks and market gardens. By the 1990s, 56% of Noble Park's population was born overseas, with the largest being from Great Britain and Ireland, followed by Bosnians, Italians and Greeks; and South and Southeast Asians (including Indians, Sri Lankans and Vietnamese), according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics. In recent years there has been an upsurge of migrants and refugees settled from North African countries, especially Sudan.[6]

In 2014, Noble Park had an estimated population of 29,000 residents. The suburb is characterised by similar social conditions to those across Greater Dandenong, including high levels of migrant settlement and cultural diversity, relatively low incomes, elevated rates of early school leaving, low-medium crime rates and a high density of flats. The 2011 Census recorded that 60% of Noble Park residents were born overseas, the same as for Greater Dandenong and nearly twice the corresponding metropolitan percentage (33%). Among the 121 birthplaces of residents were India, accounting for 9% of residents, Vietnam (8%) as well as others such as Sri Lanka, Cambodia, China, Bosnia, Afghanistan and Sudan.

Rates of migrant settlement are correspondingly high, with 7% of residents having arrived in Australia within the previous 2.5 years – the same as for Greater Dandenong. Languages other than English are spoken by about three-fifths of residents (61%) – twice the metropolitan average. Reflecting this diversity of languages, 13% of Noble Park residents have limited fluency in the use of spoken English, much the same as for the municipality, and over three times the metropolitan level of 4%. Patterns of religious faith are similar to those seen across the municipality, with 18% of residents adhering to Buddhism, 4% following Hinduism, and 9% Islam.

Contemporary educational outcomes are marked by a high rate of early school leaving, with 13% of young adults (20–24 years) having left school before completing year 11 – equivalent to the municipal average, but higher than the metropolitan level, of 10% Median individual gross incomes, recorded in the Census, stood at 68% of the metropolitan median - similar to municipal levels, which are the lowest in metropolitan Melbourne.

Among the 10,200 homes in Noble Park, a third are flats - twice the proportion of metropolitan Melbourne. Sixty per cent of homes in the suburb are owned or being purchased by their occupants - less than the corresponding metropolitan level of 71%.

Recent years have witnessed substantial investment by local and state governments, including the Paddy O'Donoghue Community Complex which opened in 2006, the redevelopment of Noble Park Railway Station and the construction of the Aquatic Centre which is home to Melbourne's largest water slide. Public amenities include number of schools, as well as Churches, Temples and Mosques. Noble Park's primary commercial district contains bakeries, cafés, restaurants and convenience stores. Noble Park has an active Rotary Club and an active Rotaract Club.

Being formerly market gardens, Noble Park has fertile soil and to this day still has many River Red Gum trees.

• Noble Park has fertile soil and to this day still has many River Red Gum trees, including the oldest River Red at Parkfield Reserve, which is classified by the National Trust.
• Home to Melbourne's largest water slide located at the Noble Park Aquatic Centre

Noble Park has a local Australian rules football team, the Noble Park Bulls, competing in the Eastern Football League. It also includes a cricket and lawn bowls club.

Noble Park is represented by Southern Stars FC soccer team. The team currently competes in the Victorian State League Division 1 which is the third tier in Australia behind the A-League and the Victorian Premier League.

Noble Park is also home to the Parkfield Netball Club, Noble Park United FC - Drina, and Parkfield Cricket Club.

Both Noble Park Tennis Club and Noble Park Community Tennis Club represent Noble Park in tennis.

Noble Park home to the Noble Park Skate Park located on Memorial Drive (off Heatherton Road). The Skate Park ground was converted from two former outdoor swimming pools of the adjacent Noble Park Aquatic Centre to the west on Memorial Drive, which currently has a 50 m (55 yd) heated outdoor pool, an indoor heated pool, a water slide and a water play area. The 50 m outdoor pool is partially shaded and provides ramp access, and is occasionally converted into two 25 m pools.

• John Farnham Australian singer and songwriter
• Tom Allsop Australian Rules Football
• Darren Millane Australian rules football
• Stephen Milne Australian rules football
• Adam Ramanauskas Australian rules football player
• Glenn Archer Australian rules football
• James Gwilt Current Australian rules football
• Adam Treloar, Australian rules footballer[11]

• City of Springvale - the former local government area of which part of Noble Park was a part.
• City of Dandenong - the former local government area of which part of Noble Park was a part.