Sunshine West is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 13 km (8.1 mi) west of Melbourne's central business district, located within the City of Brimbank local government area. Sunshine West recorded a population of 18,552 at the 2021 census.[1]
| Sunshine West Melbourne, Victoria | |||||||||||||||
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 Glengala Village in Sunshine West | |||||||||||||||
  Sunshine West | |||||||||||||||
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| Coordinates | 37°47′42″S 144°48′58″E / 37.795°S 144.816°E | ||||||||||||||
| Population | 18,552 (2021 census)[1] | ||||||||||||||
| • Density | 2,348/km2 (6,080/sq mi) | ||||||||||||||
| Postcode(s) | 3020 | ||||||||||||||
| Elevation | 34 m (112 ft) | ||||||||||||||
| Area | 7.9 km2 (3.1 sq mi) | ||||||||||||||
| Location | 13 km (8 mi) from Melbourne | ||||||||||||||
| LGA(s) | City of Brimbank | ||||||||||||||
| State electorate(s) | Laverton | ||||||||||||||
| Federal division(s) | Fraser | ||||||||||||||
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Sunshine West is a residential and industrial area. It is bounded by Forrest Street in the north, Kororoit Creek in the east, Boundary Road in the south and the Western Ring Road in the west.
Settlement of the area dates from the 1920s when the Sunshine Heights Estate was developed. Sunshine West Post Office opened on 1 July 1939 and closed in 1981.[2] Significant development did not occur until the post-war years, with rapid growth from the 1970s through to the 1980s. The population declined slightly from the early 1990s, a result of some new dwellings being added to the area, but a decline in the average number of persons living in each dwelling.
Sunshine West presently features a significant ethnically diverse population, being home to many refugees and immigrant families that have settled from Europe, Asia and the Pacific, especially from Malta, Greece, Italy, North Macedonia, Croatia, Vietnam, China and the Philippines.
Major features of the area include the Sunshine Wisdom Lodge – Freemasons Victoria, Saint Leopold Mandić Croatian Catholic Church and Centre, West Sunshine Community Centre, Ainsworth Reserve, Buckingham Reserve, Norm Talintyre Reserve, the Australia Post Parcel Facility, the nearby Ardeer railway station and numerous schools.
The suburb hosts the Sunshine Heights Football Club in the Western Regional Football League.
Demographics
editAccording to the 2021 Census, the population of Sunshine West was 18,558. 50.6% of the population was male, and 49.4% was female. The median age was 38 years old.
43% of residents were born in Australia. The next top responses were 13.8% in Vietnam, India 2.9%, Malta 2.8%, Philippines 2.4%, and Greece 2.3% . The top languages spoken at home were English at 31.7%, Vietnamese at 20.3%, Greek 4.7%, Maltese 2.8%, Cantonese 2.4%, and Macedonian at 2.3%.
The religious makeup of Sunshine West is Catholic at 29.2%, no religion at 22.1%, Buddhism 11.8%, Islam 9.6%, and Eastern Orthodox at 8.0%.
Places of worship
edit- Saint Leopold Mandić Croatian Catholic Church, located on the corner of Fitzgerald Road and Whitesides Avenue
- Saint Paul's Roman Catholic Church, located on Glengala Road
- Saint Andrew's Greek Orthodox Church, located on St Andrew Street
- Saint Anthony's Greek Orthodox Church, located on Armstrong Street
See also
edit- City of Sunshine – Sunshine West was previously within this former local government area.
References
edit- ^ a b Australian Bureau of Statistics (28 June 2022). "Sunshine West (Suburbs and Localities)". 2021 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 20 July 2021.
- ^ Premier Postal History, Post Office List, retrieved 11 April 2008
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