Mentone is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 21Â km south-east of Melbourne's central business district. Its local government area is the City of Kingston. At the 2016 census, Mentone had a population of 12,965.
It is known locally for Mentone Beach, which extends alongside Beaumaris Bay from the cliffs in Beaumaris and ends at Warrigal Road where it meets Parkdale.
Mentone is associated with the Heidelberg School of Australian artists.
History
Mentone was founded as a resort town named after the Italian spelling of the formerly-Italian French town Menton. In order to keep with the Italian resort theme many streets in Mentone were named after Italian cities for example, Cremona Street, Florence Street, Venice Street and Milan Street. The development of Mentone began in the late 1800s, the Post Office opening on 16 May 1884.
The original Mentone Fire station was located on the corner of Brindisi Street and Mentone Parade, Mentone in 1906 and after the new fire station was built it was relocated to Lalor in 1957.
According to the 2011 census, the median individual income in Mentone was $664 per week, which was slightly higher than the Australian average of $577 per week. Similarly, the median household weekly income of $1,288 in Mentone was slightly higher than the Australian average of $1,234.
Shopping
Mentone is home to a lively shopping area along Como Parade West, Balcombe Road and surrounding streets and laneways. This shopping strip offers a wide range of restaurants, cafes, bakeries, clothing stores, supermarkets, travel agents, fancy dress, craft, home, book stores and more. A second commercial area has grown along Nepean Highway; this may expand as the former Nylex factory site between Nepean Highway and Warrigal road is redeveloped into a bulky goods retail precinct.
Neighbouring suburb, Cheltenham, comprises one of the biggest shopping centres in Australia â€" Westfield Southland. This shopping mall crosses the six lanes of Nepean Highway. It is the main shopping centre for people of Mentone and surrounds. A new train station will open on the west side of Southland adjoining Bay Street in 2017.
In late 2010 Thrift Park shopping centre between Lower Dandenong Road and Nepean Highway just east of Warrigal Road went through with a $35-million redevelopment. The redevelopment included demolishing the original centre that was "ageing" and building a larger Woolworths supermarket with 30 additional stores. The centre officially opened in December 2010.
Politics
In terms of State and Federal Government Mentone is situated in the Electoral district of Mordialloc and Sandringham for state parliament and the Electoral district of Isaacs in the federal system. Current trends show the majority of Mentone voters supporting the Liberal party; however Mentone is currently represented by Labor members in both state and federal parliament due to the Labor voting tendencies of other suburbs in its electoral district.
Transport
Mentone is located on the Nepean Highway. Mentone is serviced by a variety of Public_Transport_Victoria buses, including the 903 bus from Mordialloc, and Metro Trains Melbourne services, focused on the Mentone railway station. On the day of the 2011 census, 15.6% of employed people travelled to work on public transport and 63.5% by car (either as driver or as passenger).
Entertainment and leisure
The Mentone Beach and Mentone Lifesaving Club provide leisure space and activities, as do the parkland and oval near the council offices. Mentone is also home to numerous sporting clubs including cricket, football, tennis, field hockey, and lawn bowling.
Mentone Bowling Club was established in the early 1900s and has a successful history, including an Australian champion. The club is next to the train station in the centre of the suburb. Mentone were promoted to the Premier Division in 2010.
In late 2013 it was announced the iconic Mentone Tenpin Bowl on the corner of the Nepean Hwy and Warrigal Rd would close by the end of that year after fifty years of operation in order to make way for a new multi-storey residential apartment and retail complex.
The Mentone Hotel is a historical hotel building overlooking Port Phillip Bay. The Mentone RSL is housed in a building dating to 1884â€"1886.
One of Australia's last Blockbuster Video stores was in Mentone but has since closed down. [1]
Schools
- Kilbreda College - A Catholic Secondary School for girls, founded in 1904. The school is owned and administered by the Brigidine Sisters.
- St Bede's College - A Catholic Secondary School for boys, founded in 1938. It is administered by the De La Salle Brothers.
- Mentone Grammar School - An Anglican school founded in 1923. Co-ed since 2006, Kindergarten to Secondary Education. The school competes in the AGSV (associated Grammar Schools of Victoria).
- Mentone Girls' Grammar School - An Anglican school for girls from ELC to year 12, founded in 1899.
- Mentone Girls' Secondary College
- St Patrick's Catholic Primary School
- Mentone Primary School
- Mentone Park Primary School
Notable people
- Shane Warne â€" attended final years of high school at Mentone Grammar; spin bowler, Test cricketer
- Ian Meckiff â€" Test cricketer, best known for "chucking" incident
- Eddie Perfect â€" actor, singer, comedian and composer
- Gerard Healy â€" student at St Bede's College; AFL footballer and Brownlow Medallist
References
External links
- Mentone, Victoria Weather Station
- Mentone Baptist Church