Epping, Victoria

Epping is a great suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Its Local Government Area is the City of Whittlesea.

Located 18km north of Melbourne, Epping is bound by Mill Park and Lalor to the south, Somerton to the west, South Morang to the east and Wollert to the North.

Epping has a mainly flat terrain though, towards the north lie several large hills, which provide an excellent view of Melbourne. Cooper Street, McDonalds Road and High Street are the main thoroughfares. The majority of commercial activity is located on High Street and Cooper Street, where Epping Plaza, the major shopping centre in the suburb is located. There is also is the Greenbook Shopping Centre located on McDonalds Road.

FACILITIES
On High St there is a strip shopping centre, and Epping Plaza shopping centre to the west. The Northern hospital adjoins it. Along the Darebin Creek there is a linear park, and there are several neighbourhood reserves.

There is also:
- Epping Soccer Stadium - Cnr EPPING Rd (High St) & HARVEST HOME ROAD
- Leisure City Sporting Complex - DUFFY St
- Epping Football Ground - HIGH St
- St Peters Church - DAVISON St
- Epping RSL - HARVEST HOME Rd
- Epping Hotel - HIGH St

Epping Soccer Stadium:
Capacity - 10,000
Home to the Whittlesea Zebras

HISTORY

A village reserve was surveyed in 1839 where Epping later developed. The village was named Epping in 1853, probably after Epping Forest, Essex, England, by when there were a hotel (1844) and a Catholic school. The Epping Road Board was established a year later. In 1870 the area around Epping became Darebin shire, which was re-named Epping shire in 1893 until united with Whittlesea shire in 1915. By the time the shire was created Epping township contained several churches, hotels and a state school as well as church school. Farmers of Irish origin predominated, but English, Scots and Germans settled there. There were several dairy farms. The Melbourne to Whittlesea railway (1889-1960) had a station at Epping, and the main areas to benefit were the transport of milk and quarry products.

The original Epping township is on higher ground west of the Darebin Creek (the Catholic church being the only one not to have moved from lower flood-risk land). Several older buildings are constructed in bluestone, plentiful in the surrounding volcanic plains.

Major suburban development took place from the 1970s onwards and the northern fringes of the area are currently in the process of being developed for housing.

EDUCATION
There are several government and private schools in Epping. Including one of the biggest Catholic High Schools in Australia, St Monica's College. There is also the Epping NMIT.