Heidelberg- Melbourne Suburbs

Heidelberg

Introduction

Heidelberg is a suburb located about 15km north-east of Melbourne City’s Central Business District. It is located in the City of Banyule, which is its local government as well. Before World War II, Heidelberg was a large town on Melbourne’s fringe. Since then, it has become an important part of Melbourne’s expansion towards the north.

Heidelberg currently has expanded into 3 different suburbs of Heidelberg, Heidelberg Heights and Heidelberg West. It shares borders with neighbouring suburbs of Preston, Eaglemont, Templestowe and Bundoora.

Demographics

During the Census of 2016, Heidelberg had a population of close to 7000. The citizens of Heidelberg have a median age of 37, comprising of 53% females and 47% males.

A large chunk of the population, 61%, living in Heidelberg were born in Australia. The remaining comprise of people born in countries such as England, India, China, Italy, New Zealand, Greece, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Germany, Scotland, South Africa and Singapore. Thus, Heidelberg boasts of a diverse community and thus offers variations in colour, caste, creed, cuisine and culture.

68% people in Heidelberg speak only English, the rest are multi-lingual. The other main languages spoken being Italian, Greek, Spanish, Hindi and Cantonese.

The major industries that the people of Heidelberg work in are Health care & social assistance, Education & training, professional, scientific and technical services. 

School

Heidelberg has an extensive range of public as well as private schools that often rank within the top 20 schools in Melbourne. The Austin Hospital School, the Heidelberg Primary school and the Heidelberg West Primary School are some of the most successful public schools in the area.

Heidelberg also offers close proximity to La Trobe University and RMIT located in the neighbouring suburb of Bundoora. A lot of students of both the universities reside in Heidelberg and its counterparts i.e. Heidelberg Heights and Heidelberg West.

Transport

The Heidelberg station located on the Hurstbridge line offers easy and convenient access into the city and further up north. At the train station, there is also a bus hub that offers travel to various areas in and around Heidelberg.

Driving is one of the most convenient modes of transport with Burgundy St, Banksia St, Rosanna Rd and Upper Heidelberg Rd being the most popular ones. Heidelberg offers easy access to drive into the city and also drive up north and east of Melbourne.

Health

The iconic Austin Hospital after having undergone recent renovations, now also boasts of the Women’s Mercy Hospital. Combined together, these two facilities become the largest hospital in Victoria. The Austin Hospital was founded in 1882 and has been serving Melbournians and other Australians since then. The hospital is the only one in Victoria that offers treatments for acute spinal injuries, liver transplant and other major health concerns.

Apart from this massive hospital, Heidelberg also has a range of small clinics that offer bulk-billing to patients spread out throughout the vast suburb. Heidelberg also offers close proximity to one of the few 24 hour medical centres located in Mill Park, which is only a 10-minute drive away from Heidelberg.

Real Estate

The Real Estate industry in the Heidelberg area has been on a boom since a few years now. The suburb offers properties that are affordable, luxurious and spacious. The investment market in Heidelberg is also very big.

With a median rent of $330/week and a median mortgage payment of $2100/month, the suburb definitely has something to offer to everyone – renters and buyers alike.

Being close to schools and universities, there is always someone looking for accommodation in the area, thus giving investors the peace of mind. On the flip, with a high churn rate of renters and abundance of properties available, the renters always find something to suit their needs within their budget. 

Shopping

The Heidelberg Shopping Centre has been the longest standing shopping centre for ages. It had become rundown in 1980s but then it was revived and is now also known as the ‘Burgundy street’ Shopping Centre. Many new trendy cafes have given a new life to the shopping precinct.

The shopping centre now has over 200 retail and commercial businesses. A huge amount of money was spent in the renovations and the end result is worth every single dollar spent.

Another major Shopping Centre in Heidelberg is the Warringal Shopping Centre. It is located on the thriving Rosanna Rd. It is compact and has the main entrance on Burgundy St. The Shopping Centre offers ease and convenience to the many residents living in the neighbourhood.

Things to do

Heidelberg offers a range of parks and gardens to hang out in have inexpensive picnics while out and about and under the sun and moon.

The Malahang Reserve and The Heidelberg Park offer some of the best ‘one with nature’ feelings whether you are enjoying a gathering with friends and family or just spending some quality along time jogging, running or simply reading a book.

Latitude, located on Waterdale Road, is a new activity centre that offers rock climbing with different difficulty levels, massive trampolines that make you feel like a kid again and lots more fun activities.

If you want to test your skills at hitting the bull’s eye, you can head off to Ambrose Archery that cater for novice as well professional archers and offers a new, different kind of activity.

Heidelberg also has the Historical Society Museum for those who are into art and like to learn about history of the area.

Restaurants

Since Heidelberg has a vast diversity in its population, it offers loads of options of delicious cuisines.

Heidelberg offers a range of cafes as well as fine dining options. These places offer some of the best food and experience as moderate prices.

Little Black Pig & Sons, Zeins Authentic, Old England Hotel and The Train Yard are just some of the well-known cafes in the area.

If you are looking for a fine-dining experience you shouldn’t miss Tao’s Restaurant, Centonove and Matteo’s. These are some of the best restaurants around.