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'Toorak' is a suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. It is in the Local Government Area of the City of Stonnington. The suburb is located 6 km south-east of the CBD, on a rise at a bend in the Yarra River. In popular Australian culture, the name Toorak has become synonymous with wealth. The suburb has long had the reputation of being Melbourne's most elite, and ranks among the most prestigious in Australia.
Toorak is located south of the Yarra River. The river separates Toorak from Richmond, a suburb that, although close in proximity to Toorak, does not share its prestige.

Contents

Local History

Transport

Demographics

Toorak Tractors

In Popular Culture

Water Restrictions

Notable residents

References

External links

Local History

The suburb was named after Toorak House, a residence built by James Jackson, a merchant in 1849. The word "Toorak" may have come from Aboriginal words of similar pronunciation, meaning black crow or reedy swamp^[3].
Toorak House served as the residence of the second Governor of Victoria, Captain Sir Charles Hotham, from 1854 to 1855. Toorak House then served as residence of three successive Governors of Victoria until 1874. Bishopscourt in East Melbourne was then used before the present Government house was occupied in 1876.
Toorak House still stands today in St. Georges Road, and set the architectural tone for the suburb. Toorak House is presently owned by the Church of Sweden abroad. It also houses the Consulate of Sweden. The Swedish Church is open for visitors daily^[4].

Transport

Toorak is serviced by three railway stations, Toorak, Hawksburn and Heyington, and a tramline that runs along Toorak Road.

Demographics

A study by the Department of Primary Industries revealed the following facts about Toorak^[5]:

★ In Toorak, 29.6 per cent of persons were employed in the industries of finance, property and business services. The metropolitan average is 14.6 per cent.

★ The proportion of Toorak residents aged 15 and over with a Bachelors degree or higher is 31.0 per cent. The metropolitan average is 13.4 per cent.

★ Toorak has the highest percentage of children attending non-government schools in Melbourne.

★ There are very few infants and toddlers in Toorak. The proportion of the Toorak population who are infants or toddlers (those aged 0 to 4 years of age) is 3.8 per cent. The metropolitan average is 6.9 per cent.

Toorak Tractors

In Australian slang (particularly in Victoria), a "Toorak tractor," "Toorak taxi," "Toorak tank," or "Toorak truck" are pejorative names for a 4WD (SUV) vehicle. The reference to the wealthy Melbourne suburb alludes to the ownership and use of such vehicles as status symbols rather than for their designed off-road abilities.
Even though the term might lead some to think this phenomenon is localized in Toorak, official statistics show that in Melbourne, working-class suburbs such as Werribee (3103), Frankston (3003), Narre Warren (2687) and Dandenong (2672) all have more 4WDs registered than Toorak (1270)^[6].

In Popular Culture

Toorak has many references in popular culture, besides the "Toorak Tractor" reference mentioned earlier. The Skyhooks also had a song called "Toorak Cowboy". Ted Baillieu, the Victorian opposition leader, was often derided as "the toff from Toorak" by Rob Hulls.

Water Restrictions

Because of the scarcity of water in Australia, restrictions have been established on water use. In Victoria, statistics from South East Water reveal that breaches of water restrictions were spread "across Melbourne but there are obviously pockets which seem to attract more interest than other suburbs." Areas like Toorak and Brighton have had a higher proportion of water breaches than other suburbs. A water patrolmen said that some Toorak and Brighton residents had a "what-me-worry attitude" to the threat of $500 fines^[7].

Notable residents

★ Ted Baillieu - politician

★ Nathan Buckley - AFL footballer^[8].

★ Zara Bate - fashion designer and wife (later widow) of Prime Minister Harold Holt had a salon, called Magg, in Toorak Village.

★ Lindsay Fox - Australian rules footballer and one of Australia's most successful businessman, primarily through his establishment of the Linfox trucking company.

★ Malcolm Fraser - Liberal Party politician and 22nd Prime Minister of Australia was born in Toorak.

★ Duncan Gillies - colonial politician, was the 14th Premier of Victoria and member for Toorak from 1897 to 1903.

★ Captain Sir Charles Hotham - the second Governor of Victoria. In office from June 1854 - 31 December 1855.Hotham was governor at the time of the Eureka Stockade.

★ Peter Lew - businessman from Toorak is the managing director of Witchery stores.

★ Solomon Lew - Australian businessman and one of Australia's richest men lives in Toorak.

★ Eddie McGuire - journalist, sports broadcaster, television game show host, businessman and former CEO of the Nine Network was a resident of Toorak.

★ Charlie McLeod - Australian cricketer who died in 1918 in Toorak.

★ Daniel Radcliffe - the Harry Potter star's family owns a house in Toorak^[9].

★ Lou Richards - Australian rules footballer, who played with the Collingwood Football Club between 1941 and 1955 is a resident of Toorak.

★ Peter Robb - Australian author was born in the Toorak in 1946.

★ Jack Saunders- Australian cricketer who died in 1927 in Toorak.

★ Tup Scott - Australian cricketer, born in Toorak in 1858, and served as mayor and chief magistrate in Scone, New South Wales.

★ Ziggy Switkowski - former Telstra chairman, who once had a Telstra mobile phone microcell installed on his property.^[10]

References

1. 2001 Census, Australian Bureau of Statistics
2. Toorak, accessed 17 August 2007
3. Local history of Toorak ''LocalHero''
4. http://skut.svenskakyrkan.se/melbourne/english.html
5. http://www.dpi.vic.gov.au/CA256F310024B628/0/FD8ACF11C2F79318CA257165001919B9/$File/Toorak+-+Profile.pdf
6. http://www.news.com.au/business/story/0,23636,21294153-462,00.html
7. http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2007/04/07/1175366538267.html
8. http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,21520331-661,00.html
9. http://www.theage.com.au/news/entertainment/potter-star-down-under/2007/05/17/1178995324608.html
10. PM - Senate focuses on Telstra chief's mobile coverage Australian Broadcasting Corporation

External links

★ http://www.toorakvillage.com.au/