Gowanbrae, Victoria

Gowanbrae is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 13 km (8.1 mi) north-west of Melbourne's Central Business District, located within the City of Merri-bek local government area. Gowanbrae recorded a population of 2,971 at the 2021 census.^[1]

Gowanbrae Melbourne, Victoria
Moonee Ponds Creek Trail, Gowanbrae
Gowanbrae Location in metropolitan Melbourne
Coordinates	37°42′07″S 144°53′56″E / 37.702°S 144.899°E / -37.702; 144.899
Population	2,971 (2021 census)^[1]
• Density	2,290/km^2 (5,920/sq mi)
Established	1990s
Postcode(s)	3043
Elevation	97 m (318 ft)
Area	1.3 km^2 (0.5 sq mi)
Location	13 km (8 mi) NW of Melbourne
LGA(s)	City of Merri-bek
State electorate(s)	Niddrie
Federal division(s)	Maribyrnong
Suburbs around Gowanbrae: Tullamarine Gladstone Park Glenroy Gowanbrae Airport West Strathmore Heights

Gowanbrae is bounded by the Western Ring Road in the north and west, the Tullamarine Freeway in the west, the Albion-Jacana railway line in the south and Moonee Ponds Creek in the east. It is the City of Merri-bek's newest suburb, with residential development started in the 1990s and continuing.

Demographics

According to data from the 2016 census:^[2]

• The most common ancestries in Gowanbrae were Australian 18.3%, English 17.6%, Italian 14.1%, Irish 7.9% and Scottish 4.7%.
• In Gowanbrae, 72.0% of people were born in Australia. The most common countries of birth were Fiji 2.0%, Italy 1.9%, Sri Lanka 1.9%, India 1.5% and China (excludes SARs and Taiwan) 1.4%.
• The most common responses for religion in Gowanbrae were Catholic 41.5%, No Religion, so described 21.2%, Anglican 7.3%, Not stated 7.0% and Eastern Orthodox 4.6%. In Gowanbrae, Christianity was the largest religious group reported overall (67.3%) (this figure excludes not stated responses).
• In Gowanbrae, 67.9% of people only spoke English at home. Other languages spoken at home included Italian 5.7%, Sinhalese 2.2%, Greek 2.0%, Hindi 2.0% and Mandarin 1.7%.
• Gowanbrae could be described as a high income young family suburb with moderate cultural diversity. About one third of citizens in Gowanbrae were born overseas and a high proportion of citizens speak a language other than English at home. There is a high level of religious affiliation in Gowanbrae, with three quarters of citizens proclaiming themselves Christians. In 2001, 400 residents were living in Gowanbrae in about 135 dwellings.

Gowanbrae has a strong and active residents group and website^[3] and Facebook page named 'Gowanbrae'. The suburb has a $4 million community and children's centre with views of the city of Melbourne. There is also a yearly festival which is attended by most of the residents.

Transport

Bus

One bus route services Gowanbrae:

•  490 : Westfield Airport West – Gowanbrae via Melrose Drive and Gowanbrae Drive. Operated by CDC Melbourne.^[4] The bus route operates as a demand responsive transport service inside the suburb itself.^[5] Introduced in July 2008, no public transport had previously operated in the suburb.^[6]

Cycling

The Moonee Ponds Creek Trail and the Western Ring Road Trail provide facilities for recreational and commuting cyclists.

Road

The sole road access to the suburb is from the west via Coventry Street, which passes under the Tullamarine Freeway.

Train

There are no railway stations in Gowanbrae, with Broadmeadows, Jacana and Glenroy stations, all on the Craigieburn line, the nearest stations. The Albion-Jacana railway line forms Gowanbrae's southern border, and is primarily a freight only line, with NSW TrainLink's XPT service to Sydney and V/Line's North East service to Albury the only passenger services on the line.

Tram

The nearest tram route to Gowanbrae is located in nearby Airport West:

•  : Westfield Airport West – Flinders Street station (Elizabeth Street Melbourne CBD). Operated by Yarra Trams.^[7]

References

1. Australian Bureau of Statistics (28 June 2022). "Gowanbrae (Suburbs and Localities)". 2021 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 2 July 2022.  
2. "2016 Census QuickStats: Gowanbrae". quickstats.censusdata.abs.gov.au. Retrieved 18 August 2021.   Text was copied from this source, which is available under a Attribution 4.0 International License.
3. Gowanbrae
4. "490 Airport West to Gowanbrae via Melrose Dr & Gowanbrae Dr". Public Transport Victoria.
5. Bridie Byrne (15 July 2008). . Star News Group. Archived from the original on 20 July 2008. Retrieved 5 August 2008.
6. "New bus service to connect Gowanbrae". Premier of Victoria (Press release). State of Victoria. 7 July 2008. Retrieved 20 May 2011.
7. "59 Airport West - Flinders Street Station & City". Public Transport Victoria.