Strathmore is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 11 km north-west from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Moonee Valley. At the 2006 Census, Strathmore had a population of 7775.

Strathmore is bordered by Woodland Street to the south, Bulla Road and Essendon Airport in the west, and the Moonee Ponds Creek to the north east.

The Tullamarine Freeway effectively cuts the suburb into northern and southern halves, and with the upgrade to the freeway by CityLink in the late 1990s, noise barriers were installed which at the time of installation some residents feared would be like a 'Berlin Wall'.

History

The first land sales in the area of Strathmore were made in 1843 and 1845 in the Parish of Doutta Galla. Major Frederick Berkley St John, was the purchaser of the Strathmore North area, (Section 23). The other major purchaser (Section 15, Parish of Doutta Galla) covering the Strathmore area was Edward Jones Brewster. Both made significant fortunes from land speculation.

Brewster subdivided and sold 100 acres (400,000 m²) of land to Thomas Napier, who occupied the land and left a lasting legacy to the area - the origin of its name. The area of Strathmore was originally called North Essendon. The name of "Strathmore" was first suggested by the Rev. John Sinclair in 1936 and was initially adopted by the church. The name was derived from Thomas Napier's Scottish heritage, the valley of Strathmore, Scotland close to where he once lived. The name was submitted to Council in 1943. In 1955 the Railways changed the name of the station from North Essendon to Strathmore.

As a relatively unknown suburb, Strathmore's profile has been enhanced considerably following the construction of the Direct Factory Outlet shopping complex in December 2005 which is located on the Bulla Road turnoff on the Tullamarine Freeway next to Essendon Airport. The DFO, while enhancing Strathmore's profile and boosting the local economy, has resulted in heavy traffic. As a response new traffic lights have been installed on the complex intersection and nearby streets have been blocked to prevent spillover parking during busy periods.

Melbourne underworld figure Jason Moran was killed in the suburb behind the Cross Keys Hotel in 2003.

Landmarks

Napier Park is a 10 acre (40,000 m²) block bounded by Woodland, Napier streets, Noble Avenue and Glenbervie Road. It was donated to Essendon Council in 1920 by Theodore Napier, the son of Thomas Napier. It is a carefully preserved woodland block which gives visitors an idea of what the Strathmore Area was like prior to European Settlement. The park includes a stand of River Red Gums (Eucalyptus Camaldulensis). These trees are protected under the National Register of Significant Trees. There is only one other such stand of Redgums in the Melbourne area.

Lebanon Reserve is the home of the Strathmore Football Club a member of the Essendon District Football League.This reserve is located on the banks of the Moonee Ponds Creek.

The other important landmarks are Essendon Airport, Tullamarine Freeway and the Moonee Ponds Creek.

Transport

The suburb is serviced by the Strathmore railway station on the Craigieburn railway line.

Cyclists have easy access to the Moonee Ponds Creek Trail along the Moonee Ponds Creek.

Education

The area contains several schools, including Strathmore Primary School, Strathmore North Primary and Strathmore Secondary College.