Diggers Rest, Victoria 615303 211126235 2008-05-08T22:00:18Z Iridescent 937705 Cleanup , typos fixed: Childrens → Children's using [[Project:AutoWikiBrowser|AWB]] {{Infobox Australian Place | type = town | name = Diggers Rest | state = vic | image = | caption = | lga = [[Shire of Melton]], [[City of Hume]] | postcode = 3427 | pop = 2381 (2006) <ref name="abs">{{Census 2006 AUS | id = SSC25479 | name = Diggers Rest (State Suburb) | accessdate = 2007-09-25 | quick = on}}</ref> | est = 1874 | elevation= 153 | stategov = [[Electoral district of Macedon|Macedon]] | fedgov = [[Division of Lalor|Lalor]] | dist1 = 35 | location1= [[Melbourne]] | dist2 = 7 | location2= [[Sunbury, Victoria|Sunbury]] | near-nw = [[Toolern Vale, Victoria|Toolern Vale]] | near-n = [[Sunbury, Victoria|Sunbury]] | near-ne = [[Wildwood, Victoria|Wildwood]] | near-w = [[Toolern Vale, Victoria|Toolern Vale]] | near-e = [[Bulla, Victoria|Bulla]] | near-sw = [[Ravenhall, Victoria|Ravenhall]] | near-s = [[Keilor North, Victoria|Keilor North]] | near-se = [[Tullamarine, Victoria|Tullamarine]] }} '''Diggers Rest''' is a town northwest of [[Melbourne Airport]] near [[Melbourne]], the capital city of [[Victoria (Australia)|Victoria]], [[Australia]], along the [[Calder Freeway]]. It is part of the [[Local Government Areas of Victoria|Local Government Area]]s of [[Shire of Melton]] and [[City of Hume]]. At the 2006 [[Census in Australia|census]], Diggers Rest had a population of 2381. ==History== Diggers Rest began life as a stopping place on the road to the [[Bendigo, Victoria|Bendigo]] goldfields. [[Caroline Chisholm]] started a women's shelter in the area. The town grew in the 1870s and 1880s and became a postal village with a general store, post office, weighbridge, mechanics' institute and a chaff mill. It is famed for being the location of the first controlled powered flight of an aeroplane undertaken in Australia. The flight was performed by [[Harry Houdini]] in [[1910]].<ref>[http://www.ctie.monash.edu.au/hargrave/houdini_bio.html Hargrave Pioneers: Harry Houdini]</ref> ==Present day== Diggers Rest contains a general store, a [http://www.education.vic.gov.au/schoolsonline/Details.asp?LocationID=01247901 primary school] and a [[Country Fire Authority|CFA]] fire station, along with three large recreation reserves.<ref>Map 351-352, [[Melway]] street directory (28th ed., 2001)</ref> Sporting groups in Diggers Rest include [[Diggers Rest Football Club]] who play in the [[Riddell District Football League]]. Other facilities in the Diggers Rest area include the Holden Flora and Fauna Reserve, Animal Land Children's Farm [http://www.animalland.com.au] and SPSK Jadran, a [[Slovenia]]n social club which services nearby [[St Albans, Victoria|St Albans]] and [[Keilor, Victoria|Keilor]]. Diggers Rest also has a Scout Group containing Cub Scouts and Scouts, they meet at the Diggers Rest Reserve behind the Tennis Club rooms. ==Transport== Diggers Rest has a [[Diggers Rest railway station, Melbourne|railway station]] on the [[Sunbury railway line, Melbourne|Sunbury line]], connecting the town with Melbourne's [[central business district|CBD]]. The 483 bus route operated by [[Sunbury Bus Service]] services the town, connecting with both suburban Melbourne and with nearby [[Sunbury, Victoria|Sunbury]], which contains a [[Victoria University, Australia|Victoria University]] campus.<ref>[http://www.sunburybus.com.au/ Sunbury Bus Service website], accessed [[25 November]] [[2006]]</ref> ==References== {{reflist}} ==External links== {{Mapit-AUS-suburbscale|lat=-37.628|long=144.721}} * [http://web.archive.org/web/20040511084930/http://www.arts.monash.edu.au/ncas/multimedia/gazetteer/list/diggersrest.html Diggers Rest] (Australian Gazetteer) {{Shire of Melton suburbs}} [[Category:Towns in Victoria]] {{Melbourne-geo-stub}}