“Looking for ghosts are we?” Oak Park has a secret history beyond its residential streets. It’s a suburb formed from John Pascoe Fawkner’s estate. Oak Park is located 11 km north of Melbourne’s Central Business District.
Fawkner acquired land here in 1839. His land stretched east from Moonee Ponds Creek. It reached Pascoe Vale Road. Fawkner lived here between 1840 and 1855. He named his property Belle Vue of Grand View Park. This was near the Oak Park Primary School. A stable in Oak Park Court may date from Fawkner’s time.
In 1879, the property was sold. The new owner renamed it Oak Park. His two-story mansion may include Fawkner’s original house.
The railway arrived in 1872. Yet Oak Park got no station. Electrification came in 1921. Still, stations were only at Pascoe Vale and Glenroy. Oak Park station was finally built in the mid-1950s. Housing came first. Then came the station.
Before World War II, subdivisions were rare here. The 1950s and 1960s brought rapid growth to Oak Park. The primary school opened in 1954. The high school followed in 1960. The Catholic primary school opened in 1961. Seedling oaks were planted at the high school. These came from trees on the Oak Park property. By 1970, housing filled the area. Even then, the Oak Park mansion had a poultry shed. It housed 600 birds. It remained until the property was sold.
A shopping center sits near the railway station. Reserves with ovals line Moonee Ponds Creek. Oak Park High School closed in 1997. It had been part of a four-campus college.
But Oak Park has other stories to tell. According to local legends Old Man Oak haunts Winifred Street. He is a myth from the Victorian Gold Rush. James Oak drowned in Moonee Ponds Creek. He was panning for gold. Some say his ghost still searches for that gold along the Moonee Ponds Creek Trail.
Oak Park offers a blend of community and convenience today. It is a safe green suburb. Many dine out in Oak Park. It is a small friendly place. You can get anywhere quickly. Then return to a peaceful lifestyle.
Zone 1 public transport serves Oak Park well. Sporting reserves promote activity. Strong community involvement defines Oak Park.
Maybe you will catch a glimpse of Old Man Oak. Or maybe you’ll just enjoy Oak Park’s peaceful streets. Either way, Oak Park offers a unique slice of Melbourne suburban life.