Lavington, New South Wales

Lavington Albury, New South Wales
Urana Rd, Lavington
Population	12,032 (2011 census)[1]
• Density	600/km^2 (1,600/sq mi)
Postcode(s)	2641
Area	20 km^2 (7.7 sq mi)
Location	6 km (4 mi) N of Albury
LGA(s)	City of Albury
State electorate(s)	Albury
Federal Division(s)	Farrer
Suburbs around Lavington: Table Top/Ettamogah Springdale Heights Table Top/Ettamogah Hamilton Valley Lavington Thurgoona Glenroy North Albury East Albury

Lavington is the largest suburb of the city of Albury, New South Wales, located north of the Albury Central Business District. At the 2011 census, Lavington had a population of 12,032.^[1] Lavington is a mostly flat area near Nail Can Hill to the west, and is bordered by Thurgoona to the east, Hamilton Valley to the west, Springdale Heights to the north, and North Albury to the south. Lavington is mostly residential, but has significant rural areas in the north-west and a commercial area. Features include Centro Lavington Shopping Centre, Lavington Swim Centre, Jelbart Park and 5 schools (Lavington East Public, Lavington Public, Hume Public, Holy Spirit School (Catholic) and Murray High School). Lavington is the second major centre of the City of Albury, with its own commercial CBD.

History

Before European settlement, Aboriginals who lived in the area were of the Wiradjuri tribe. On the 15 June 1909 Lavington was officially named, having previously been known as Black Range. Once a prune-growing, orchard and gold mining area, Lavington has slowly changed to become a locality with many shops and parks. Where once the township was centered around the Lavington Hall and the Lavington Public School, near where Urana Road crosses the Bungambrawatha Creek (which has been known to yield many kinds of local crayfish or yabbies), as it became a suburb of Albury the shopping and business areas have concentrated around the junction of Griffith and Urana Roads.

Lavington was formerly part of the Greater Hume Shire but was added to the City of Albury during the 1950s, with the old boundary between the two local government areas being ascribed by Union Road. Much of Albury's subsequent residential and industrial expansion has occurred in the Lavington locality, particularly after the establishment of the Albury-Wodonga Development Corporation in the early 1970s.

Springdale Heights, north of Lavington was built in the 1970s and Hamilton Valley (a suburb west of Lavington) and Norris Park (a housing estate in western Lavington) were established in the 1990s.

Lavington celebrated its 100th anniversary of being proclaimed a suburb on the weekend starting 13 July 2009, with community activities at Centro, Lavington Panthers Oval, Lavington Library and the Lavington Hall in Urana Road.

Geography

Lavington is located in the flat floodplain of the Murray River, on an area crossed by the Bungambrawatha Creek, with Nail Can Hill to the west and the Black Range to the north. Lavington is bound by Union Road to the south, the railway/freeway line to the east, Kaitlers Road to the north, and an extended Burrows Road, Reservoir Road and Urana Road to the west.

Lavington's shopping centre is called Lavington Square, after previously being named Border Shoppingtown, Lavington Square, Lavington Shopping Centre and Lavington Square. It was originally a Big W complex when built in 1980 but was expanded in 2005 to include a variety of large business chains and a newly renovated food court.

Sport

There are many sporting groups in Lavington including ones for soccer, Australian rules football, cricket, netball, softball, water polo, swimming and tennis. There is a BMX and skate park.

The Nail Can Hill Run is an annual fun run that has been going for around 30 years. The event is usually held in early May and covers a hilly cross-country course of 11.3 km starting at Lavington Panthers Club, following the ridge of hills west of Lavington, Glenroy and Albury, eventually finishing at riverside parkland in Albury. There is also a mountain bicycling race over the same course run on the same day.

The Lavington Sports Ground, located in the suburb's west, is the Albury-Wodonga region's prominent sporting venue. In addition to being the home ground of the Lavington Panthers (formerly Blues) Australian rules football club who play in the Ovens & Murray Football League, it has hosted many AFL practice matches, the England v Zimbabwe fixture in the 1992 Cricket World Cup, New South Wales v England Tour Match (cricket) in 1990, one Sheffield Shield match between NSW and Victoria in 1989, and a couple of Australian Rugby League preseason grand finals during the mid-1990s, as well as other preseason games for the ARL and NRL competitions. Up until the 1980s, the Lavington Sports Carnival, incorporating the Lavington Gift, was staged at the ground.

The John Woodman Memorial Cycling Classic finish each year in front of the Lavington Hall, Urana Road.

Residents

At the 2006 Census, the population of Lavington was 12 477, a decrease from 14 274 in 1996. The most common religion was Catholic, followed by Anglican, and the average weekly household income was $767, below the Australian average of $1027. The median age was 37.^[2] At the 2011 Census, the population was 12,032 a further decline from the 2006 Census. The average weekly household income has increased to $826 from $767 which is still below Australia average of $1,234. The median age has increased to 39.

References

1. 2011 Census QuickStats - Lavington
2. Australian Bureau of Statistics (25 October 2007). "Lavington (State Suburb)". 2006 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 2008-04-14.

External links

Media related to Lavington, New South Wales at Wikimedia Commons

Coordinates: 36°03′00″S 146°55′59″E / 36.05°S 146.933°E