10 Things you didn’t know about Albert Park, Victoria

Albert Park Suburb Profile – 

The extremely beautiful suburb, Albert Park is located beachfront on Port Phillip – 4 km south of Melbourne – between Port Melbourne and St. Kilda, separated from the CBD by South Melbourne and Southbank. It was settled residentially as an extension of Emerald Hill (South Melbourne) and is characterised by wide streets, heritage buildings, terraced houses, open air cafes, parks, and significant stands of mature exotic trees, including Canary Island Date Palm and London Planes. The main park after which the suburb was declared a public park in 1864 and named in honour of Prince Albert. So, let us find out

“How is Albert Park suburb stands on different parameters?”

1. Demographics

As per the last census of 2011, Albert Park had a population of just 5955, of which 51.5% were female and 48.5% male. The median age was 40 years. English was the main language spoken in this suburb (76.8%) followed by Greek in the second place (8.7%). The religious make-up is Christian (60.7%) followed by Hinduism and Judaism at little over a percent. Over 96% of the population over the age of 15 years are employed either full time or part time, mostly being professionals or in administrative jobs. The median individual income is $1010/week and the median household income is $1981/week. The postcode for Albert Park is 3206.

2. Amenities

a) Healthcare: Albert Park is known for quality health care services and medical facilities with some of the best hospitals and private clinics. Some of the well known hospitals for both emergency as well as extensive care are BAY STREET MEDICAL, St. KILDA ROAD MEDICAL CENTRE and CRAIGROSSIE CLINIC. There is also After Hours medical facility available through National Home Doctor Service, ReadyCare and Doctor To You, as also a large number of private medical practitioners.

b) Sports: The suburb has been home to the Formula One Australian Grand Prix since 1996. The Melbourne Grand Prix Circuit is run on the public roads. Albert Park is the home of Australia’s most successful soccer club South Melbourne FC who play out of Lakeside Stadium. Albert Park is also where NBL’s basketball team, the Melbourne Tigers’ administration is based. Melbourne Sports and Aquatic Centre is a large swimming centre, which hosted the 2006 Commonwealth Games squash, swimming and diving events. It also boasts of basketball and table tennis courts.

c) Transportation: There is no exact number available for number of vehicles registered in Albert Park, but over 52% of the household owns a vehicle. However, the most common modes of transport are the Train (V-Line, Metro), Tram and Bus. The main roads for commuting are Albert Road/Kerferd Road, Beaconsfield Parade, Queens Road and Ferars Street. The Tram route runs from Coburg East to Albert Park Beach, Richmond to St. Kilda and Brunswick East to St. Kilda, all running through Albert Park. The bus running through the suburb connects Brighton, Elwood, St. Kilda and Middle Park to Albert Park.

3. Property Prices

Albert Park is notable for its period homes – there are many proudly maintained, double-fronted Victorian brick houses as well as weatherboard Victorian cottages and enviable Edwardians, with modern architectural designs and apartment complexes adding variety. There are many grand houses and flats facing the water on Beaconsfield Parade, and double-story terrace homes on Canterbury Road and its off-shoots. If you want to live in sight of the city, but you still want to smell the sea breeze, settle into Albert Park. You’ll fall in love with its tree-lined boulevards, historic houses and a gorgeous, cafe-filled shopping village. With schools, trams and that famous lake, Albert Park just won’t quit. The median price of a house in Albert Park is $1,690,000 and $827,500 for a unit. The rental for a house is $733 per week and $380 for a unit (as of August, 2016).

4. Attractions

Only 3 km from the heart of the city, Albert Park is popular for a range of activities like dog walking, jogging, cycling, sailing, and rowing. Apart from the lake itself, other attractions include sporting facilities, ovals, playgrounds, restaurants and a 5km walking and running track. Sporting facilities include a golf driving range, gymnasium and the Melbourne Sports and Aquatic Centre (MSAC). Enjoy a barbecue or picnic with the family. Hire a boat and explore the lake. Walk, cycle or jog around the track, past green lawns and playing fields.

Popular things to do:

Lake Activities: The rowing clubs at Albert Park Lake operate weekly races and annual regattas.

Swan Picnic Area: The picnic ground has a shelter, seating, tables and electric barbecues. Use of these facilities is on a shared basis.

Melbourne Sports and Aquatic Centre: You can swim, dive or try out the indoor sports facilities and fitness gym at the Melbourne Sports & Aquatic Centre (MSAC).

Aquatic Drive: The Point Restaurant and the lakefront boardwalk are both accessible from Aquatic Drive.

Albert Park Golf Course: Play a round of golf on the Albert Park 18 hole public Golf Course or try out the Golf Driving.

5. Traffic

One of the great advantages of living in Albert Park is its relatively smooth flow of traffic even though it is so close to the city center. There is some congestion reported on the Albert Road/Kerferd Road, Beaconsfield Parade, Queens Road and Ferrars Street during peak hours, all being the main roads for commuting. Even then, the traffic in Albert Park will never get on your nerves.

6. Safety

Albert Park being sparsely populated and with a high rate of employment is considered to be a very safe suburb. The residents feel very comfortable living in this suburb as there have been no major incidents in the recent past. Albert Park does not have a Police Station of its own but are serviced by two, well within the range, police stations.

Police Station: South Melbourne
211 Bank St, South Melbourne Victoria 3205
Phone: (03) 9257 3800

Police Station: Melbourne East
226 Flinders Lane, Melbourne Victoria 3000
Phone: +44 39 637 1100

7. Restaurants

Albert Park’s shopping village around Bridport Street hums is home to quality delis, restaurants and cafes (including the quirky astroturf-clad Combe Café and the ever-popular Misuzu’s). Albert Park offers an array of cuisines to suit all palates. There are number of restaurants that serve authentic cuisine be it Italian, Oriental, European, French or Modern Australian. Besides the dine-in restaurants, It also has a large number of eateries that offer take-away as well as delivery. Some of the well known eating out places are Kamel (African/ Middle Eastern), The Vincent (European) Ciao Cielo (Italian/ European), Aja Restaurant (Asian), Lord Cardigan (Modern Australian) and of course Misuzu (Japanese). You will never go hungry with the kind of food options available in Albert Park.

8. Nearby Suburbs

Albert Park is ideally situated in close proximity to the Melbourne city centre. In a few minutes’ drive from Albert Park are some of the best suburbs of Melbourne viz. Middle Park, St. Kilda, South Melbourne and Port Melbourne. And a little further are South Yarra, Richmond and Prahran.

9. Future Plans

A master plan is being drafted to set a 20 year vision for Albert Park to guide it through the next stage of its history. Since the commencement of the Albert Park Master Plan in early 2014, a number of projects have been in consideration, including a proposal for a new underground railway station near Kings Way, Junction Oval redevelopment, and the delivery of South Melbourne Park Primary School. The project team is currently refining the master planning process to accommodate these projects.

10. a) Reasons to Live in Albert Park: Albert Park probably is one of the best suburbs of Melbourne. It is not only in proximity of the CBD, but it is well connected through public transport with the city centre. Within the suburb, Albert Park boasts of great eating joints, perhaps the best park around Melbourne, recreational centres, medical facilities and not to miss the F1 Racing tracks. There are a number of schools both for primary and higher secondary schools as well as Albert Park College. Moreover, the density of population being low, the place attracts high class gentry and makes it an ideal place to settle.

b) Reasons to reconsider Albert park: Albert Park being a lightly populated suburb with fewer schools and colleges may not be an ideal suburb for the families with school/ college going kids. If you are the partying kind and looking for nightlife, then it is not such a great place to settle down.

What do people say about Albert Park:

The residents of Albert Park are quite happy about the place. According to them, they enjoy the best of the entertainment, be it sports or theatre as well as the variety of cuisines that Albert Park restaurants offer. The residents love the calm tranquil atmosphere of the Albert Park.

List of following facilities in and around Albert Park at an average radial distance of 5 km approximately:

Note: These facilities may or may not be near to your residence within Albert Park. Please recheck the distance to a facility before buying or renting a property in Albert Park.

Hope we have done some justice to showcase the highlights of Albert Park suburb. If you notice that either we have not covered something or have made some mistake in data about Albert Park, don’t forget to share it with us.

Disclaimer: Some information about Albert Park may change at any point of time. So, we humbly request to kindly verify any critical information directly with the Albert Park Council.