Clayton, Victoria
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Clayton is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Its Local Government Area is the City of Monash.
Overview
Image:Claytonshops.JPG The main focus for the suburb of Clayton is the shopping strip that runs along Clayton Rd. The local railway station, situated at the northern end of the shopping strip bears the name Clayton.
History
The area was first occupied for farming in the 1850s and was originally named after a property, "Clayton Vale", owned by John Clayton in the 1860s. A township was orinally gazetted on the main Dandenong Road, in what is now known as Clayton North. In 1862 a primary school was opened at the corner of Dandenong Road and Clayton Road, to serve the whole of the Clayton district. This school changed its name to Clayton North Primary in 1954.
The construction of the railway to Dandenong and Gippsland about 1 km south of Dandenong Road in 1878 prompted the start of a second township where the line crossed Clayton Road.
Clayton's rural lands and relative proximity to Melbourne attracted two institutions at the turn of the century: the Talbot Colony for Epileptics on land later occupied by Monash University, Clayton North, and a Women's Convalescent Home. Apart from that, in 1900 the community consisted of farms, three hotels, two churches, a tennis court and a few shops. Market gardens, fruit growing and a municipal abattoir were the leading industries
The 1960s saw the rapid disappearance of market gardens as urbanisation and industry advanced. At the western edge of Clayton the Oakleigh High School had been opened in 1955 and a second primary school was opened next year at Clayton South. Melbourne's second metropolitan university, Monash, was opened at Clayton North in 1961 . Primary schools at Westall and Clayton West opened in 1961 and 1962, and high schools at Westall and Monash (Clayton North) in 1963 and 1965.
Numerous factories, including Wilke Printing, Robert Bosch GmbH and Repco were opened after the Second World War. Clayton South and Westall are closer to the "sandbelt" areas, with the Spring Valley Golf Club and two large reserves. Sanitary landfill sites occupy former sand quarries.
While the local community was formerly a part of the now defunct 'City of Oakleigh' local council, in 1995 the municipality became the south-western corner for the City of Monash.
Clayton North is home to Monash University, arguably the Number One place of attraction for the region.
Template:MelbSuburbBox1 Template:City of Monash suburbs
http://www.arts.monash.edu.au/ncas/multimedia/gazetteer/list/clayton.html