Craigieburn, Victoria

Craigieburn is a satellite suburb, located on the edge of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 25 km north of Melbourne's central business district. Its local government area is the City of Hume. At the 2016 Census, Craigieburn had a population of 50,347.
The suburb of Craigieburn ranges from halfway down Bridgewater Road to Mount Ridley. Most of Craigieburn is more than 200 metres above sea level, with Mount Ridley being the northernmost hill in northwestern metropolitan Melbourne, giving it clear views of Melbourne's central business district 29.7 km away.
History.
Craigieburn's first people were the indigenous people.
Craigieburn takes its name from an old bluestone inn (its site located directly opposite modern day Kingswood Drive) that catered for travellers along the Old Sydney Road.
Craigieburn Post Office opened on 26 February 1866.
Population.
In the 2016 Census, there were 50,347 people in Craigieburn
Country of birth.
According to ABS Census 2006 data, 71.9% of those in Craigieburn were born in Australia; 1.9% were born in England; 1.9%, in Sri Lanka; 1.8%, in Italy; 1.5%, in New Zealand; 1.2%, in Iraq; and 3.9%, in India. In the ABS Census of 2011 the percentage of residents born in Australia had dropped to 61.4% and the other top responses were Iraq; 5.1%, India; 3.7%, Turkey; 3.4%, Italy; 2.4% and Sri Lanka; 2.3% ; Pakistan.
In the 2016 Census, 53.0% of people were born in Australia. The next most common countries of birth were India 11.3%, Iraq 5.4%, Sri Lanka 2.9%, New Zealand 2.8% and Philippines 1.9%.
Language.
44.2% of people spoke only English at home. Other languages spoken at home included Punjabi 7.8%, Arabic 4.6%, Turkish 4.6%, Sinhalese 3.4% and Hindi 3.3%.
Religion.
The most common responses for religion in Craigieburn (State Suburbs) were Catholic 28.4%, No Religion 15.5%, Islam 11.9%, Not Stated 7.7% and Sikhism 7.2%.
Facilities.
Sport and recreation.
Australian rules football is popular in Craigieburn. A local team, the Craigieburn Football Club plays in the Essendon District Football League. and is based at D.S. Aitken Reserve. AFL club Richmond Football Club as its second training base facility at Highgate Reserve on Grand Boulevard. The "Tigers" held a community camp in 2009 in the suburb. Richmond's VFL affiliate the Coburg Tigers played three home games there in 2010. The Calder Cannons, who compete in the Victorian statewide Under-18 competition are also based there.
A soccer club, Craigieburn City FC, have their home ground at Vic Foster reserve with teams from juniors to reserves. The senior men's team currently compete in the FFV State league 3 North West division.
A rugby league club, formed in 2008 as the Craigieburn Phoenix, but now known as the Hume City Bulldogs are based at Hothlyn Drive Reserve and play in the Victorian Rugby League competition.
Golfers play at the Craigieburn Golf Club on the Craigieburn Public Golf Course, or at the Willmott Park Golf Club on Craigieburn Road West.
The Craigieburn Sports Stadium is one of the major community based recreation facilities, fully owned and operated by the Hume City Council. The leisure centre is also the home of the Craigieburn Eagles Basketball Team. The Sports Stadium's facilities include:
Splash Aqua Park and Leisure Centre, located on Central Park Avenue, was opened in late 2017 and includes:
State Swim operate a swimming centre at 87 Grand Boulevard, focusing on teaching children (from 6 months of age to teenagers) to swim.
Six tennis courts and a Community hall are located on the western side of D.S. Aitken Reserve, on Selwyn Avenue.
The Craigieburn Bowling Club is located at 245 Craigieburn Road West.
A skate bowl is located at the south eastern corner of D.S. Aitken Reserve.
A BMX Track is located behind the Craigieburn Sports Stadium with available parking near the childcare centre.
Craigieburn has at least 15 kilometres of hike and bike trails.
The Craigieburn Sporting Club is located at the Craigieburn Public Golf Course on Craigieburn Road.
Public barbecues and a children's playground are located in the Craigieburn Gardens, located behind the Craigieburn Sports Stadium and Community Centre.
Commerce and Industry.
Craigieburn Central, located on the corner of Aitken Boulevard and Craigieburn Road, serves as the area's major retail precinct and first opened for trade in October 2013. Tenants in this centre include Big W and Target discount department stores, Woolworths and Coles supermarkets, United Cinemas and approximately 160 specialty stores.
Stockland completed the construction of the Highlands Shopping Centre on the corner of Aitken and Grand Boulevards (Highlands Estate) in November 2011. This shopping precinct includes a Woolworths Supermarket, Jetts Fitness, Cafe, Pharmacy, Butchery, Subway and other specialty shops.
Craigieburn Plaza Shopping Centre is located on the corner of Hanson Road and Craigieburn Road. It includes a Woolworths, dentist, tax agent, Halal butcher and several other specialty shops. Located further north in the newer estate on Mareeba Way is a small shopping centre containing a pharmacy, doctors surgery, cafe, bakery, general store and other fast food outlets.
A Bunnings Warehouse is located on the corner of Sydney and Amaroo Roads (opened 21 December 2010).
An industrial estate is currently being developed on the eastern side of the Hume Highway, and a rail yarding, maintenance and cleaning facility is now completed between the highway and the rail line north of Craigieburn rail station. The Australian Reserve Bank Note Printing Works is also located in Craigieburn.
MAB has planned a new city called Merrifield 5 km north of Craigieburn, a master planned mixed-use development, consisting of residential, commercial and business precincts.
Community.
A 24-hour Police Station and a Fire Station are located opposite D.S. Aitken Reserve.
The Craigieburn Youth Centre is located adjacent to the Craigieburn Leisure Centre.
Craigieburn Health Service, a public health service provider run by Northern Health, is on Craigieburn Road, immediately west of McDonald's. (Route 529)
There is also a new medical centre opened on Grand Boulevard - known as Highlands Medical Centre located at the Highlands shopping centre on Grand Boulevard
Hume Global Learning Centre.
On 7 May 2012, the new Hume Global Learning Centre was opened. The two-storey centre is home to the Craigieburn Library, a café, gallery, occasional childcare facilities and Council's Craigieburn Customer Service Centre on the ground level, and a conference and training centre on level one.
The old Craigieburn Library and Council's Customer Service Centre at Craigieburn Road are now relocated to the new building. In August 2014, the new Craigieburn Library won the best new public library of the year. The prize, which was established by the Danish Agency for Culture and sponsored by the Danish architecture firm schmidt hammer lassen architects, was awarded at the annual meeting of the IFLA (The International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions) in Lyon, France.
The award is a part of the Model Programme for Public Libraries project of the Danish Agency for Culture and Realdania, which has motivated municipalities to develop the library of the future, so that it is prepared to incorporate, among other things, digital developments and local culture and accommodate diverse population groups with an open and functional architectural expression in balance with its surroundings.
Residential areas.
Highlands Craigieburn, a residential development by Stockland, is the largest development in Craigieburn. Other major residential estate have been developed in Craigieburn by Delfin, Peet Limited (Aston) Evolve Development (Annadale) and Villawood (Trilium).
Transport.
Electrified railway services to Craigieburn Station was opened on 30 September 2007. Craigieburn was previously serviced by five-car diesel locomotives and Sprinter railcars on the Seymour / Albury line. The previous terminus was Broadmeadows Station. Some secret plans of the metro tunnel from Melbourne to Craigieburn were accidentally released.
For cyclists, Craigieburn is at the start of the Galada Tamboore Cycle Path which follows the Hume Freeway 14.7 km south to meet the Western Ring Road Trail at Thomastown.