Blackburn North, Victoria

Blackburn North is a suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 17 km east of Melbourne's Central Business District. Its local government area is the City of Whitehorse. At the 2011 Census, Blackburn North had a population of 7,028.Blackburn North is a predominantly residential suburb, with wide green and leafy streets and houses on quarter acre blocks. The suburb had its start in the early 1960s, much of it being built on land formerly used as an apple orchard. North Blackburn Shopping Centre was originally known as Old Orchard Shopping Centre for this reason, as is Old Orchard Primary School today. North Blackburn Post Office opened on 2 May 1955 and was renamed Blackburn North around 1990.Property prices have risen markedly in the last 10 years, especially since the Eastern Freeway was extended to run past the suburb.Prior to the formation of the City of Whitehorse in 1994, Blackburn North was a part of the now defunct City of Nunawading.IndustryA small light industrial area is located in the north-east corner of the suburb, along Joseph Street. A former clay pipe factory on Springfield Road has been closed and replaced by housing.ShoppingNo major shopping centre exists in Blackburn North. While it is well served by North Blackburn Square Shopping Centre on Springfield Road, it is in fact located in Blackburn. The large Westfield Doncaster is located in nearby Doncaster.