Burnside and Burnside Heights
Burnside is a residential suburb on the former Western Highway (now Ballarat Road) 20 km west of central Melbourne. It is between Caroline Springs and Deer Park. Its eastern and northern boundaries are the Kororoit Creek. Burnside Heights is on the northern side of the creek, immediately west of Kings Park. Both Burnside and Burnside Heights are the eastern-most suburbs of Melton shire.
Originally both suburbs were known as Burnside. Burnside Heights was detached and named in late 2005.
Burnside has a drive-in shopping centre, a community centre and a Masters hardware store on the north side of Ballarat Road. Sites are reserved for a State primary school and a hotel (2013).
Burnside Heights has a community hub which includes Kororoit Creek State primary school (2011), an aquatic centre and a maternal and child health centre. Along Kororoit Creek there is a linear park which widens to provide sports ovals in the Burnside Heights recreation area. Residents shop at Burnside, Taylors Lakes’ Waterdale shopping centre or further away at Watergardens, Sydenham.
Both suburbs are multi-cultural. Religious affiliations expressed in the 2011 census included:
| Religion | % of population | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Burnside | Burnside Heights | Victoria | |
| Catholic | 41.6 | 34.7 | 26.7 |
| Eastern Orthodox | 7.9 | 9.0 | 4.3 |
| Buddhist | 6.5 | 7.5 | 3.1 |
| Islamic | - | 9.0 | 2.9 |
At the 2011 census English was spoken at home in Burnside by 48.1% of residents and in Burnside Heights by 42.8% (Victoria, 72.4%).
Census populations have been:
| census date | population | |
|---|---|---|
| Burnside | Burnside Heights | |
| 2001 | 2909 | |
| 2006 | 5792 | |
| 2011 | 4385 | 5000 |
