Eden Park

Eden Park, 38 km north of central Melbourne, is 4 km west of Whittlesea.

The area was surveyed and sold between 1840 and 1854, when Ewen Robertson acquired about 400 ha and built a twelve-roomed homestead named Breadalbane. In 1888 Robertson sold most of the land to an investor, who subdivided it into over 1300 lots. Roads were laid out in a grid pattern over most of the subdivision, but the roads in the north-west randomly ran along contours or at right angles to some steeper contours. In all cases the land is gravelly and prone to sheet, tunnel and gully erosion. The estate was marketed as ‘Eden Park’.

By 1901 upwards of 100 persons of small means had acquired lots at Eden Park, some no doubt tempted by the subdivider's persuasive description of the advantages of a rural retreat. In time many owners sold or surrendered their holdings by adverse possession until about 30 families owned small farms, intersected by the estate's avenues. In the late 1960s the estate was again actively promoted, and in 1980 there were 450 individual owners and 175 detached houses. There was an Eden Park primary school from 1904 to 1942.

Because of the fragility of the soil and the need to minimise development, subdivided sites have been consolidated, with the object of allowing about 350 buildings in Eden Park. It has become a rural/residential area, and its census populations have been: