Niddrie

Niddrie is a residential and commercial suburb 11 km north-west of Melbourne, between Essendon and Keilor.

It was named after the Niddry farm near the Essendon airport, which was subdivided as the Niddrie Estate. Niddrie is situated at the point where the Keilor Road tram turns northwards to Airport West, and the Niddrie strip shopping centre is located at the tramline’s corner. The suburb’s northern boundary is the Calder Freeway.

The Keilor Road tram was extended to Niddrie in 1943 and the suburb was settled residentially from the early 1950s, Niddrie’s first primary school was named Doutta Galla (1953). A technical school was opened in 1959 (now Rosehill secondary college), and primary and high schools in 1961. They are actually in Airport West, on the north side of the freeway. There is also the St John Boscos Catholic primary school. Doutta Galla primary school is now the Western Autistic Centre.

Niddrie’s western boundary is Steele Creek and wetlands. The former Niddrie quarry is on the west side of Steele Creek in Keilor East.

The Keilor road shopping strip is a busy local centre, well away from Puckle Street and Airport West. Niddrie’s census populations have been: