Springvale South

Springvale South, between Springvale and Keysborough, was subdivided for housing during the 1960s and 1970s. Its streets have the grid pattern of Springvale and the later pattern found throughout Keysborough which protects residential streets from through traffic. It contains the Springvale Plaza drive in shopping centre in Heatherton Road and another shopping centre in Springvale Road.

Springvale South’s sandy soil provided a suitable site for large scale poultry farms, but residential expansion from Springvale saw most farms retreat further into the sandbelt. In 1963 the shops expanded beyond a general store. Burden Park at the corner of Heatherton and Springvale Roads became the site of the Springvale croquet club (1961) and the Burden bowling club (1963).

Population pressure from Springvale and Noble Park lead to the opening of Heatherhill primary school in Heatherton Road in 1958, and eight years later Heatherhill high school (now a campus of Keysborough secondary college) opened in Springvale South. Between 1970 and 1977 six State schools opened in Springvale South or just beyond its border: Springvale South primary (1971) and Southvale primary (1971) (now part of the Athol Road primary); Springvale South technical (c1974) (closed); Coomoora primary (1976); Springvale South high (1976) (now Coomoora campus of Keysborough college); and Spring Valley primary (1977) (now Spring Parks primary). The last school is west of Springvale Road, adjoining the ‘green wedge’ that runs between Dingley Village and Heatherton road.

Springvale South’s civic centre is in Springvale Road, comprising the shopping centre, Springvale South reserve, kindergarten and the adjacent Alex Wilkie nature reserve. Wilkie managed the Natural Resources Conservation League’s native tree nursery (1947) south of the reserve and was a stalwart supporter of the Springvale South hall. For some years the hall hosted the Springvale South Light Opera Company.

Since the early 1990s Springvale South’s Anglo-Celtic population has had a heavy admixture of Indo-Chinese residents (see table in Springvale entry). A Buddhist society has premises opposite the conservation league’s former location. Further south along Springvale Road (Keysborough) there are Italian and Croatian clubs.

Springvale South’s census populations have been: