108-499: Australian Pacific Touring ( APT ) is an Australian tour and river cruising operator with worldwide reach. Alfred William (Bill) McGeary was born in 1900 in Victoria . A fitter and turner by trade, McGeary bought, re-built and sold cars and motorcycles. After moving to the country, McGeary worked as foreman for Queen's Bridge Motors, a Warracknabeal garage. The foundations of APT were laid in 1924 when McGeary converted his tray truck into
216-490: A Koori design. The nearby Caulfield 9th (Murrumbeena) Scout Hall takes advantage of its park/bush environment and is the only group with an animal emblem (the frog) in the state. The entry to Springthorpe Gardens features the original old gates of the Royal Melbourne Hospital (prior to 1860), which were presented to J. W. Springthorpe, who was a revered physician at the hospital and wrote many medical texts. The park
324-450: A bus and joined with other enterprising operators to transport commuters left stranded by an extended cable-tram strike in Melbourne 's northern suburbs. McGeary learned it was necessary to drop off and pick up customers very quickly as the striking tramway workers would attempt to tip the bus over on its side. In 1927 he purchased his first new bus for a route from Northcote to connect with
432-728: A child, 307 convicts, 17 convicts' wives, and seven children). They had been sent from England in HMS ; Calcutta under the command of Captain Daniel Woodriff , principally out of fear that the French, who had been exploring the area, might establish their own settlement and thereby challenge British rights to the continent. In 1826, Colonel Stewart, Captain Samuel Wright, and Lieutenant Burchell were sent in HMS Fly (Captain Wetherall) and
540-778: A cooler, mountain climate in the centre of the state. Winters along the coast of the state, particularly around Melbourne , are relatively mild ( see chart ). The coastal plain south of the Great Dividing Range has Victoria's mildest climate. Air from the Southern Ocean helps reduce the heat of summer and the cold of winter. Melbourne and other large cities are located in this temperate region. The Mallee and upper Wimmera are Victoria's warmest regions with hot winds blowing from nearby semi-deserts. Average temperatures exceed 32 °C (90 °F) during summer and 15 °C (59 °F) in winter. Except at cool mountain elevations,
648-624: A fleet of ships and had pioneered full-size French balconies within 75% of all cabins on board the AmaWaterways Europe river cruise fleet and subsequently the all-weather twin balcony. APT and AmaWaterways expanded into Russia with the major reconstruction and renovation of the MS AmaKatarina. APT and AmaWaterways, in partnership with Indochina Sails, built a ship in Vietnam on the Mekong River ,
756-630: A human hearth excavated in 1971 was radiocarbon-dated to about 31,000 years BP , making Keilor one of the earliest sites of human habitation in Australia. A cranium found at the site has been dated at between 12,000 and 14,700 years BP . Archaeological sites in Tasmania and on the Bass Strait Islands have been dated to between 20,000 to 35,000 years ago when sea levels were 130 metres below present level allowing First Nations Peoples to move across
864-559: A kangaroo hunting ground. Creation stories describe how Bunjil was responsible for the formation of the bay, or the bay was flooded when the Yarra River was created. Victoria, like Queensland , was named after Queen Victoria , who had been on the British throne for 14 years when the colony was established in 1851. After the founding of the colony of New South Wales in 1788, Australia was divided into an eastern half named New South Wales and
972-609: A license agreement with AAT Kings to provide all APT day touring and short breaks in Melbourne, Sydney and the Northern Territory , with the latter to provide all ground transport. This saw some AAT Kings coaches repainted in APT livery. In January 2014 Geoff McGeary was awarded a Medal of the Order of Australian (OAM) for services to Tourism in the 2014 Australia Day Honours . In April 2019
1080-616: A minority stake in European tour operator Topdeck , with its founders. In 2005, APT entered another expanding travel market when the company invested in river cruise business AmaWaterways , in partnership with longtime friend and North American tour expert, Jimmy Murphy and cruising expert, Rudi Schriner. In 2006 APT licensed the operation of APT Day Tours in Melbourne and Sydney to Dallas Newton, former APT General Manager with coaches in Sydney provided by Crowthers . In June 2009, APT advanced onto
1188-569: A new multi-member proportional representation system. The State of Victoria was divided into eight electorates with each electorate represented by five representatives elected by Single Transferable Vote . The total number of upper house members was reduced from 44 to 40 and their term of office is now the same as the lower house members—four years. Elections for the Victorian Parliament are now fixed and occur in November every four years. Prior to
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#17330923008211296-480: A population of 9,996 at the 2021 census . Murrumbeena is a small and highly coveted suburban area with extensive parklands and a rich artistic heritage. It has multiple commercial zones featuring services and cafes, including: Murrumbeena Village, nearby the train station; Poath Road; North Road; and Murrumbeena Road nearby the Beauville Estate and Duncan McKinnon Reserve. The name "Murrumbeena" derives from
1404-583: A rate of 8,227 per 100,000 people, up 4.4% on the previous year. While there have been some dips along the way, the rate of recorded offences have increased year on year since 2011, when the figure was 6,937.7 offences per 100,000 people. Victoria has a parliamentary form of government based on the Westminster System . Legislative power resides in the Parliament consisting of the Governor (the representative of
1512-653: A small playground and BBQ pavilion. "Open Country", a bronze sculpture by Lenore Boyd representing Merric Boyd's vision of life in early Murrumbeena, is mounted on a boulder nearby the park's Neerim Road entry. The southern end features majestic 250-year-old River Red Gum trees, a bordering post and rail fence, and some of the last remnant indigenous forest in the region, which includes endangered native orchids. Regular wildlife throughout Boyd Park includes brush tail and ringtail possums, 21 recorded native bird species (including owls and tawny frogmouth), geckos and microbats. The endangered Swift Parrot has been monitored foraging amongst
1620-459: A specialist luxury operator to remote destinations with a focus on cruises, tours by Private Jet and overland tours using trains, river ships and coaches. Responding to changing market demand, APT ceased operating camping tours in Australia in 2001 and expanded into other domestic enterprises purchasing Sahara Tours, an 18-vehicle touring business operating in Central Australia . In 2003, this
1728-474: A sustainable water garden feature sits alongside the shed. It is reached via the driveway of Murrumbeena Uniting Church, 117 Murrumbeena Road. In 2021, Murrumbeena also became the home to a colourful 40-metre long mural on Railway Parade, The Story of Big Frog , based on Breslin's children's book, BREZANIA . Murrumbeena Primary School is an International Baccalaureate World School and Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Program participant. The school building
1836-461: A western half named New Holland , under the administration of the colonial government in Sydney. The first British settlement in the area later known as Victoria was established in October 1803 under Lieutenant-Governor David Collins at Sullivan Bay on Port Phillip. It consisted of 402 people (five government officials, nine officers of marines, two drummers, and 39 privates, five soldiers' wives and
1944-562: A wine bar have popped up alongside small businesses in creative fields which value the suburb's combined ease of access, walkability and village feel. A creative market with local wares pops up fortnightly on Sundays (The Alleyway, Neerim Road) opposite the station. 'Local Sundays,' combines live music with barefoot bowls on the last Sunday of the month at the nearby Murrumbeena Bowls Club. "Frogtopia," twin murals by local artist Anthony Breslin, feature in Attwood Lane between Neerim Road and
2052-499: A wine bar; businesses including hairdressers/barbers, florist and curio/op shops; and services including a bank, post office, newsagent and pharmacy. Yoga and dance studios, and a martial arts centre also feature in this area. Artist Merric Boyd would buy his sketchbooks (Octavo Spirax #577) at the newsagency here. Murrumbeena Village is currently undergoing a creative revival following major infrastructure upgrades during 2017–2019. Numerous unique street cafes, evening dining options and
2160-401: Is a state in southeastern Australia. It is the second-smallest state (after Tasmania ), with a land area of 227,444 km (87,817 sq mi); the second-most-populated state (after New South Wales ), with a population of over 6.9 million; and the most densely populated state in Australia (30.6 per km ). Victoria's economy is the second-largest among Australian states and
2268-548: Is a company that operates private trains in Russia, Mongolia, China, Tibet, India, Canada and Africa and holds an exclusive lease on the new Golden Eagle Trans-Siberian Express. In 2012, this was renamed to Golden Eagle Luxury Trains (GELT). Australian Pacific Touring is the flagship company for the APT Travel Group, which currently consists of several brands. Victoria, Australia Victoria , commonly abbreviated as Vic ,
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#17330923008212376-578: Is a mix of predominantly single-family detached homes with small pockets of walk-up flats of up to two stories developed since the 1960s. The predominant style of the buildings in the shopping strip, station and surrounding homes are Federation and Interwar which include many magnificent examples of single story Art Deco designs. The Victoria Heritage Database lists the following significant buildings in Murrumbeena: Other listed significant features include: "Butterfly House," 38 Kangaroo Road,
2484-512: Is at 39°12' S, which passes through Boundary Islet in the Bass Strait for 85 metres. Victoria contains many topographically, geologically and climatically diverse areas, ranging from the wet, temperate climate of Gippsland in the southeast to the snow-covered Victorian alpine areas which rise to almost 2,000 m (6,600 ft), with Mount Bogong the highest peak at 1,986 m (6,516 ft). There are extensive semi-arid plains to
2592-399: Is divided into distinct geographic regions , most commonly for the purposes of economic development , while others for land management (agriculture or conservation) and for censusing (statistical or meteorological) or electoral purposes. The most commonly used regions are those created by the state government for the purposes of economic development . In addition to Greater Melbourne ,
2700-802: Is heavier. Rainfall is most reliable in Gippsland and the Western District , making them both leading farming areas. Victoria's highest recorded daily rainfall was 377.8 mm (14.87 in) at Tidal River in Wilsons Promontory National Park on 23 March 2011. At March 2024 Victoria had a population of 6,959,200. The Australian Bureau of Statistics estimates that the population may well reach 10.3 million by 2051. Victoria's founding Anglo-Celtic population has been supplemented by successive waves of migrants from Southern and Eastern Europe , Asia and, most recently, Africa and
2808-525: Is highly diversified, with service sectors predominating. Victoria is bordered by New South Wales to the north and South Australia to the west and is bounded by the Bass Strait to the south (with the exception of a small land border with Tasmania located along Boundary Islet ), the Great Australian Bight portion of the Southern Ocean to the southwest, and the Tasman Sea (a marginal sea of
2916-425: Is located 10 km (6 mi) south of Bendigo . Due to its central location and the region's historical ties to the gold rush, the town is widely regarded as the "Heart of Gold". The state's capital, Melbourne, contains about 70% of the state's population and dominates its economy, media, and culture. For other cities and towns, see list of localities (Victoria) and local government areas of Victoria . Victoria
3024-489: Is on the Victorian Heritage Database due to its architectural significance. Six sculpture totem poles were created here in conjunction with ceramic artist-in-residence Ursula Dutkiewicz in 2008. Significant events in the school's history include: St Patrick's Primary School is a Catholic school located next to the church of the same name. Murrumbeena High School originally occupied a large parcel of land on
3132-454: Is particularly strong in Bendigo and its environs. In 1854 at Ballarat, an armed rebellion against the government of Victoria was made by miners protesting against mining taxes (the " Eureka Stockade "). This was crushed by British troops, but the confrontation persuaded the colonial authorities to reform the administration of mining concessions (reducing the hated mining licence fees) and extend
3240-399: Is reasonably flat apart from the dip between Murrumbeena and Hughesdale Stations. From the ground-level Murrumbeena Station to its platforms, there are 60 steps (4 flights of 15 stairs). A 1000-step challenge will require 16 full sections from bottom to top and a 17th to the end of the 3rd section. (Escalators and lifts don’t count.) Numerous cycling connections traverse Murrumbeena, including
3348-463: The Australian Bureau of Statistics as being a population cluster of 1,000 or more people. The below figures broadly represent the populations of the contiguous built-up areas of each city: Victoria has a varied climate that ranges from semi-arid temperate with hot summers in the north-west, to temperate and cool along the coast. Victoria's main land feature, the Great Dividing Range, produces
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3456-676: The Australian Senate . At state level, the Parliament of Victoria consists of the Legislative Assembly and the Legislative Council . The Labor Party , led by Jacinta Allan as premier , has governed Victoria since 2014. The Governor of Victoria , the representative of the monarch in the state, is currently Margaret Gardner . Victoria is divided into 79 local government areas , as well as several unincorporated areas which
3564-628: The Kimberley region of Western Australia include Mitchell Falls Wilderness Lodge, Bell Gorge Wilderness Lodge, and the Bungle Bungle wilderness lodge. These camps are situated on Aboriginal land by special agreement with local indigenous communities and are available to both APT tourists and self-drive travellers. In 2009, APT acquired the majority interest in GW Travel, a provider of long distance luxury rail journeys. Founded by Tim Littler, GW Travel
3672-531: The Middle East . Victoria's population is ageing in proportion with the average of the remainder of the Australian population. About 72% of Victorians are Australian-born. This figure falls to around 66% in Melbourne but rises to higher than 95% in some rural areas in the north west of the state. Less than 1% of Victorians identify themselves as Aboriginal . More than 75% of Victorians live in Melbourne, located in
3780-706: The South Pacific Ocean ) to the southeast. The state encompasses a range of climates and geographical features from its temperate coastal and central regions to the Victorian Alps in the northeast and the semi-arid northwest. The majority of the Victorian population is concentrated in the central-south area surrounding Port Phillip , and in particular within the metropolitan area of Greater Melbourne , Victoria's state capital and largest city and also Australia's second-largest city , where over three-quarters of
3888-592: The Victoria State Government has divided Victoria into five regions covering all parts of the state. The five regional Victoria divisions are: The Australian Bureau of Meteorology defines regions for its own purposes, some of which share names with the economic regions, even though the exact boundaries may not correlate. As of November 2014, they are: This is a list of places in the Australian state of Victoria by population. Urban centres are defined by
3996-607: The Yorta Yorta . There were more than 30 Aboriginal languages spoken in the area prior to European colonisation. In 1770 James Cook claimed the east coast of the Australian continent for the Kingdom of Great Britain . The first European settlement in the area occurred in 1803 at Sullivan Bay . Much of Victoria was included in 1836 in the Port Phillip District of New South Wales. Named in honour of Queen Victoria , Victoria
4104-657: The electoral franchise . The following year, the Imperial Parliament granted Victoria responsible government with the passage of the Colony of Victoria Act 1855. Some of the leaders of the Eureka rebellion went on to become members of the Victorian Parliament. In 1857, reflecting the growing presence of Irish Catholic immigrants, John O'Shanassy became the colony's second Premier with the former Young Irelander , Charles Gavan Duffy as his deputy. Melbourne's Protestant establishment
4212-500: The pink heath (state flower), Leadbeater's possum (state animal) and the helmeted honeyeater (state bird). Ecological communities include Victorian Volcanic Plain grasslands , Northern Plains Grassland and Gippsland Plains Grassy Woodland , all of which are critically endangered. According to Geoscience Australia , the geographic centre of Victoria is located in Mandurang at 36° 51' 15"S, 144° 16' 52" E. The small rural locality
4320-541: The population growth peak of 1969–72. In 2017, Victoria recorded a TFR of 1.724. The "average Victorian" according to the demographic statistics may be described as follows: In the year ending September 2020, the statistics were skewed by the introduction of six new public safety offences relating to the COVID-19 pandemic in Australia . Total offences numbered 551,710, with 32,713 of these being breaches of Chief Health Officer Directions. The total offences occurred at
4428-750: The 17 km-long Djerring Trail, which runs under and alongside the rail corridor from Caulfield to Dandenong. A shared path through Boyd Park (along the Outer Circle Railway) connects to Gardiners Creek Trail on the other side of Dandenong Road then onto the Yarra Trail and Scotchmans Creek Trail. A bike repair station is alongside the path in Boyd Park. Rosstown Rail Trail runs east–west along Murrumbeena Crescent. The shared bike and parking lane along Murrumbeena Road runs north–south connecting to Dandenong Road and extending along East Boundary Road. Through
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4536-564: The 2006 election, the Legislative Council consisted of 44 members elected to eight-year terms from 22 two-member electorates. Murrumbeena, Victoria Murrumbeena ( / ˌ m ʌr əm ˈ b iː n ə / MURR -əm- BEE -nə ) is a suburb in Melbourne , Victoria , Australia , 13 km south-east of Melbourne's Central Business District , located within the City of Glen Eira local government area . Murrumbeena recorded
4644-410: The 2016 census, 72.2% of Victorians speak English at home. Speakers of other languages include Mandarin (3.2%), Italian (1.9%), Greek (1.9%), Vietnamese (1.7%), and Arabic (1.3%). In the 2016 Census, 47.9% of Victorians described themselves as Christian , 10.6% stated that they followed other religions and 32.1% stated that they had no religion or held secular or other spiritual beliefs. In
4752-440: The 2016 census, the most commonly nominated ancestries were: 0.8% of the population, or 47,788 people, identified as Indigenous Australians ( Aboriginal Australians and Torres Strait Islanders ) in 2016. At the 2016 census, 64.9% of residents were born in Australia. The other most common countries of birth were England (2.9%), India (2.9%), Mainland China (2.7%), New Zealand (1.6%) and Vietnam (1.4%). As of
4860-458: The APT Travel Group announced the formation of OneTomorrow, a philanthropic charitable fund operated by the business, chaired by Robert McGeary (son of Geoff McGeary). In July 2019 the APT Travel Group launched the TravelGlo brand. In 1927, Bill McGeary purchased his first new bus, which was painted brown with the words "Deluxe Motors" in gold along the side. By the time his son, Geoff, took over
4968-651: The Aboriginal word "mirambena." It may have meant "land of frogs", "moss growing on decayed wood" or it may be a derivative from the name of an Aboriginal elder. The evidence for any of these etymologies is uncertain. The name was officially adopted when the Murrumbeena railway station opened in 1879. The Boon Wurrung , the Indigenous Australians of the Kulin Nation , are recognised as the traditional owners of
5076-947: The Arthur Merric Boyd (AMB) Pottery on Neerim Road. In 1954–56, Arthur Boyd was commissioned to create the ceramic Olympic Pylon , known as Totem Pole , here for the Olympic Pool in Melbourne. The heritage-registered sculpture is now erected outside the Melbourne Sports and Entertainment Centre. Colourful sculptures tower above the Murrumbeena Community Garden beds (planted with a variety of vegetables, sunflowers and Indigenous herbs) and painted furniture at Anthony Breslin's Community Art Project. The surrounding walls feature works of Breslin (including frogs) and other local artists, an extensive mural wall displays hundreds of tiles created by local primary school students, and
5184-500: The Bass Strait islands became separated from mainland Australia around 12,000 BP, when the sea level was approximately 50m below present levels. Port Phillip was flooded by post-glacial rising sea levels between 8,000 and 6,000 years ago. Oral history and creation stories from the Wada wurrung , Woiwurrung and Bun wurrung languages describe the flooding of the bay. Hobsons Bay was once
5292-681: The Boyd family and associated artists who completed significant works in the area. The Kulin Nation Trail through Mallanbool Reserve is an interpretive cultural and botanical trail telling the stories of the original Indigenous owners of the area. The 17 km-long Djerring Trail, which runs under the elevated rail pylons, was completed in 2018. The leafy, shared pedestrian/bike path has exercise stations, and links Murrumbeena to Hughesdale (east) and Carnegie (west). 1000 Steps in Murrumbeena - Murrumbeena
5400-617: The Boyds, Murrumbeena played host to other well-known artists including John Perceval , Sidney Nolan , Hatton Beck, and Peter Herbst, Albert Tucker , Joy Hester , Yosl Bergner , Artur and Sylvia Halpern, Jean Langley and many others. Many pottery works produced in Murrumbeena are held in the National Gallery of Victoria 's Australian Ceramics collection. Many Australian Rules footballers played with Melbourne Demons and came from Murrumbeena Football Club and also grew up (or went to school) in
5508-606: The Cancer Council. Mallanbool Reserve, off Murrumbeena Road and Leila Road, is a cultural and botanical trail for visitors to learn about the original inhabitants of the area, the Kulin. Its trails connect to Packer Park. The historical Boyd Walk commences in Murrumbeena Village opposite Murrumbeena Station and connects eight sites of historical significance. It tells the story of Murrumbeena's artistic heritage and local life of
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#17330923008215616-611: The Central Australian Tours Association. McGeary and Page consolidated all these brands into, what is still known today as, AAT Kings , then was rebuilt as a separate touring business to compete with APT. At the same time, a small corporate office was set up in Port Melbourne to give independence to these two major competing brands. In the 1990s, APT's camping safaris gained in popularity, particularly with Europeans. These tours, ranging from 23 to 63 days, covered
5724-637: The King), the executive (the Government), and two legislative chambers. The Parliament of Victoria consists of the lower house Legislative Assembly , the upper house Legislative Council and the monarch . Eighty-eight members of the Legislative Assembly are elected to four-year terms from single-member electorates. In November 2006, the Victorian Legislative Council elections were held under
5832-555: The MS AmaLotus , in 2012. Amawaterways built a second ship, the AmaDara in 2015. In 2017 AmaLotus underwent an extensive refurbishment of all the public spaces, and removed some passenger cabins. Along with other enhancements, a casual sundeck cafe and exclusive fine dining Luke Nguyen restaurant Indochine was added. In 2011, APT invested in UK-based travel company Noble Caledonia with
5940-452: The McGeary family, with Geoff McGeary, Rob McGeary and Lou Tandy all directors in the business. As the APT business began to expand, New Zealanders were the first internationals to join APT tours, followed soon after by travellers from North America, the United Kingdom and mainland Europe. Between 1970 and 1975, offices were opened in Auckland, Los Angeles and London, then in the United States and Canada. APT's first overseas tour to New Zealand
6048-416: The River Red Gums and winter-flowering golden wattle here and near Murrumbeena and Carnegie stations on its annual migration to Tasmania. The eastern koel , with its mournful nighttime cry, was recorded in Murrumbeena in 2022 and 2023. At the end of the park is a mosaic pavement by artist Donna Leslie, reflecting the ecological harmony, balance and interdependence of the natural elements of our environment in
6156-499: The Russian travel scene by purchasing a 51% stake in the UK train operator GW Travel – a leading provider of long-distance luxury rail journeys, which operates private trains throughout Russia and its former Republics, as well as through Mongolia and China. In 2012, this was renamed to Golden Eagle Luxury Trains (GELT). In June 2012 APT became partners and shareholders with leading UK cruise specialist Noble Caledonia and its luxury expedition ship MS Island Sky . In July 2012 APT entered
6264-419: The Swedish expedition and destination cruise ship experts, Salén Ship Management, which operates luxury small ship cruising and land touring worldwide, with the 114-passenger MS Island Sky . In 2012, the company then bought a sister ship, renaming her as MS Caledonian Sky . APT utilises both of these cruise ships in a wide variety of destinations across the world. APT's network of wilderness lodges located in
6372-414: The brigs Dragon and Amity , took a number of convicts and a small force composed of detachments of the 3rd and 93rd regiments. The expedition landed at Settlement Point (now Corinella ), on the eastern side of Western Port Bay, which was the headquarters until the abandonment of Western Port at the insistence of Governor Darling about 12 months afterwards. Victoria's next settlement was at Portland , on
6480-430: The business, there were five vehicles; a Chevrolet, two Fords and two SB Bedfords ranging in age from seven to eleven years. In the 1970s the fleet primarily consisted of Denning bodied Mercedes-Benz O302s and later Denning Denairs. In 1978, Ansair bodied Mercedes-Benz O303 42 seaters were purchased; fully equipped with air conditioning, hydraulic tilt seats, a chemical toilet and trailer towing attachment. The livery
6588-428: The centre of Victoria. Average temperatures are less than 9 °C (48 °F) in winter and below 0 °C (32 °F) in the highest parts of the ranges. The state's lowest minimum temperature of −11.7 °C (10.9 °F) was recorded at Omeo on 15 June 1965, and again at Falls Creek on 3 July 1970. Temperature extremes for the state are listed in the table below: Rainfall in Victoria increases from south to
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#17330923008216696-417: The charter committee of the Road Passenger Service Operator's Association. In February 1967 a partnership was formed when McGeary's Parlour Coaches joined forces with Page's Melbourne Motor Coaches and Quince's Scenicruisers to form Australian Pacific Coaches. With the merging of three separate business sites, the head office of Australian Pacific Coaches was situated in Brighton , on the old Page Motors site,
6804-597: The city and along the Pakenham and Cranbourne lines. Most peak hour services run partially express, with only five stops between Murrumbeena and Melbourne's CBD. The popular service is well used through to late night. There are direct train connections to Monash University ( Caulfield ) and bus connections to Monash University ( Clayton ) and Holmesglen TAFE . Upon completion of the Metro Tunnel in 2025, express city bound trains from Murrumbeena will be just 3/4 stops from Anzac (St Kilda Road) / Town Hall stations. Murrumbeena Bus Interchange sits on Murrumbeena Road under
6912-428: The company's presence in New Zealand. The takeover included Travelmarvel, signaling APT's move into the affordable travel market. In 1998, APT purchased Australian Kakadu Tours as a launch pad for APT's Northern Territory short breaks program, further defining APT and AAT Kings as head-on competitors. Meanwhile, touring in New Zealand continued to go from strength to strength, with the UK, Europe, Canada and Australia being
7020-434: The corner of Murrumbeena Road and North Road at 801 North Rd, Murrumbeena 3163, across the road from Duncan McKinnon Reserve. Significant events in its history include: Forming part of the Outer Circle Railway Linear Park, Boyd Park was named after the artistically talented Boyd family, and links with the Urban Forest at its northern end on Dandenong Road. The leafy park is surrounded by gum trees and has broad, open areas with
7128-419: The corner of Murrumbeena and North Roads, features an athletics facility, netball courts, sporting grounds and playground. The open access, 1.2 km fitness track around the perimeter includes an 'outdoor gym' with balance beam, bench, horizontal bar, jump touch, monkey bars, pull up bar, push up bar and step. Murrumbeena Relay for Life is held at the Duncan McKinnon Athletics Track annually to raise money for
7236-423: The country's first federal capital. Victoria's northern border follows a straight line from Cape Howe to the start of the Murray River and then follows the Murray River as the remainder of the northern border. On the Murray River, the border is the southern bank of the river. This precise definition was not established until 1980, when a ruling by Justice Ninian Stephen of the High Court of Australia settled
7344-410: The culturally diverse population live (35.1% of inhabitants being immigrants ). The state is also home to four of Australia's 20 largest cities : Melbourne , Geelong , Ballarat and Bendigo . Victoria is home to numerous Aboriginal groups, including the Boonwurrung , the Bratauolung , the Djadjawurrung , the Gunai , the Gunditjmara , the Taungurung , the Wathaurong , the Wurundjeri , and
7452-440: The decade's end, McGeary began to look beyond merely servicing bus routes. Gaining his first charter license, he secured a contract to take students to and from Firbank Grammar School and Haileybury College , where Geoff was a student. With the resulting money, the McGeary's first Federal coach was bought, taking the fleet to five buses which, in addition to running commuter routes, were put to use on school runs as well as trips to
7560-412: The elevated railway station, with Bus Routes 624 and 822 traversing through it. Murrumbeena Village (c1880s) is heritage protected due to its brick and rendered building facades. This rejuvenating suburb, has seen a significant increase in urban density along the rail corridor and main arterials with single-level dwellings replaced by four to five-storey buildings. Outside of the main streets, Murrumbeena
7668-422: The family business. As the Australian tourism industry blossomed in the early 1960s, Geoff McGeary was busy driving buses seven days a week and also working long hours on the business side to make McGeary's Parlour Coaches (as it had become known) profitable once more. One of McGeary's clients at the time was a touring club, for which he began designing weekend holidays and even interstate tours. Quickly identifying
7776-487: The inland monthly temperatures are 2–7 °C (4–13 °F) warmer than around Melbourne (see chart). Victoria's highest maximum temperature of 48.8 °C (119.8 °F) was recorded in Hopetoun on 7 February 2009, during the 2009 southeastern Australia heat wave . The Victorian Alps in the northeast are the coldest part of Victoria. The Alps are part of the Great Dividing Range mountain system extending east–west through
7884-585: The land now known as Murrumbeena. A more in-depth look at Murrumbeena’s history and historic photos can be found at Glen Eira Historical Society's Victorian Collections page and at Murrumbeena 3163. Heritage protected Murrumbeena Village (1880s) sits on the main street of Neerim Road, the intersection of Murrumbeena Road and the railway station. The oldest building (430 Neerim Road) is a double storey Victorian era building dating from 1889. The village contains modern cafes and dining options (modern Australian, Chinese, fish and chips, Indian, pizza, Thai, Vietnamese);
7992-501: The major contributing markets. In New Zealand, APT now offered three levels of touring product, operated from the Auckland office of 30 staff. In May 2001, APT sold its fleet of 90 coaches to a consortium of Cobb & Co , Dysons and Sid Fogg's with each holding an equal share. Removing the coach fleet redefined APT as a tour operator, highlighted by the purchase in June 2001, of a stake in
8100-467: The national capital in 1927. The state continued to grow strongly through various periods of the 20th and 21st centuries due to high levels of international and interstate migration. Melbourne hosts a number of museums, art galleries, and theatres; in 2016 a sports marketing company named it the world's sporting capital. Victoria has 38 seats in the Australian House of Representatives and 12 seats in
8208-564: The northeast, with higher averages in areas of high altitude. Mean annual rainfall exceeds 1,800 millimetres (71 inches) in some parts of the northeast but is less than 280 mm (11 in) in the Mallee. Rain is heaviest in the Otway Ranges and Gippsland in southern Victoria and in the mountainous northeast. Snow generally falls only in the mountains and hills in the centre of the state. Rain falls most frequently in winter, but summer precipitation
8316-456: The opportunities that recreational travel presented the bus industry, McGeary was soon selling mid-week day trips to kindergartens, extended journeys to school groups and sending his buses to Central Australia and Queensland on ground-breaking camping holidays. By 1966, with a total of ten buses, the reinvented business was thriving. In the mid-1960s, Geoff McGeary and his closest competitor Mayer Page of Melbourne Motor Coaches, were elected to
8424-603: The question as to which state had jurisdiction in the unlawful death of a man on an island in the middle of the river. The ruling clarified that no part of the watercourse is in Victoria. The border also rests at the southern end of the Great Dividing Range , which stretches along the east coast and terminates west of Ballarat. It is bordered by South Australia to the west and shares Australia's shortest land border with Tasmania . The official border between Victoria and Tasmania
8532-566: The region of southern Victoria and onto the land bridge of the Bassian plain to Tasmania by at least 35,000 years ago. During the Ice Age about 20,000 years BP , the area now the bay of Port Phillip would have been dry land, and the Yarra and Werribee rivers would have joined to flow through the heads then south and south west through the Bassian plain before meeting the ocean to the west. Tasmania and
8640-576: The remotest parts of Australia, including the Tanami Track , Birdsville Track and Gibb River Road . Completely self-sufficient, the 48-passenger coaches, towed safari trailers with refrigeration, food, tents and everything needed to survive touring the Australian Outback. Following individual annual departures to Canada, Alaska and the USA, sold to APT Club members, in 1991 APT's Canada & Alaska program
8748-606: The south west coast of what is now Victoria. Edward Henty settled Portland Bay in 1834. Melbourne was founded in 1835 by John Batman , who set up a base in Indented Head , and John Pascoe Fawkner . From settlement, the region around Melbourne was known as the Port Phillip District, a separately administered part of New South Wales. Shortly after, the site now known as Geelong was surveyed by Assistant Surveyor W. H. Smythe, three weeks after Melbourne. And in 1838, Geelong
8856-512: The stage show Hair and began advertising weekend trips that operated every weekend for over two years, with sometimes as many and three or four coaches. Soon "Lost Weekends", "Hot Snow Weekends", Sydney and Melbourne day tours and accommodated tours to Queensland , Western Australia , the Northern Territory and Tasmania helped the company capitalise on its burgeoning reputation. Australian Pacific Coaches then forayed into camping trips to Central Australia. In 1983 Australian Pacific Coaches
8964-482: The state administers directly. The state of Victoria was home to many Aboriginal Australian nations that had occupied the land for tens of thousands of years before European settlement . According to Gary Presland , Aboriginal people have lived in Victoria for about 40,000 years, living a semi-nomadic existence of fishing, hunting and gathering, and farming eels. At the Keilor Archaeological Site ,
9072-659: The state's south. The greater Melbourne metropolitan area is home to an estimated 5,207,145 people. Urban centres outside Melbourne include Geelong , Ballarat , Bendigo , Shepparton , Mildura , Warrnambool , Wodonga and the Latrobe Valley . Victoria is Australia's most urbanised state: nearly 90% of residents living in cities and towns. State Government efforts to decentralise population have included an official campaign run since 2003 to encourage Victorians to settle in regional areas, however Melbourne continues to rapidly outpace these areas in terms of population growth. At
9180-400: The station. Murrumbeena is a well-connected suburb with ease of access to public transport and main road arterials leading to freeways and CityLink . The main roads delineating Murrumbeena are Dandenong Road , North Road, Murrumbeena Road and Poath Road, while Neerim Road traverses through it. Murrumbeena railway station is a Zone 1 suburban railway station providing regular services to
9288-697: The suburb, including Robert Flower from 1973 until 1987, Tom Flower , Ray Carr, Mark Mitchell, Howard Hollow and Ken Jungworth. The suburb has an Australian Rules football team competing in the Southern Football League with a history that can be traced back to the formation of the Murrumbeena Junior Football Club in 1918. They have junior and senior sides, including women's teams. Murrumbeena won back-to-back SFNL Women's Division 1 Premierships in 2017, 2018 and 2019. Murrumbeena Bowls Club and Murrumbeena Park Bowls Club field teams in
9396-523: The survey, 31.7% of Victorians stated they had no religion, Roman Catholics were 23.2%, 9.4% did not answer the question, 9% were Anglican and 3.5% were Eastern Orthodox . In 2017 the proportion of couples marrying in a civil ceremony in Victoria was 77.3%; the other 22.7% were married in a religious ceremony. The government predicts that nearly a quarter of Victorians will be aged over 60 by 2021. The 2016 census revealed that Australian median age has crept upward from 35 to 37 since 2001, which reflects
9504-404: The tram and train lines at Clifton Hill . In 1933, McGeary sold his interest in the bus route from Northcote and purchased a busier three-bus route, which ran along South Road between Moorabbin , Middle Brighton and Brighton Beach in Melbourne's south. This new business interest saw McGeary and his wife of two years, Hazel, move to Brighton . With his new home set on a double block of land, it
9612-556: The treaty is unknown, although it is believed to have been by the Merri Creek . According to historian Meyer Eidelson, it is generally believed to have occurred on the Merri near modern-day Rushall Station. On 1 July 1851, writs were issued for the election of the first Victorian Legislative Council, and the absolute independence of Victoria from New South Wales was established proclaiming a new Colony of Victoria. Days later, still in 1851 gold
9720-465: The trots and greyhounds. Reasoning that the age of commuter buses was nearing its end, in 1950, McGeary sold his commuter routes when they were at their peak. Turning his attention entirely to school runs and charter work, he soon negotiated contracts with Star of the Sea College , Xavier Preparatory School and St Leonard's Girls' College, adding to the two school runs he was already operating. McGeary
9828-441: The vehicles were serviced and maintained at McGeary's depot and a number of vehicles were stationed in Murrumbeena on Quince's depot. Quince's later withdrew from the partnership. Though the bulk of the company's work was still in bus charter contracts at the start of the 1970s, Australian Pacific Coaches were increasingly turning their attention to extended touring. In 1971, McGeary and Page went to Sydney to buy advance tickets to
9936-571: The west and northwest. There is an extensive series of river systems in Victoria. Most notable is the Murray River system. Other rivers include: Ovens River , Goulburn River , Patterson River , King River , Campaspe River , Loddon River , Wimmera River , Elgin River, Barwon River , Thomson River , Snowy River , Latrobe River , Yarra River , Maribyrnong River , Mitta River , Hopkins River , Merri River and Kiewa River . The state symbols include
10044-488: The world" and the largest gold nugget . In the decade 1851–1860 Victoria produced 20 million ounces of gold, one-third of the world's output. In 1855 the Geological Survey collected and determined the major ion chemistry for groundwater in Victoria. Immigrants arrived from all over the world to search for gold, especially from Ireland and China. By 1857, 26,000 Chinese miners worked in Victoria, and their legacy
10152-491: Was briefly Premier. In 1893 widespread bank failures brought to an end a sustained period of prosperity and of increasingly wild speculation in land and construction. Melbourne nonetheless retained, as the legacy of the gold rush, its status as Australia's primary financial centre and largest city. In 1901, Victoria became a state in the Commonwealth of Australia . While Canberra was being built, Melbourne served until 1927 as
10260-581: Was complemented by the purchase of Billy Can Tours operating around the Northern Territory 's Top End . In the same year a 60% shareholding in Kimberley Wilderness Adventures was purchased from the Wunan Foundation, with its network of camps in the Kimberley region of Western Australia . In 2003/04, APT made the move into the youth and adventure travel market by purchasing shares in domestic tour operator Connections, from James Nathan, and
10368-467: Was declared void as Batman did not have permission from the Crown to establish Melbourne. Today, the meaning and interpretation of this treaty is contested. Some argue it was a pretence for taking Aboriginal land in exchange for trinkets, while others argue it was significant in that it sought to recognise Aboriginal land rights . The exact location of the meeting between Batman and the Kulin men with whom he made
10476-506: Was designed as a template for modern sustainable design in established suburbs. One of the most significant artistic groups in mid 20th-century Melbourne gathered at "Open Country", the Boyd family property in Murrumbeena. Outer Circle: The Boyds and the Murrumbeena Artists (NGV Australia 2014) presented the works created by Merric Boyd , Australia's first studio potter, Arthur Boyd , John Perceval and others at Open Country and
10584-498: Was developed and named after him in 1934. Murrumbeena Park on Kangaroo Road has an expansive discovery playground with dry riverbed, flying fox, climbing tower, maze, BBQ and picnic facilities. The two established ovals are predominantly used by the Murrumbeena Football Club and Cricket Club. Nearby is an off-leash dog-walking area. Murrumbeena Park Bowls Club is on the park's western boundary. Duncan McKinnon Reserve, on
10692-534: Was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease in 1954, and his health, along with his business, swiftly deteriorated. Hazel worked tirelessly to both care for her husband and keep the bus business afloat, but by the late-1950s, it seemed that there was little choice but to sell. Determined that the business should remain in the family, Geoff McGeary, at the age of 19, applied for special dispensation to obtain an under-age bus driving license. And so in February 1961, Geoff entered
10800-434: Was discovered near Ballarat , and subsequently at Bendigo . Later discoveries occurred at many sites across Victoria. This triggered one of the largest gold rushes the world has ever seen. The colony grew rapidly in both population and economic power. In 10 years, the population of Victoria increased sevenfold from 76,000 to 540,000. All sorts of gold records were produced, including the "richest shallow alluvial goldfield in
10908-603: Was established and continued to grow significantly throughout the decade. This program marked APT's first major foray outside Australia, New Zealand and traditional coach-only touring, to now include cruise ships. In 1993, Geoff McGeary and Mayer Page ended their 27-year partnership, with Page taking AAT Kings and McGeary taking APT. In 1997 Page sold AAT Kings to Bermuda-based Travel Corporation, owner of such brand names as Trafalgar Tours, Insight Vacations and Contiki . McGeary and Page remained friends until Page died in 2006. In 1996, APT acquired Newmans Escorted Tours , expanding
11016-523: Was ill-prepared "to countenance so startling a novelty". In 1858–59, Melbourne Punch cartoons linked Duffy and O'Shanassy to the terrors of the French Revolution . In 1862 Duffy's Land Act attempted, but failed, through a system of extended pastoral licences, to break the land-holding monopoly of the so-called "squatter" class . In 1871, having led, on behalf of small farmers, opposition to Premier Sir James McCulloch 's land tax , Duffy, himself,
11124-797: Was met with such enthusiasm that McGeary and Page began regularly taking Australians to experience "The Land of the Long White Cloud". APT had outgrown its new headquarters in Brighton and in 1974 bought a building in Hampton . This would go on to act as the global Head Office to the APT family for the next 37 years. The 1980s was a period of rapid expansion and acquisition for APT. McGeary and Page purchased Trans Australia Airlines ' coach travel business on 11 November 1983. This business comprised many separate brands including AAT, Bill Kings Australian Adventure Tours, Red Centre Tours, Grand Central Over 50s Tours and
11232-400: Was not long before Bill and his brother George, who also worked as a driver, built a large timber garage in the yard to house the three buses. The first half of the 1940s saw the business continue to expand taking on more buses and employees, and acquiring several new routes. It was a busy and productive time, punctuated by the birth of Bill and Hazel's only son, Geoff, on 26 June 1941. Towards
11340-643: Was officially declared a town, despite earlier European settlements dating back to 1826. On 6 June 1835, just under two years before Melbourne was officially recognised as a settlement, John Batman, the leader of the Port Phillip Association presented Wurundjeri Elders with a land use agreement. This document, now referred to as the Batman treaty , was later given to the British government to claim that local Aboriginal people had given Batman access to their land in exchange for goods and rations. The treaty itself
11448-470: Was originally white with red stripes being modified in the mid-1990s with dark blue and orange added. By 1991, APT had a fleet of 70 Mercedes Benz coaches, with assorted small passenger vehicles and Unimogs . The APT Group invested in the building of luxury river boats in Europe in 2005 with Jimmy Murphy of Brennan Tours and cruising expert, Rudi Schreiner. Through a co-ownership of AmaWaterways , by 2009 APT had
11556-401: Was renamed Australian Pacific Tours and in October 2000 as Australian Pacific Touring. The McGeary family involvement in the business continued with Geoff McGeary's son Rob McGeary working across areas of the business including guiding tours and then investments, and daughter Lou Tandy in marketing for Kimberley Wilderness Adventures then Captains Choice. The business is still owned and run by
11664-460: Was separated from New South Wales and established as a separate Crown colony in 1851, achieving responsible government in 1855. The Victorian gold rush in the 1850s and 1860s significantly increased Victoria's population and wealth. By the time of Australian Federation in 1901, Melbourne had become the largest city in Australasia , and was the seat of Federal government until Canberra became
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