Муррулбарк: пригород Мельбурна и его особенности.

Suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

Mooroolbark is a suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 37 km East of Melbourne's central business district, located within the Shire of Yarra Ranges local government area. Mooroolbark recorded a population of 23,059 at the leading to extensive use of that meaning in the community. More recently it has been suggested that "Mooroolbik" is the name given by the local Wurundjeri Aboriginal people ("moorool" meaning great water and "bik" meaning place). An alternative meaning of Mooroolbark being "the place where the wide waters meet" is recorded by Museum Victoria. Another meaning recorded is "red bark". The Parish of Mooroolbark was surveyed in 1855, with a township originally called Brushy Creek standing where North Croydon is today. The name "Mooroolbark" was to be popularised with eventual European settlement in the late 19th century. A rural hub developed around the train station, which opened in 1887 and offered rail access to Melbourne. The Post Office opened shortly after on 15 March 1888. Wonga Park used to be a part of Mooroolbark until the early 20th century when it became a separate suburb. Another locality called Mooroolbark Park was later renamed as Chirnside Park.

Mooroolbark has a train station which is on the Lilydale railway line. It has 595 car parking spaces. The station was rebuilt in 2021 as part of the Level Crossing Removal Project.

Located in Mooroolbark is one of Melbourne's most unusual intersections between Hull Road, Lincoln Road, Manchester Road and Cambridge Road: three consecutive roundabouts (pictured). Initially, the three latter streets simply connected to Hull Road at close, but slightly different, locations. In order to eliminate the troubles caused by vehicles failing to give way to those coming from other adjoining streets, it was decided to build individual roundabouts at each intersection, and employ the standard 'give way' road rules. This has cleared up most of the troubles on Hull Road (southwest to northeast), but the prospect of passing through the intersection for those who don't know it may be a little daunting. This intersection is usually referred to by locals as "Five Ways" or "The Mooroolbark Roundabouts".

The main shopping district is located along Brice Avenue and Manchester Road, featuring a Coles supermarket, two gymnasiums, two pharmacies, fast food franchises, cafés, hair salons and thrift shops. Mooroolbark also has a tavern and wine bar.

Mooroolbark has a 24 hour police station. It is located at the corner of Hull and Cambridge Roads ("Five Ways"), 700 metres from the Mooroolbark train station and town centre.

There are a number of primary and secondary schools within Mooroolbark offering a choice between government and private education.

Another point of interest within Mooroolbark is the Mooroolbark Community Centre, which has undergone radical changes since 2004 as part of a civil beautification and anti graffiti project. The community centre is now surrounded by colourful mosaics and street art, including a stencil art representation of Mooroolbark's most famous citizen, the early 20th Century landscape designer Edna Walling. The first Blue Light Disco in Australia was held in Mooroolbark in 1976. The library is next to Hookey Park, a children's adventure park.

Most of Mooroolbark is in the catchment of Brushy Creek, a tributary of the Yarra River. A number of environmental concerns exist because of its location almost entirely within an urban environment.

From 1980 to 2001, Mooroolbark had the 'Red Earth Festival', usually on the third or fourth weekend of March every year beginning on Friday evening and running all day Saturday and Sunday. The 'Red Earth Festival' had many stores and amusement rides. The highlights of that festival included a parade on the Saturday, which began in the grounds of the former Mooroolbark Primary School (which closed at the end of 2004) and went down Brice Avenue towards the fairground. On the Sunday, the festival hosted an open air market followed by a fireworks display at night. Due to a number of problems including falling attendances and a significant increase in insurance premiums, the Red Earth Festival ran for the last time in March 2001. Since 2002, there has been a smaller festival known as 'Celebrate Mooroolbark', at around the same time of the year.

Mooroolbark Soccer Club "The Barkers" founded as a Dutch team with the name Mooroolbark United Soccer Club in 1962, Mooroolbark's backing changed to a British influenced club in its formative years. In 1978 the United tagline was dropped from the name. The club's claim to fame is as Victoria's (and Australia's) first national sporting club side. Mooroolbark enabled the National Soccer League to proceed, breaking the deadlock which was then in force between the budding national league and clubs from Victoria whom the Victorian Soccer Federation had forbidden to join the competition. Mooroolbark Football Club "The Mustangs" Compete in Division 1 of the Eastern Football League. Their home ground is known as Heights Reserve, Longfellow Dr, Mooroolbark. Both Seniors and Juniors are represented by the club, with two junior girls teams joining the Club in 2017.

Mooroolbark has an EPA 'Air Monitoring Station'. It measures Carbon Monoxide (CO) Nitrogen Dioxide (NO²) Ozone (O³) Particles. Monitoring began on Monday, 8 April 2002. Data is compiled by EPA Victoria.