# Maidstone, Victoria

Maidstone (/ˈmeɪdstən/ MAYD-stən) is an inner suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 7 km (4.3 mi) north-west of Melbourne's Central Business District, located with the City of Maribyrnong local government area. Maidstone recorded a population of 9,389 at the 2021 census.
The suburb predominantly consists of residential areas. Its former industrial uses largely continue today, although some parts have been converted to various types of housing. Today there is a large private golf club in the north-west corner with a small industrial zone in the centre.

## History

Maidstone was established in 1858. It was given the name after the town of Maidstone in Kent, England.
Maidstone was predominantly made up of period weatherboard, brick Art Deco and Californian Bungalow houses constructed between the 1920s and 1940s. Concrete houses built in the late 1940s to house the families of returned servicemen from World War II are also found. From the early 1990s many old factory sites in Maidstone have been turned into new housing estates comprising hundreds of houses and townhouses. Maidstone's recent development boost, good public transport availability and close proximity to the CBD has also seen the median house price escalate dramatically over the past 10 years.

## Geography
### Landmarks

* Maidstone Tennis Club
* Maribyrnong River
* Maribyrnong River Trail
* Medway Golf Club
* Highpoint Shopping Centre (just north of Maidstone)
* Footscray Hospital (just east of Maidstone)

### Parks and gardens

* Shepherd Gardens
* Maidstone Tennis Club
* Suffolk Triangle Park
* Drey Park
* Ulmara Park
* Chislon Reserve
* Scovell Reserve Oval
* Rogers Reserve
* Dobson Reserve Oval and Playground
* Cambridge Reserve
* Magnolia Path
* Johnson Reserve and Roberta Tennis Club (West Footscray)
* Martin Reserve Dog Park (West Footscray)
* Shorten Reserve Oval (West Footscray)
* Maribyrnong River

### Places of worship

* Our Lady's Catholic Church is a landmark building established in 1962, located on Ballarat Road.
* Al-Noor Mosque is the second oldest mosque in Melbourne and one of the oldest in Australia.
* Hillsong Church
* New Apostolic Church
* Maidstone Church of Christ
* Iglesia Ni Cristo

## Education
### Schools

* Maribyrnong College (est 1958), located in Maribyrnong on the border of Maidstone and Maribyrnong.
* Footscray North Primary School (est 1922), located in Footscray on the border of Maidstone and Footscray.
* Footscray West Primary School (just south of Maidstone)
* Dobson Kindergarten
* St Vincent's School

## Sports

* Maidstone United Soccer Club (formally Leros United Soccer Club) (Scovell Reserve)
* Sunshine George Cross Juniors Soccer Club (Dobson Reserve)
* Rosamond Bowling Club
* Rosamond Tennis Club (Footscray North Primary School)
* Maidstone Tennis Club
* Maidstone Junior Sporting Club
* Footscray United Cricket Club (Scovell Reserve)
* Rosamond Bowling Club
* Medway Golf Club

## Transport
### Public transport

Tram route 57 tram provides public transport from Flinders Street station in the city to Cordite Avenue, West Maribyrnong, on the border of Maidstone, while tram route 82 tram provides public transport from Moonee Ponds Junction (Ascot Vale Road / Puckle Street) to Footscray (Leeds Street / Irving Street) passing through Maidstone for a segment of its journey. It is one of very few Melbourne tram routes which do not travel through the Melbourne CBD. In 2022, construction of the Maidstone tram depot is scheduled to commence.
West Footscray and Tottenham train stations are the closest to Maidstone but many residents catch the bus to Footscray station (where trains are more frequent).
A number of different bus routes pass through Maidstone.

### Active transport

The Maribyrnong River Trail connects cyclists to the Footscray Road off-road path and into Docklands and the Melbourne CBD.

## Notable people

* Albert Facey – Author of A Fortunate Life and Gallipoli veteran was born in Maidstone in 1894. He would leave Maidstone in 1898. He has a street named after him in the eastern part of Maidstone.