Welcome!

At one of the most northern points of Kingston we find the southern part of Clayton. The suburb sometimes goes by the name of Westall, due to the name of the main road and the railway station that serve the area. Our neighbours over in the City of Monash have jurisdiction over its northern parts. Clayton South has a mix of houses and industrial areas, combined with many sport and recreation facilities. In 1966 there was a mass UFO sighting at Westall High School! There are two large landfills in the area from sand mining long ago. Access the Clayton and Dingley Waste Forum website

Some quick facts for Clayton South:

  • Clayton South is 21kms from Melbourne and has an area of 8.3km2.
  • Clayton South is bounded by Centre Road in the north, Westall Road in the east, Heatherton Road, Tootal Road and the Dingley Bypass in the south, and Clayton Road, Bourke Road and Spring Road in the west.
  • The State electorate for Clayton South is the Clarinda District.
  • The Federal electorates for Clayton South are the Chisholm Division and the Hotham Division.

Discover more about Clayton South by clicking on the tabs above.

Name origins

The chap staring wistfully off in the distance below is John O’Shannessy, it’s a surprise we don’t see his name anywhere because he was actually the first settler in the area. He had a ‘squatting licence’ (which was essentially when someone had a legal right to use the land without owning it) in the 1840s of a whopping 40,000 acres, (160 km squared) covering land in Clarinda, South Clayton and Heatherton.

The names of Clayton and Westall comes from two gentlemen who settled the area in the 1800s. John Hughes Clayton, a lawyer, owned several acres he named ‘Clayton Vale, located between the south- eastern corner of Clayton and Centre Rd's. Evidently the name Clayton stuck around. Westall, on the other hand, comes from a Mr Thomas Westall who was one of the market gardeners who were attracted to the area in the 1850s. The land he farmed became the Enterprise Hostel, and later, the Lexington Gardens Retirement Village

Clayton South was registered by the City of Kingston on Thursday 1 July 1999. Westall is considered a neighbourhood rather than a suburb, and all mail goes to the suburb name of Clayton South. It is sometimes called Westall because of the Railway Station and Westall Rd.


The late Sir John OShanassy, June 4, 1883. Image courtesy State Library of Victoria.

Population

The area saw a decline in population between 1991 and 2006, with fewer residents living in each house, and less new houses being built.

  • Census DatePopulation
  • 200110,902
  • 200610,644
  • 201111.265
  • 201612,652

Events

  • 1889
  • 1890
  • 1929
  • 1936
  • 1948
  • 1954
  • 1957
  • 1959
  • 1960
  • 1961
  • 1962
  • 1966
  • 1971
  • 1976
  • 1981
  • 1998
  • 2012
  • 2013
  • 2017

1889

The land owned by John Clayton, ‘Clayton Vale’, was divided and offered for sale. The poster below tells of land reserved for a proposed station, the future Westall Station.

Clayton Vale Township between Claytons Road Springvale stations 1881 or 1887? Image courtesy State Library of Victoria.

1890

Sand quarrying started in the early 1890s.

Photo of the land-fill site at Simpson's Road, Clayton South, owned and operated by Prahran Council> Image courtesy Stonnington Library and Information Service..

1936

Clayton South Young Farmers Group began.

Young Farmers (1939, November 29). The Age Image courtesy Trove.

1954

Westall Station opened as a 'workers only' platform. Staff from Martin and King (motor and rail workers), Greens the Printers, Hume Limited and Austral Bakers used this platform.

1957

Volkswagen Australia opened a vehicle assembly plant after buying the factory of Martin & King.

Exterior of the Volkswagen factory at Clayton South. Image courtesy Harold Paynting Collection, State Library of Victoria. State Library of Victoria.

1959

The workers monopoly finished, now Westall Station was open to everyone.

1960

Westall Post Office opened.

1962

In the 1960's landfilling of old sand quarries started in the area.

Landfill being reclaimed. Image courtesy City of Kingston.

1966

A UFO sighting was reported, on Wednesday 6 April. Today a lot of the evidence has gone missing. Spooky. Read more about it in Fun Facts. Access the News.com.au website

1971

Westall Post Office closed.

1976

Another post office gone - Clayton South Post Office shut its letterbox forever.

1998

The Indonesian Muslim Community of Victoria purchased 130 Rosebank Ave, Clayton South which later became the Westall Mosque. Access the Westall Mosque website

2013

Grange Reserve opened. The playground celebrates the reported UFO landing in 1966 with extra terrestrial play equipment.
Wetlanda and Open Space project started in Namatjira Park.

Grange Reserve - UFO Park. City of Kingston photo.

2017

On November 9th the Westall Community Hub opened. The art work by artist Ian Bracegirdle represents the areas history in market gardens and migration.

Westall Community Hub. Image courtesy City of Kingston.

Places

Grange Reserve - UFO Park.

Located in Osbourne Avenue, this park has a silver UFO designed to remember the 1966 UFO sighting in Westall. The new Children’s play space features a silver UFO with red slides and warp-control. There are also lots of other activities including a sand play area, dry creek bed, long track rides, plenty of swings including a basket swing and a tree house structure.

Grange Reserve - UFO Park. City of Kingston photo.

Namatjira Park Wetlands.

In a project with Melbourne Water the City of Kingston have created a man made wetland which copes with storm water from Springs and Clayton roads.Access the Clayton South Wetlands Website.

Grange Heathland Reserve.

Set on 6.6 hectares this reserve is known of Kingston's Jewel in the Crown. With a wide range of plants including some rare heath variations. There is also 63 native animals, 48 species of birds as well as wide range of insects. Six types of reptiles including skinks, gecko and lizards with four breeds of frogs . A fence was added in 1999 to protect from pest animals such as rabbits, cats and dogs. Access the City of Kingston : Grange Heathland Reserve website

People

Margaret McLorinan 1886-1932

A pioneering female surgeon at the Queen Victoria Hospital.

Fun Facts

In July 1934, Clayton South Primary School planted the Hinkler Memorial tree in memory of the great Australian aviator, squadron leader Bert Hinkler. The tree was planted by his aunt, Mrs Bonney.

Bert Hinkler c.193?. Image courtesy State Library of Victoria.

There was an active Young Farmers group in the 1930’s in Clayton South.

Young Farmers (1939, November 29). The Age Image courtesy Trove.

At 11 o’clock April 6th, 1966 Australia’s largest mass UFO sighting happened at Westall High School and Westall State School. Students and teachers spoke of 3 metallic objects moving through the sky, and landing in a nearby paddock, leaving behind 3 large circles of flattened grass. Local newspapers and Channel 9 News reported the event, however the film canisters have since been found empty. There is now a Memorial Park where the landing site wasNews.com.au :The Westall ‘UFO’ incident still remains a mystery 50 years after it occurred.

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Grange Reserve - UFO Park. City of Kingston photo.

On Tuesday 20 October, 1970 a Cessna 210 made a forced landing on the 12th fairway at the Spring Valley Golf Club.
In 1952 it was decided that the land in Westall was too expensive for Housing Commission Houses.

Westall Land Too Dear For Housing Commission, 1952. Image courtesy of Trove.

There used to be a Clayton Vale Cricket Club.

Pencilled Personalities (1946, July 10). Cr Bill Dunlop. President of the Clayton Vale Cricket Club. Image courtesy of Trove.

There are a group of Clayton South Streets named after famous poets. They include Milton, Tennyson, Wordsworth, Browning, Burns and Moore.
The famous Australian Children's author Hazel Edwards known for her Hippopotomus on our roof eating cakebooks taught at Westall High School 1966-67. Hazel was teaching maths and english at the school on the day of the UFO incident which Hazzel believes was greatly exaggerated.

Picture of Hazel Edwards.

Photos


Exterior of the Volkswagen factory at Clayton South. Image courtesy Harold Paynting Collection, State Library of Victoria. State Library of Victoria.


Bert Hinkler c.193?. Image courtesy State Library of Victoria.


Grange Reserve - UFO Park. City of Kingston photo.


Westall Community Hub. Image courtesy City of Kingston.


Clayton Vale Township between Claytons Road Springvale stations 1881 or 1887? Image courtesy State Library of Victoria.


The Henwood Family Emigrate To Australia.. [Photograph]. Image courtesy Encyclopædia Britannica ImageQuest.


Westall Land Too Dear For Housing Commission, 1952. Image courtesy of Trove.


Photo of the land-fill site at Simpson's Road, Clayton South, owned and operated by Prahran Council> Image courtesy Stonnington Library and Information Service..


Students at work at Westall High School 1963. Image courtesy Leader Collection.


Young Farmers (1939, November 29). The Age Image courtesy Trove.


Pencilled Personalities (1946, July 10). Cr Bill Dunlop. President of the Clayton Vale Cricket Club. Image courtesy of Trove.


Land being filled. Image courtesy City of Kingston.


Landfill being reclaimed. Image courtesy City of Kingston.


Picture of Hazel Edwards.