Area: 2.44 km2
2001 population: 12,496
1996 population: 12,600
Average annual growth rate (1996-2001): -0.8%
(Source: ABS National Census. 1996 and 2001)
The main shopping precinct in Elwood is Ormond Road. Starting with the very groovy Turtle Café on the corner of Glenhuntly and Ormond Roads, Elwood Village haphazardly sprawls along, a health food shop here, a kite shop there, treasures from Morocco at Alafia, hand-knitted teddy bears at Red Dog. There’s something for everyone at Elwood Village and the strong sense of community has been retained, the locals even starting their own Community Bank when the last of the major branches shut its doors.
Café culture is strong in Elwood Village but the pace is more relaxed than the St Kilda scene. Not just the young and beautiful, Elwood attracts all age groups and all lifestyles - mums with toddlers in strollers jostle for space at the sidewalk cafes alongside businessmen and bohemian artists - everyone has a place in Elwood Village.
The pace of development has dramatically increased in Elwood over the past few years and the face of Ormond Road is undergoing a transformation. Retail stores now sit alongside modern apartments and the lines between retail and residential have blurred. Elwood Village is a model for the future, where people live, work and play within a multi-purpose community, developed out of a need for convenience, choice and close proximity to everyday essentials.
Elwood Traders Association
Contact: Gary Scott, Elwood Community Bank
Ph: 03 9525 6577
Email: gary.scott@bendigobank.com.au
Address: 142 Ormond Rd, Elwood, 3184.