RACE DAY FEATURE
‘BAGOTVILLE – THE NEWMELBOURNE SUBURB’. NEVER HEARD OF IT?
BY ANDREW LEMON
A bout 140 years ago, astute land developers subdivided a piece of open countryside immediately north of Flemington Racecourse into housing blocks. Buyers could choose between panoramic views across the course or riverside blocks along the Maribyrnong.
Plan of the Bagotville Estate, circa 1880. Source: State Library Victoria
The allotments sold well but ‘Bagotville’ as a name did not stick: the suburb merged imperceptibly into Ascot Vale. At least half of of the subdivision was absorbed into Melbourne’s Showgrounds. Yet Bagotville has an important place in the Flemington story. The landscaped grounds behind the Hill Stand, including the popular Melbourne Cup Carnival precinct The Park, were originally part of Bagotville.
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