View over Mentone Beach and Beaumaris Bay south towards Mordialloc and Frankston
Mentone was founded as a resort town named after the Italian spelling of the formerly-Italian French town Menton. In order to keep with the Italian resort theme many streets in Mentone were named after Italian cities for example, Cremona Street, Florence Street, Venice Street and Milan Street and Naples street
The development of Mentone began in the late 1800s, the Post Office opening on 16 May 1884.[3]
Tom Roberts and Frederick McCubbin were painting on the beach at Mentone one day in the summer of 1886-87 when they noticed a young man painting nearby. This was Arthur Streeton who they asked to join them.[4] They, and others, later became known as the Heidelberg school of artists.
The original Mentone Fire station was located on the corner of Brindisi Street and Mentone Parade, Mentone in 1906 and after the new fire station was built it was relocated to Lalor in 1957.[5]
According to the 2011 census, the median individual income in Mentone was $664 per week, which was slightly higher than the Australian average of $577 per week. Similarly, the median household weekly income of $1,288 in Mentone was slightly higher than the Australian average of $1,234.[6]
Shopping
Mentone is home to a lively shopping area along Como Parade West, Balcombe Road, Mentone Parade and surrounding streets and laneways. This shopping strip offers a wide range of restaurants, cafes, bakeries, clothing stores, supermarkets, travel agents, fancy dress, craft, home, book stores and more. A second commercial area has grown along Nepean Highway; this may expand as the former Nylex factory site between Nepean Highway and Warrigal road is redeveloped into a bulky goods retail precinct.
Neighbouring suburb, Cheltenham, comprises one of the biggest shopping centres in Australia – Westfield Southland. This shopping mall incorporates a two-level bridge that spans the six lanes of Nepean Highway. It is the main shopping centre for people of Mentone and surrounds. A new train station opened in 2017 on the west side of Southland near Bay Street.
In late 2010 Thrift Park shopping centre between Lower Dandenong Road and Nepean Highway just east of Warrigal Road went through with a $35-million redevelopment. The redevelopment included demolishing the original centre that was "ageing" and building a larger Woolworths supermarket plus additional stores. The centre officially opened in December 2010.[7]
On the day of the 2011 census, 15.6% of employed people travelled to work on public transport and 63.5% by car (either as driver or as passenger).[6]
A new railway station was built at Mentone in 2020 as part of the Victorian government’s removal of the level crossing previously on Balcombe Road.[12]
Entertainment and leisure
The Mentone Lifesaving Club on Mentone Beach
The Mentone Beach and Mentone Lifesaving Club provide leisure space and activities, as do the parkland and oval near the council offices. Mentone is also home to numerous sporting clubs including cricket, football, tennis, swimming, field hockey, and lawn bowling.
Mentone Bowling Club was established in the early 1900s[13] and has a successful history, including an Australian champion.[citation needed] The club is next to the train station in the centre of the suburb. Mentone were promoted to the Premier Division in 2010.
In late 2013 it was announced the iconic Mentone Tenpin Bowl on the corner of the Nepean Hwy and Warrigal Rd would close by the end of that year after fifty years of operation in order to make way for a new multi-storey residential apartment and retail complex.[14]
The Mentone Hotel was a historical hotel building overlooking Port Phillip Bay.[15] It has been renovated into a number of apartments. The Mentone RSL is housed in a building dating to 1884–1886.[16]
One of Australia's last Blockbuster Video stores was in Mentone but has since closed down.[17]
Schools
St Patricks Catholic Church Mentone
St Patricks Primary school next to Church of the same name
Mentone Primary school
Kilbreda College
Kilbreda College - A Catholic Secondary School for girls, founded in 1904. The school is owned and administered by the Brigidine Sisters.
Mentone Grammar School - An Anglican school founded in 1923. Co-ed since 2006, Kindergarten to Secondary Education. The school competes in the AGSV (associated Grammar Schools of Victoria).
Mentone Park Primary School - a school situated in Mentone East, Mentone Park PS is a smaller school with around 200 students (as of 2021). It prides itself on having small classes and offers specialist Auslan, visual arts, PE and performing arts programs.[18] It received state government funded for a substantial upgrade in the 2019/20 Victorian budget.[19]
