A new housing estate being developed in the greater Melbourne suburb of Rockbank, will have streets named after Indian cricket greats including Sachin Tendulkar, Kapil Dev and Virat Kohli, with Tendulkar Drive being the most attention grabbing.
Through this suburb of the Melton City Council, one can now drive along the Tendulkar Dr. or Kohli Cr. and even go for a spin through Laxman Close (after VVS Laxman) or Dev Terrace (named after Kapil Dev).
The planned estate, Accolade in Rockbank is just 35 kilometres from the Melbourne CBD, promising residents the best of both lifestyle and technology.
All homes will have the option of the latest in home automation and security features, built around a high speed broadband network. Accolade will also offer residents a focus on health and wellbeing, with bike and walking paths as well as extensive wetlands bringing nature into the estate.
The cricketer-street names approved by the Melton Council, has already become a big hit on social media, especially amongst the Indian community. Melbournians have especially taken to Laxman Close saying that the tribute to Laxman was especially fitting, given that he played some of his best innings against Australia.
The first of his 17 Test centuries, Laxman had scored a jubiliant 167 in the 1999-2000 Sydney Test. His immortal 281 at Eden Gardens in 2001 was also reminisced on social media.
The suburb adjoins the Rockbank town centre precinct and Rockbank Primary, including and a range of public and private high schools in the vicinity.
Located at 1220 Leakes Rd, Accolade is just minutes from Caroline Springs and Plumpton and close to major highways. It is also just 100 metres from the Rockbank railway station with a direct line to the Melbourne CBD.
The suburb also hosts other streets named after Australian, Pakistani and other international cricketers – Waugh Street, Miandad Street, Ambrose Street, Sobers Drive, Kallis Way, Hadlee Street and Akram Way.
However, amongst 60 names submitted to the Office of Geographic Names for approval including a street named after the great Don Bradman, was refused on the grounds that Melbourne already sports a street named after Bradman.
Other names refused by the Council were Kumar Sangakara, Rahul Dravid, MS Dhoni and few others.
Khurram Saeed, director of Resi Ventures said: “We did get Tendulkar and Kohli over the line… Kohli is one of my favourite batsmen of the current era and I named the most expensive street after him, overlooking the future wetlands, Khurram told exitedly.
The property developer, whose career spans the property development, property finance and property funds management sectors, is also a “die hard cricket fan”.
“My partner’s paternal grandfather, Laurie Nash, played Test cricket for Australia between 1932-1937, so we named the entrance to our estate after him… that kind of set the ball rolling.”
Resi Ventures is excited after the response they received from the Indian community, since the launch of the Home and Land packages at Accolade.