Bentleigh was named after Victorian politician, Thomas Bent. The first Post Office in the area opened on 1 July 1865 as Jasper Road. After the railway arrived it moved to near the station in 1882 and was named Brighton East. In 1908 it was renamed Bentleigh in line with the station name. A Patterson Post Office opened in 1948. In 1961 it was renamed Patterson West when a new Patterson office opened near the railway station. Bentleigh is home to Alnutt Park, Victory Park, Halley Park, and Bentleigh Memorial Gardens. The strip shopping centre along Centre Road is the biggest in the area, of over 250 retail businesses, and convenient car parking. The shopping centre has a focus on fresh food, continental delis and cake shops, restaurants and cafes. It has bank branches, fashion and shoe shops, doctors surgeries, dentists and other medical services, an independent bookshop, a newsagent, a toy shop and three supermarkets. It has other services like hairdressers, picture framers, op shops for second-hand retail, and an interior decorator. There is a weekly market next to the train station. There is also Patterson road shopping centre that has a cafe, two coffee shops, a Chinese restaurant, an Indian restaurant, a newsagent, a supermarket, a bakery, an organic green grocer, a fishmonger, a travel agent, a pizza shop, a nail technician, a violin maker, a remedial massage centre and three hairdressers. Its schools are Our Lady of the Sacred Heart College, Bentleigh West Primary School, and St. Paul's Primary School.
Population
In the 2016 Census, there were 16,153 people in Bentleigh. 61.6% of people were born in Australia. The next most common countries of birth were China 5.6%, England 3.4%, India 2.8%, New Zealand 1.9% and Greece 1.5%. 67.2% of people only spoke English at home. Other languages spoken at home included Mandarin 6.4%, Greek 4.2%, Russian 2.8%, Italian 2.1% and Cantonese 1.1%. The most common responses for religion were No Religion 34.4% and Catholic 23.2%.
Public transport
Bentleigh has two railway stations, Bentleigh and Patterson; the former is the end of zone 1 on the Frankston train line. The level crossing at Bentleigh railway station was upgraded in 2006 at a cost of A$1.2 million and included sirens as well as bells, red man lights, 'Another Train is Coming' lights and latches on the emergency exit. This was after several fatal accidents at the crossing involving pedestrians. In 2016, the level crossing was upgraded once again as part of the 'level crossing removal' initiative. Boom gates no longer occupy the road crossing, as the tracks have been modified to pass underneath. The station has been upgraded to a more modern look. Bentleigh is also serviced by two bus services. The 703 is a SmartBus service which runs from Middle Brighton to Blackburn through Bentleigh's main shopping strip Centre Road. The 701 service starts from Bentleigh railway station and terminates at Oakleigh railway station. As part of the State Government's $10.5 billion transport plan the 701 service has been upgraded and the operating hours expanded to run seven-days-a-week for the first time.
Education
St. Paul's Primary School
St. Paul's Primary School is a Catholic coeducational primary school located in Bentleigh on Jasper Road. The current principal is Mrs Tammisald who replaced Ann Cooper. The current Parish priest is Father Michael Sierakowski Established in 1928, it was managed by the Daughters of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart until 1993. In 2009 the school started building a new hall and renovating the main building both which were completed in 2010. The renovation improved the school substantially. The computer lab used to be in the library but it is now in a separate room. This means that the library is now bigger and to create even more space a mezzanine has been built. Another renovation is currently underway. This was halted in 2013 and then started in early 2014. It involves the renovation of the senior part of the school, the senior toilets and the storage area. The renovation will move the senior school classrooms so they are all in the same place as the year six classrooms were separated beforehand. The renovation is scheduled to finish mid next year.
