European settlement of the area now known as Gladstone Park began in the 1840s, with the land used for agriculture.

[2] The modern suburb is named after Thomas Gladstone, who was a local land owner in the 1800s.

Most of the homes in the suburb were built between 1972 and 1975, as a typical part of (then) Melbourne's outer suburban expansion.

[3] Carl Williams was shot in the stomach by Jason Moran at a small park in Barrington Crescent in 1999, in one of the early events of the Melbourne gangland killings.

The next most common countries of birth were Italy 3.6%, India 2.6%, Lebanon 2.1%, Sri Lanka 2.0% and England 1.8%.

Other languages spoken at home included Arabic 7.6%, Italian 5.5%, Greek 3.6%, Turkish 2.4% and Assyrian Neo-Aramaic 1.5%.

The Gladstone Park Secondary College has large sports grounds which are open to public use.

The Gladstone Park Cricket Club is based at 'Ginifer', and it has a temporary turf wicket during the summer, and football goals.

Being adjacent to the Jacana Valley, Jack Ginifer Reserve gives wide views of neighbouring suburbs.

Archbishop Denis Hart consecrated The Good Shepherd Gladstone Park/Greenvale church in the presence of 1000 parishioners.

[10] The Gladstone Park Uniting Church is located on the corner of Carrick Drive and Elmhurst Road.

[11] The Gladstone Park Secondary College (GPSC) was founded in 1970 and is one of the largest schools in the local area, with roughly 1500 students.

Located on Taylor Drive, GPPS is next to the Gladstone Park Secondary College.

The school is located on Carrick Drive and boasts a full sized basketball stadium.

Located on South Circular Road next to the Catholic Church of the Good Shepherd, it has roughly 250 students.

The club plays its home games at the Gladstone Park Reserve on South Circular Road.