Balwyn
| Balwyn Melbourne,Victoria | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Knutsford Street, Balwyn | |||||||||||||||
  Balwyn | |||||||||||||||
 | |||||||||||||||
| Coordinates | 37°48′32″S145°4′44″E/ 37.80889°S 145.07889°E | ||||||||||||||
| Population | 13,495 (SAL2021)[1] | ||||||||||||||
| Postcode(s) | 3103 | ||||||||||||||
| Elevation | 84 m (276 ft) | ||||||||||||||
| Area | 5.6 km2(2.2 sq mi) | ||||||||||||||
| Location | 10 km (6 mi) fromMelbourne | ||||||||||||||
| LGA(s) | City of Boroondara | ||||||||||||||
| State electorate(s) | Kew | ||||||||||||||
| Federal division(s) | Kooyong | ||||||||||||||
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Balwyn(/ˈbɔːlwən/) is a suburb ofMelbourne,Victoria,Australia,10 km east of Melbourne'sCentral Business District,located within theCity of Boroondaralocal government area.Balwyn recorded a population of 13,495 at the2021 census.[2]
The suburb's post-European settlement character was initially agricultural with several large estates built around a smallvillagecentre. Since the early 20th century, farms and mansions gave way to suburban development as the population of Melbourne rapidly grew.[3]Today Balwyn is almost entirely residential and one of Victoria's most exclusive and affluent suburbs,[4]regularly ranking in the state's top 10 most expensive suburbs.
History
[edit]Etymology
[edit]In the late 1850sAndrew Murray,commercial editor and political writer forThe Argusnewspaper, bought land on the hill overlooking Canterbury Gardens. He named his house Balwyn from theGaelicbaland the Saxonwyn,meaning 'the home of the vine'. Balwyn Road and the district were named after it.[5]The house was located on the site that is now part ofFintona Girls' School.
Pre-European settlement
[edit]The formally recognisedtraditional ownersfor the area in which Balwyn is located are theWurundjeriPeople, who lived on the land for at least 14,000 years.[6]The Wurundjeri People are represented by the Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung Cultural Heritage Aboriginal Corporation.[7]
19th century
[edit]Following theFoundation of Melbourne,Balwyn was part of HenryElgar's Special Surveyof 8 square miles (21 km2) in 1841, which was subdivided into small farms and grazing runs.
In 1868 Balwyn Primary School was opened in Balwyn Road about 100 metres north of Whitehorse Road. It was moved to its present site, south of Whitehorse Road, in 1880, opposite Murray's property. Balwyn's first town centre was near the intersection of Balwyn and Whitehorse Roads, containing a few shops, a blacksmith and the athenaeum or mechanics' institute. Anglican services began in 1868 and the St. Barnabas church, Balwyn Road, was opened in 1872.[8]
Balwyn Post Office first opened on 26 August 1874, in a rural area, closed in 1894, then reopened in 1920.[9]It faced a second closure on 11 February 2011 but due to a campaign by local residents and the intervention of the Federal Member,Josh Frydenberg,the service was reopened.[10]
TheOuter Circle railway line,with a station atDeepdene,opened in 1891, was closed in 1893, re-opened in 1900 then finally closed to passenger traffic in 1927.
20th century
[edit]
Theelectric tram systemwas extended along Cotham Road to terminate at Burke Road, Deepdene, on 30 May 1913. The line was extended along Whitehorse Road, through Balwyn to terminate at Union Road, Mont Albert, on 30 September 1916.[11] The Balwyn Cinema, currently operated byPalace Cinemas,first opened as a single screen theatre in 1930. It was later converted into a 5-screen multiplex in the 1990s, but the foyer was restored in 2010, uncovering the original 1930s tiled floor. Until 2016 it also served as the head office of Palace Cinemas. The cinema's second major restoration in less than a decade saw the former office space converted into 6 extra screens, bringing the total number to 11.[12]
A considerable number of local churches, such as the Deepdene Methodist Church, were constructed during the post-World War II boom of suburban development in the area.
Balwyn's status as an affluent suburb has seen middle to upper-middle-class families from suburbs such asKewandBrightontransfer to the area to take advantage of the suburb's relatively large block sizes and proximity to some of Victoria's best private schools including those in the neighbouring suburbs of Canterbury and Kew. Some of the initial development of the suburb occurred along the Whitehorse Road tramline, along which the Wade handbag and theJarvis Walkerfishing rod factories were once located.
The south western part of Balwyn was excised as the suburb ofDeepdenein 2010.[13]
21st century
[edit]
Balwyn is consistently ranked as one of Melbourne's 5 most exclusive suburbs. The heritage-protected Reid Estate[15]is especially noted as an area of Balwyn between Mont Albert Road and Whitehorse Road containing many architecturally significantInterwarmansions.
The suburb has been immortalised by theSkyhookssingle named after the suburb, 'Balwyn Calling', whileThe Agenewspaper once described the suburb as "arguably Melbourne's most loved".[16] In the 12-month period to January 2020 Balwyn reported a median house price of A$1.6 million for a three bedroom house.[17]
Geography
[edit]Localities
[edit]Balwyn East
[edit]A small area adjacent toMont Albert Northis sometimes known asBalwyn East.This name is generally used to refer to parts around the East Balwyn Shopping Centre at the intersection of Union Road and Belmore Road.[18][19]
Landmarks
[edit]Balwyn is home to theMaranoa Gardens,Australia's first botanical garden dedicated to indigenous flora.
Economy
[edit]The main shopping area is located around the intersection of Whitehorse Road and Balwyn Road.
Transport
[edit]Road
[edit]Whitehorse Road runs east–west along the ridgeline through the centre of Balwyn. Balwyn Road runs north–south fromKoonung Creek Reserve(adjacent to theEastern Freeway) to Canterbury Road.
Public transport
[edit]Tram
[edit]The 109 tram line runs from Port Melbourne to Box Hill via Whitehorse Road.
Bus
[edit]- 200 – City (Queen St) –Bulleen, Victoriavia Kew Junction
- 207 – City (Queen St) –Doncaster Shoppingtonvia Kew Junction
- 284 – Doncaster Park and Ride –Box Hillvia Greythorn Road
- 285 – Doncaster Park and Ride –Camberwellvia Balwyn Road
- 302 – City (Lonsdale St) – Box Hill via Belmore Road andEastern Freeway
- 304 – City (Lonsdale St) – Doncaster Shoppington via Belmore Road and Eastern Freeway
- 548 – Kew (Cotham Road) –La Trobe University Bundoora
Active transport
[edit]The two main designated north-south cycling routes are along Balwyn Road and the Anniversary Trail. Mont Albert Road is similarly classified as the main east-west route.[20]
Almost all roads and streets in Balwyn have sealedfootpathsand several parks provide connections between neighbourhoods. Some older parts of Balwyn haveservice lanesto the rear of properties, an uncommon feature for a suburb outside of the inner city of Melbourne.
Education
[edit]Preschool
[edit]- Balwyn East Kindergarten
- Yongala Preschool
Primary
[edit]Secondary
[edit]Sport
[edit]The suburb has anAustralian Rulesfootball team, theBalwyn Tigers.Their home ground is Balwyn Park. There are several junior teams including the Balwyn and Greythorn Jets, competing in theEastern Football League.[21]
It also has acricketteam in the Balwyn Cricket Club.[22]
Notable people
[edit]- Warwick Capper– former Australian Rules footballer, singer, actor and media personality.
- Olivia Deeble– Home And Away actress
- Steve Hooker– world-famous pole vaulter, grew up in Balwyn.[23]
- Kathy Jackson– national secretary of theHealth Services Union
- Jane Kennedy– semi-regular panellist on television chat showThe Circle.
- Belle Bruce Reid– Australia's first female veterinarian, established the Balwyn Veterinary Surgery.[24]
See also
[edit]- City of Camberwell– Balwyn was previously within this former local government area.
- Bonjour Balwyn– A 1971 Australian independent film.
- Electoral district of Balwyn– An electoral district of theVictorian Legislative Assembly(1955–1992).
References
[edit]- ^Australian Bureau of Statistics(28 June 2022)."Balwyn (suburb and locality)".Australian Census 2021 QuickStats.Retrieved28 June2022.
- ^"2021 Census QuickStats: Balwyn".censusdata.abs.gov.au.Retrieved3 July2022.
- ^"Balwyn's Beginnings".Balwyn Historical Society.Retrieved10 March2024.
- ^"10 Most Expensive Suburbs in Melbourne 2021".Metropole Property Strategists.23 May 2021.Retrieved27 June2021.
- ^ Camfield, D. (1974)."Murray, Andrew (1813–1880)".Australian Dictionary of Biography.Vol. 5. Canberra: National Centre of Biography,Australian National University.ISBN978-0-522-84459-7.ISSN1833-7538.OCLC70677943.Retrieved22 November2014.
- ^"Map of formally recognised traditional owners".Aboriginal Victoria.Retrieved2 June2019.
- ^"Wurundjeri".Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung Cultural Heritage Aboriginal Corporation.Retrieved2 June2019.
- ^Balwyn & Balwyn North, Victoria,archived fromthe originalon 13 October 2004,retrieved16 September2010
- ^Premier Postal History,Post Office List,retrieved11 April2008
- ^Post Office To Reopen in Balwyn,retrieved22 May2015
- ^"1911–1920",100 Years of Electric Trams – Tram History – Milestones,Yarra Trams, archived fromthe originalon 27 September 2011,retrieved16 September2010
- ^"Balwyn Cinema",Cinema History Around The World,Cinematour,retrieved11 March2012
- ^City of Boroondara,Deepdene – our newest suburb,archived fromthe originalon 18 March 2012,retrieved25 July2011
- ^"Boroondara Library Services Plan".Boroondara City Council.Retrieved21 June2018.
- ^"Reid Estate, Balwyn, Heritage Overlay HO192".Victorian Heritage Database.Heritage Victoria.Retrieved30 November2014.
- ^ Dubecki, Larissa (21 February 2008),"Balwyn Sailing",The Age,Melbourne,retrieved3 March2008
- ^"Real Estate – Properties for Sale, Rent and Share – Domain".domain.au.
- ^"Balwyn East Postcode".Australia Post.Retrieved10 March2024.
- ^"East Balwyn".BoroondaraWiki.Retrieved10 March2024.
- ^"Strategic Cycling Corridors".Department of Transport & Planning.Retrieved10 March2024.
- ^Full Point Footy,Eastern Football League,archived fromthe originalon 1 January 2009,retrieved21 October2008
- ^.Balwyn Cricket Club,retrieved29 November2013
- ^Sharwood, Anthony (24 October 2009)."Under the radar".The Weekend Australian Magazine.pp. 14–20. Archived fromthe originalon 26 October 2009.Retrieved25 October2009.
- ^Wirth, Hugh J.(2002)."Reid, Isabelle Bruce (Belle) (1883–1945)".Australian Dictionary of Biography.Vol. 16. Canberra: National Centre of Biography,Australian National University.ISBN978-0-522-84459-7.ISSN1833-7538.OCLC70677943.Retrieved19 March2015.
External links
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