Rowville
Suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Rowville is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 27 km (17 mi) south-east of Melbourne's Central Business District, located within the City of Knox local government area. Rowville recorded a population of 33,571 at the 2021 census.[1] Rowville is one of the largest suburbs south-east of Melbourne.
Rowville | |||||||||||||
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Intersection of Stud and Wellington roads, Rowville, 2019 | |||||||||||||
  Rowville | |||||||||||||
 Interactive map of Rowville | |||||||||||||
| Coordinates: 37.937°S 145.229°E | |||||||||||||
| Country | Australia | ||||||||||||
| State | Victoria | ||||||||||||
| City | Melbourne | ||||||||||||
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| Location | |||||||||||||
| Established | 1882 | ||||||||||||
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| Area | |||||||||||||
• Total | 19.5 km2 (7.5 sq mi) | ||||||||||||
| Elevation | 70 m (230 ft) | ||||||||||||
| Population | |||||||||||||
| • Total | 33,571 (2021 census)[1] | ||||||||||||
| • Density | 1,722/km2 (4,459/sq mi) | ||||||||||||
| Postcode | 3178 | ||||||||||||
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The Rowville branch of Your Library (formerly Eastern Regional Libraries), is adjacent to the Rowville Community Centre under the Clock Tower. The Stringybark Festival used to be held at the centre on the third weekend of every October and would attract over 25,000 visitors, but has not been held since 2023.[2] The event was organised by the Knox Council, and was one of Australia's longest running sustainability events. There are three golf courses within Rowville. Stud Park is currently being expanded.
Rowville is at the intersection of many local government areas with the suburb connecting to suburbs within the Yarra Ranges Shire, City of Monash, City of Greater Dandenong, City of Casey and City of Knox.
History
Rowville is named after the Row family, whose property Stamford Park was established in 1882.[3] The Stamford Park homestead has been restored in recent years by Knox Council.[4][5]
Rowville Post Office opened on 20 December 1905 and closed in 1987. In 1989, it reopened in the new Stud Park (formerly Darryl Park) Shopping Centre.[6]
Rowville developed rapidly throughout the 1980s and 1990s, with housing and light industrial premises being built.[citation needed] Rowville has many suburban subdivisions, the more recent ones including the Sovereign Crest Estate and the Timbertop Estate. Sovereign Crest Estate is a medium-sized estate located on parts of Karoo Road. The development included the construction of the Wellington Village shopping centre on Wellington Road, complementing the Rowville Lakes shopping centre on Kelletts Road.
Education
Rowville has one dual-campus high school, Rowville Secondary College, with an Eastern Campus (7–12) and a Western Campus (7–12). Students from the Eastern Campus used to move to the Western Campus to complete their VCE. But now they can complete VCE at the eastern campus as well.[citation needed]
Rowville is served by four public primary schools:
- Rowville Primary School (established 1973)[7]
- Park Ridge Primary (established 1990)[8]
- Karoo Primary School (established 1992)[9]
- Heany Park Primary (established 1993)[10]
It is also served by a Catholic primary school, St. Simon the Apostle School, which was established in 1982.[11]
When Lysterfield Primary School moved to its present site in the 1990s, it was based in Rowville, however the boundary between the suburbs has changed and Lysterfield Primary is once again in Lysterfield.[citation needed]
Commerce
Rowville's main centre of commerce is Stud Park Shopping Centre which opened in 1989[12] and is the largest shopping centre in the suburb. It houses Coles, Woolworths and Kmart stores, and over 60 specialty stores including two hairdressers, a pharmacy, two travel agents, banks, a vet and assorted food outlets. It has approximately 1500 car park spaces and is serviced regularly by bus services.[13]
Wellington Village, in Wellington Road, is Rowville's second-largest shopping centre. Rowville Lakes is a third, smaller shopping centre on Kelletts Road.
Sport
- Rowville Football Club in the Eastern Football League
- Rowville Knights Community Football Club in the Eastern Football League[14]
- Lysterfield Junior Football Club in the Eastern Football League
- Rowville Cricket Club in the Ferntree Gully District Cricket Association
- Eildon Park Cricket Club in the Ferntree Gully District Cricket Association
- Lysterfield Cricket Club in the Ferntree Gully District Cricket Association
- Rowville Eagles Soccer Club
- Knox United Soccer Club
- Knox Churches Soccer Club
- Blue Park
- Eildon Park Tennis Club
- Rowville Tennis Club
- Rowville Netball Club
- Aston Athletic FC
- Rowville Little Athletics Club
- Rowville Lakes Little Athletics Club
- Rowville Rockets Basketball Club
- Lysterfield Netball Club
- Omega Trampoline Sports Club
Golfers play at the Kingston Links on Corporate Avenue,[15] at the course of the Tirhatuan Park Golf Club on Police and Stud Roads[16] or at the course of the Waverley Golf Club on Bergins Road.[17]
Housing estates
Wellington Park #1 (1959–1960)
The Wellington Park estate on the west side of Stud Road initially went to auction in October 1959 as Rowville's first housing estate, generating significant profit upon release.[18] Located in and around Stamford Crescent, the estate was an early project of German immigrants Hans Bachrach and Max Naumburger: founders of the Bachrach Naumburger Group. A second auction took place in early 1960 and formed Melbourne's first big land sale of that year. But many of the buyers were speculators, and it wasn't until the late 1960s that construction took off.[19]
Seebeck Estate (1960–61)
In August 1958, local fibro manufacturer and councillor Bernie Seebeck sold a 100-acre rural property at the corner of Police Road and Stud Road, which forms the present day Seebeck Estate. The sale coincided with the dissolution of a business partnership between Seebeck and Edwin Dawes, paying off debt owed by their fibro plaster company. It has over 300 blocks and joins the Timbertop and Tirhatuan Hills estates.[20]
Rowville Lakes (1977–1986)
During the 1960s, developer Hooker-Rex speculatively acquired over 160 hectares of farm land at the corner of Kellets and Stud Roads, intending to establish a large-scale housing development in the future. Construction began about 1975 with the excavation of artificial lakes, designed to alleviate flooding of the estate's low-lying areas.[21] Rowville Lakes is notable as an early example of lakefront housing estates in Victoria – a trend which has since become commonplace in newer Victorian residential developments.[22] Land was designated for the Rowville Lakes Shopping Centre (opened 1987) and various sporting/community facilities. Between 1977 and 1986, over 1500 blocks were sold at the Lakes. Prominent streets created by the estate include Lakeside Boulevard, Dandelion Drive, Eildon Parade and Goulburn Drive.[23]
Park Ridge (1979–1991)
In November 1979, developer Stocks & Holdings launched their ambitious Park Ridge estate – which had over 1000 blocks and land reserved for educational, recreational and retail purposes. It is bounded by Kelletts Road, Napoleon Road and Wellington Road. The east campus of Rowville Secondary College and the Park Ridge Primary School were developed on the estate. It is the second largest housing estate in Rowville.[24]
Timbertop Estate (1985–86)
Officially opened in September 1985 by the Mayor of Knox, the Timbertop Estate has about 270 homes spread across Timbertop Drive, Candlebark Quadrant, Debra Street and Tetragona Quadrant. It was developed by Bill Bowness and Raymond Peck "in the Wheelers Hill tradition", characterized by blocks with gentle slopes and views over parkland.[25] In 1986, the Victorian Minister for Housing opened a display village at the corner of Stud Road and Timbertop Drive, which showcased prominent designs by local builders AV Jennings, Tomkin Homes and Townshend Homes – operating until the early 1990s.[26] Covenants restrict the removal of trees and provide that a home must not be smaller than 165 square metres.[27]
Wellington Park #2 (1987–1990)
Not to be confused with an estate of the same name at Stud Road the Wellington Park estate is situated between Wellington and Bergins Roads – comprising about 300 houses in and around Liberty Avenue, Buckingham Drive and Halsbury Drive. The Education Department reserved part of the estate to build the Heany Park Primary School, opened in 1993.[28]
Silkwood Rise (1993–94)
The Silkwood Rise estate is situated on the north side of Wellington Road, in Silkwood Way. It has about 290 blocks and was developed by Intrapac Consolidated, marking the firm's first major residential project. About half of Peregrine Reserve was created by the development, as was a kindergarten site on Pitfield Crescent. A unique signboard with the estate's name marks the main entrance at Wellington Road. [29]
Other estates
- Turramurra Estate (1985–1986): Around 250 homes near Bridgewater Way, Mantung Crescent and Turramurra Drive subdivided by AV Jennings.[30]
- Tirhatuan Hills (1986–1986): Over 110 homes around George Knox Drive and Holstein Court.[31]
- Rowville Heights (1987–1988): About 230 blocks in and around Turramurra Drive, Simon Avenue and Ling Drive.[32]
- Sovereign Hill (1988–1990): About 45 homes at Tirhatuan Drive, Delta Court and Miramah Close.[33]
- Peppertree Hill (1988): Retirement village of about 200 units developed by AV Jennings.[34]
- Studwell Park (1988–89): About 150 blocks off Stud Road, including Towt Court and Waradgery Drive.[35]
- Waterford Valley Lakes (2004): Retirement village and golf course.[36]
- Sovereign Manors (2001–2002): Developed by the Sunland Group at a cost of over $35 million, providing about 100 homes off Karoo Road.[37]
- Sovereign Crest (2002): Over 800 blocks developed by Nev Pask, situated around Sovereign Crest Boulevard.[38]
Community service groups
Rowville is supported by local community groups, including the 1st Rowville Scout Group since 1972 and based in its Scout Hall since 1991.
Heany Park Scout Group has been a part of the Rowville community since 1965, starting as 3rd Knox Scout Group. It later moved to Heany Park in 2001 and its name was changed to Heany Park Scout Group. Surrounding the Heany Park Scout Hall is Heany Park, which comprises 9 hectares (23 acres) of natural bushland .
Governance
Rowville is in the federal Division of Aston, which is held by Mary Doyle of the Australian Labor Party.
Rowville is in the state Legislative Assembly seat of Rowville, which is held by Kim Wells of the Liberal Party.
Rowville is part of the City of Knox and is represented by three ward councillors.
