Balwyn, Victoria
Encyclopedia
Balwyn is a suburb in Melbourne
, Victoria
, Australia
, 10 km east from Melbourne's central business district
. Its Local Government Area is the City of Boroondara
. At the 2006 Census, Balwyn had a population of 15,312.
The south west part of the suburb was excised as the suburb of Deepdene
in 2010.
Balwyn in the north is separated from Balwyn North
by Belmore Road, is bounded in the west by Burke Road, in the south by an irregular line along Mont Albert Road, Northcote Avenue and Whitehorse Road, and in the east by a line some distance to the east of Union Road.
Whitehorse Road
runs east-west along the ridgeline through the centre of Balwyn. Balwyn Road runs north-south from Koonung Creek Reserve (adjacent to the Eastern Freeway) to Canterbury Road. The main shopping precinct is near the intersection of these roads.
of 8 mi2 in 1841, which was subdivided into small farms and grazing runs.
In the late 1850s Andrew Murray, commercial editor and political writer for The Argus
newspaper, bought land on the hill overlooking Canterbury Gardens. He named his house Balwyn from the Gaelic bal and the Saxon wyn, meaning 'the home of the vine'. Balwyn Road and the district were named after it.
The house was situated on the site that is now part of Fintona Girls' School
.
In 1868 the Balwyn primary school was opened in Balwyn Road, about 100 metres north of Whitehorse Road. It was moved to the 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.
Balwyn Post Office first opened on 26 August 1874 in a rural area, closed in 1894, then reopened in 1920. It will face a second closure on 11 February 2011 due to hardships in renewing rental agreement and relocating to nearby locations.
The Outer Circle railway, with a station at Deepdene, opened in 1891, was closed in 1893, re-opened in 1900 then final closed to passenger traffic in 1927.
The electric tram system
was 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.
The suburb developed in the post World War II
boom and was populated by a mixture of professional and working class families, although it is now primarily populated by wealthy migrants and its status as a recently affluent suburb has seen middle to upper middle class families from like suburbs like Kew and Brighton transfer to the area to take advantage of large block sizes and non heritage listed houses that can be demolished for spacious modern houses. Consequently, higher real estate prices have formed a prominent part of the psycho-social makeup of Balwyn's inhabitants. The initial boom occurred along the Whitehorse Road tramline, which defined the working class Deepdene factory (such as the Wade handbag and the Jarvis-Walker fishing rod factories) and shop strip and the Balwyn shops around the intersection with Burke Road. South of the tramline was generally petty bourgeoisie while the slopes down to the north was populated by aspiring middle classes, workers and frugal professionals such as teachers and bank managers. With Deepdene State School at its western extreme, it drew a mixed student population that contrasted with the student population of Balwyn High School
located in the area that became known as North Balwyn, which was populated later than the rest of the suburb by a higher socio-economic group.
Apart from the significant religious establishments of the suburb, local almost village churches sprang up with the boom of young people post war, one example of which was the Deepdene Methodist Church, a group with some Menonite roots and a strong adherence to the Swiss Frisian Menno Simmons. Now defunct, the church was a thriving focus for young people's fellowship, a scout troop, fund-raising as well as mothers' and other groups that defined a viable neighbourhood. In addition to its social function in nurturing the development of young people given the opportunities of a scholastically elite school, an ever expanding employment market and the excellent public health regime of the era, the church was adopted by the Rev Dr A. H. Wood upon his retirement as Principal of the Methodist Ladies' College
in Kew. Wood made an indelible contribution to the suburb through this role, and the effect remains evident in the 2000s in the lives of people he influenced at that time.
, a native garden developed by citizens. The suburb has been immortalised by the Skyhooks single named after the suburb, 'Balwyn Calling', while The Age
newspaper described the suburb as "arguably Melbourne's most loved" whilst conceding "Balwyn has never, and will never, be called "a vibrant, exciting and influential suburb" .
,and the Balwyn Cricket
Club
Falling share prices forced many wealthy home owners in Melbourne's prestigious suburbs to sell their homes to cover share margin call
s or because they had lost their jobs in the finance and banking sectors. According to one analyst, property prices in Melbourne's wealthy inner-city suburbs tend to be very closely aligned to the state of global and domestic share markets.
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
, Victoria
Victoria (Australia)
Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, 10 km east from Melbourne's central business district
Melbourne city centre
Melbourne City Centre is an area of Melbourne in Victoria, Australia. It is not to be confused with the larger local government area of the City of Melbourne...
. Its Local Government Area is the City of Boroondara
City of Boroondara
The City of Boroondara is a Local Government Area in Victoria, Australia. It is located in the eastern suburbs of Melbourne.This area was originally occupied by the Wurundjeri, Indigenous Australians of the Kulin nation....
. At the 2006 Census, Balwyn had a population of 15,312.
The south west part of the suburb was excised as the suburb of Deepdene
Deepdene, Victoria
Deepdene is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 8 km east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Boroondara....
in 2010.
Balwyn in the north is separated from Balwyn North
Balwyn North, Victoria
Balwyn North is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 11 km east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Boroondara...
by Belmore Road, is bounded in the west by Burke Road, in the south by an irregular line along Mont Albert Road, Northcote Avenue and Whitehorse Road, and in the east by a line some distance to the east of Union Road.
Whitehorse Road
Maroondah Highway
Maroondah Highway , is a major east-west thoroughfare in the eastern suburbs of Melbourne and a highway servicing the lower alpine region Victoria, Australia.-History:...
runs east-west along the ridgeline through the centre of Balwyn. Balwyn Road runs north-south from Koonung Creek Reserve (adjacent to the Eastern Freeway) to Canterbury Road. The main shopping precinct is near the intersection of these roads.
History
Balwyn was part of Henry Elgar's Special SurveyElgar's Special Survey
In 1841, Henry Elgar purchased or eight square miles of land approximately 10 km east of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. The land was purchased from the Crown for one pound an acre under the terms of the short-lived Special Survey regulations....
of 8 mi2 in 1841, which was subdivided into small farms and grazing runs.
In the late 1850s Andrew Murray, commercial editor and political writer for The Argus
The Argus (Australia)
The Argus was a morning daily newspaper in Melbourne established in 1846 and closed in 1957. Widely known as a conservative newspaper for most of its history, it adopted a left leaning approach from 1949...
newspaper, bought land on the hill overlooking Canterbury Gardens. He named his house Balwyn from the Gaelic bal and the Saxon wyn, meaning 'the home of the vine'. Balwyn Road and the district were named after it.
The house was situated on the site that is now part of Fintona Girls' School
Fintona Girls' School
Fintona Girls' School is a small, independent, non-denominational, day school for girls, located in Balwyn, an eastern suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia....
.
In 1868 the Balwyn primary school was opened in Balwyn Road, about 100 metres north of Whitehorse Road. It was moved to the 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.
Balwyn Post Office first opened on 26 August 1874 in a rural area, closed in 1894, then reopened in 1920. It will face a second closure on 11 February 2011 due to hardships in renewing rental agreement and relocating to nearby locations.
The Outer Circle railway, with a station at Deepdene, opened in 1891, was closed in 1893, re-opened in 1900 then final closed to passenger traffic in 1927.
The electric tram system
Trams in Melbourne
The Melbourne tramway network is a major form of public transport in Melbourne, the capital city of the state of Victoria, Australia. , the network consisted of of track, 487 trams, 28 routes, and 1,773 tram stops. It was therefore the largest urban tramway network in the world, ahead of the...
was 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.
The suburb developed in the post World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
boom and was populated by a mixture of professional and working class families, although it is now primarily populated by wealthy migrants and its status as a recently affluent suburb has seen middle to upper middle class families from like suburbs like Kew and Brighton transfer to the area to take advantage of large block sizes and non heritage listed houses that can be demolished for spacious modern houses. Consequently, higher real estate prices have formed a prominent part of the psycho-social makeup of Balwyn's inhabitants. The initial boom occurred along the Whitehorse Road tramline, which defined the working class Deepdene factory (such as the Wade handbag and the Jarvis-Walker fishing rod factories) and shop strip and the Balwyn shops around the intersection with Burke Road. South of the tramline was generally petty bourgeoisie while the slopes down to the north was populated by aspiring middle classes, workers and frugal professionals such as teachers and bank managers. With Deepdene State School at its western extreme, it drew a mixed student population that contrasted with the student population of Balwyn High School
Balwyn High School
Balwyn High School is a state-run high school in the suburb of Balwyn North, in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. It was established in 1954. As of 2009 it has some 2,000 students and over 180 staff, making it one of the largest schools in the inner-eastern suburbs of Melbourne or the third largest...
located in the area that became known as North Balwyn, which was populated later than the rest of the suburb by a higher socio-economic group.
Apart from the significant religious establishments of the suburb, local almost village churches sprang up with the boom of young people post war, one example of which was the Deepdene Methodist Church, a group with some Menonite roots and a strong adherence to the Swiss Frisian Menno Simmons. Now defunct, the church was a thriving focus for young people's fellowship, a scout troop, fund-raising as well as mothers' and other groups that defined a viable neighbourhood. In addition to its social function in nurturing the development of young people given the opportunities of a scholastically elite school, an ever expanding employment market and the excellent public health regime of the era, the church was adopted by the Rev Dr A. H. Wood upon his retirement as Principal of the Methodist Ladies' College
Methodist Ladies' College, Melbourne
Methodist Ladies' College is an independent, non-selective, day and boarding school for girls, located in Kew, an eastern suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia...
in Kew. Wood made an indelible contribution to the suburb through this role, and the effect remains evident in the 2000s in the lives of people he influenced at that time.
Today
Balwyn is also home to the exquisite Maranoa GardensMaranoa Gardens
Maranoa Gardens is located next to Beckett Park in Balwyn, a suburb of Melbourne, Australia. It is a fine collection of diverse plant species spread over . It was created in 1901 by a private individual, Mr. J. Watson...
, a native garden developed by citizens. The suburb has been immortalised by the Skyhooks single named after the suburb, 'Balwyn Calling', while The Age
The Age
The Age is a daily broadsheet newspaper, which has been published in Melbourne, Australia since 1854. Owned and published by Fairfax Media, The Age primarily serves Victoria, but is also available for purchase in Tasmania, the Australian Capital Territory and border regions of South Australia and...
newspaper described the suburb as "arguably Melbourne's most loved" whilst conceding "Balwyn has never, and will never, be called "a vibrant, exciting and influential suburb" .
Sport
The suburb has an Australian Rules football team, The Balwyn Tigers, competing in the Eastern Football LeagueEastern Football League (Australia)
The Eastern Football League is an Australian rules football League, based in the eastern suburbs of metropolitan Melbourne....
,and the Balwyn Cricket
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
Club
2008 economic crisis
Because of the economic crisis of 2008, house prices in Melbourne's private school belt were hammered in the second half of 2008. The price of an average house in Balwyn dived 21.6 per cent to $956,000 over the three months to the end of December 2008. By comparison, median house prices across all Melbourne suburbs fell by 9.7 per cent in the year ending 2008.Falling share prices forced many wealthy home owners in Melbourne's prestigious suburbs to sell their homes to cover share margin call
Margin Call
Margin Call is a 2011 American independent drama film, written and directed by J.C. Chandor. The film has an ensemble cast that includes Kevin Spacey, Demi Moore, Paul Bettany, Jeremy Irons, Zachary Quinto, Stanley Tucci, Simon Baker, and Penn Badgley...
s or because they had lost their jobs in the finance and banking sectors. According to one analyst, property prices in Melbourne's wealthy inner-city suburbs tend to be very closely aligned to the state of global and domestic share markets.
Notable residents
- Steve Hooker – world-famous pole vaulter, grew up in Balwyn.
- David Askew – Principal of the architectural firm Twentyman and Askew.
See also
- City of CamberwellCity of CamberwellThe City of Camberwell was a Local Government Area located about east of Melbourne, the state capital of Victoria, Australia. The city covered an area of , and existed from 1914 until 1994.-History:...
- the former local government area of which Balwyn was a part.