Rowville

Rowville
Suburb
Rowville is located in Melbourne
Rowville
Rowville
Interactive map of Rowville
Coordinates: 37°56′13″S 145°13′44″E / 37.937°S 145.229°E / -37.937; 145.229
CountryAustralia
StateVictoria
CityMelbourne
LGA
Location
Established1882
Government
 • State electorate
 • Federal division
Area
 • Total
19.5 km2 (7.5 sq mi)
Elevation
70 m (230 ft)
Population
 • Total33,571 (2021 census)
 • Density1,722/km2 (4,459/sq mi)
Postcode
3178
Suburbs around Rowville
Wheelers Hill Scoresby Ferntree Gully
Mulgrave Rowville Lysterfield
Dandenong North Endeavour Hills Lysterfield South
Tirhatuan Wetlands, 2014

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. Primarily residential, it is one of the largest suburbs south-east of Melbourne, recording a population of 33,571 at the 2021 census.

Rowville is named after the Row family, whose property Stamford Park was established in 1882. The original Rowville Post Office operated between 1905 and 1987, reopening within the Stud Park Shopping Centre in 1989. Rowville developed rapidly throughout the latter half of the 20th century, particularly during the 1980s and 90s with housing and light industrial premises being built.

Residential

Most of the former Stamford Park property was subdivided into Rowville's first housing estate in 1960. It was developed by German-born entrepreneurs Hans Bachrach and Max Naumburger, who tasked the head of engineering at Swinburne, Keith Stevenson, with designing an estate with blocks laid out in a modern American-style layout.

Rowville's first and only low-density community was established on a former cattle farm called Twin Views at the southern end of Taylors Lane. The property had previously been owned by the Raymond family. They sold it to Dandenong agent Gordon Norris shortly after it became the site of a fatal plane crash in 1959. It was subdivided into 50 one-acre blocks in 1961, and the estate has been designated under Low-Density Residential Zoning since 1961.

Shire counciller Bernie Seebeck, who owned an asbestos business, subdivided his land on the south bank of Corhanwarrabul Creek into a hillside housing estate in 1962, shortly before sweeping new town planning controls stunted further growth of the district. Following the second release of land in 1963, it would take another 13 years before Rowville's next development was approved.

In 1976, the private Bexarm Investment Corporation established the Woodview Estate off Valleyview Drive, creating Hillside Park. At the same time, developer Hooker Rex was constructing a large masterplanned community off Stud Road known as Rowville Lakes. Here, over 1500 homes were built, making it the largest development ever undertaken in Knox.

The Park Ridge estate was developed by Stocks & Holdings and occupies 150 hectares between Kellets and Wellington Roads, comprising about 1000 houses.

As empty residential land became increasingly scarce, in the mid-1980s, approval was granted for the development of the Timbertop Estate on part of the former Rowville Training Camp site. The Turramurra Estate at the northern end of Turramurra Drive and the Sovereign Hill estate in Tirhatuan Drive were also established during this period.

The third wave of residential development took place during the late 1980s, with construction of estates such as Rowville Heights near Arcadia Reserve, Tirhatuan Hills next to the Tirhatuan Wetlands, Studwell Park near the south end of Waradgery Drive and the Peppertree Hill retirement village by AV Jennings off Fulham Road.

Other residential estates

  • Waterford Valley Lakes (2004): Retirement village and golf course.
  • Sovereign Manors (2001–2002): Developed by the Sunland Group at a cost of over $35 million, providing about 100 homes off Karoo Road.
  • Sovereign Crest (2002): Over 800 blocks developed by Nev Pask, situated around Sovereign Crest Boulevard.
  • Silkwood Estate

Industrial

The Scoresby Industrial Park, located in and around Laser Drive, was developed by Peter Hibbit as Rowville's first light industrial estate. This marked the beginning of the suburb's industrial estate boom, which continued until the early 1990s. Four rival industrial developments were developed in the suburb over the next two years.

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:

It is also served by a Catholic primary school, St. Simon the Apostle School, which was established in 1982.

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 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.

Wellington Village, in Wellington Road, is Rowville's second-largest shopping centre. Rowville Lakes is a third, smaller shopping centre on Kelletts Road.

Sport

Golfers play at the Kingston Links on Corporate Avenue, at the course of the Tirhatuan Park Golf Club on Police and Stud Roads or at the course of the Waverley Golf Club on Bergins Road.

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.

See also

References

  1. ↑ Australian Bureau of Statistics (28 June 2022). "Rowville (Suburbs and Localities)". 2021 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 14 July 2022. Edit this at Wikidata
  2. ↑ "Rowville". Victorian Places. Retrieved 6 July 2025.
  3. ↑ Sassall, Yeong (9 May 2019). "A heritage Victorian homestead reimagined as a stunning restaurant and event space". Vogue Australia. Retrieved 6 July 2025.
  4. ↑ "Post Office List". Phoenix Auctions History. Retrieved 31 March 2021.
  5. ↑ Survey plan report LP44527. Corr & Corr Pty Ltd. 26 March 1959 – via Victorian Department of Transport and Planning.
  6. ↑ Stevenson, Keith (16 November 1957). "Stamford Heights Estate Section 3 - Copy of fieldnotes of Survey of Crown Portion 2, Parish of Narree Worran" – via LASSI, Victorian Department of Transport and Planning.
  7. ↑ "£2m Estate Planned on 700 Acres at Rowville". The Age. 12 November 1958. p. 17 – via State Library Victoria.
  8. ↑ "Review of Rowville, LDRZ and adjoining, GRZ2 land". Glossop Town Planning. March 2021 – via City of Knox.
  9. ↑ Copy of Fieldnotes of Survey, Part of Crown Sections 4 and 5, Parish of Mornington. Victorian Department of Transport and Planning. 10 November 1959.
  10. ↑ Pratt, Robert (30 August 1976). Survey plan report LP119564 – via Victorian Department of Transport and Planning.
  11. ↑ "Down by the lakes". The Age. 21 March 1979. p. 46 – via State Library Victoria.
  12. ↑ "Park Ridge, Rowville". The Age. 3 November 1979. p. 78.
  13. ↑ "New Knox estate is proving popular". The Age. 21 September 1985. p. 17 – via State Library Victoria.
  14. ↑ "Sovereign Hill – Tirhatuan Drive". The Age. 10 February 1990. p. 9.
  15. ↑ "Building blocks with views on the popular Turramurra Estate". The Age. 21 December 1985. p. 50.
  16. ↑ "The best, yes, the best – in Rowville". The Age. 25 April 1987. p. 93.
  17. ↑ "Tirhatuan Hills Rowville: The Investor's Paradise". The Age. 17 May 1986. p. 80 – via State Library Victoria.
  18. ↑ "Barry Plant – New Homes". The Age. 14 January 1989. p. 65 – via State Library Victoria.
  19. ↑ "Jennings, the people with experience, set the standards in retirement villages". The Age. 24 March 1988. p. 51.
  20. ↑ "Knox community's award is par for the course". Knox Leader. 18 September 2007. p. 3.
  21. ↑ Westwood, John (23 March 2002). "Rowville Riviera". The Age. p. 46 – via State Library Victoria.
  22. ↑ Rose, Michelle (11 May 2002). "Lot at stake for buyers:". Herald Sun. p. 9 – via State Library Victoria.
  23. ↑ Archer, Alice (4 May 1996). "Boomers lead the market on city fringe". The Age. p. 6.
  24. ↑ "Scoresby Industrial Park". The Age. 14 February 1987. p. 96 – via State Library Victoria.
  25. ↑ Survey plan report LP203653. Millar & Merrigan Pty Ltd for Property Investment Group Pty Ltd. 1987. p. 1 – via Victorian Department of Transport and Planning.
  26. ↑ "Schools". Rowville-Lysterfield Community News. March 1996. Retrieved 6 July 2025.
  27. ↑ "Park Ridge Primary School - Number 5281". Victorian Schools Directory. Government of Victoria. Retrieved 6 July 2025.
  28. ↑ "Karoo Primary School - Number 5295". Victorian Schools Directory. Government of Victoria. Retrieved 6 July 2025.
  29. ↑ "Heany Park Primary School - Number 5345". Victorian Schools Directory. Government of Victoria. Retrieved 6 July 2025.
  30. ↑ "St Simon's School, Rowville". Melbourne Archdiocese Catholic Schools. Retrieved 6 July 2025.
  31. ↑ "Thanks for the welcome! Stud Park Shopping Centre now open". Rowville-Lysterfield Community News. No. 86. August 1989. p. 11. Retrieved 6 July 2025.
  32. ↑ "Stud Park". www.studparksc.com.au. Retrieved 18 March 2012.
  33. ↑ St. Simons Football Club. Retrieved 1 June 2010.
  34. ↑ Golf Select, Kingston Links, retrieved 11 May 2009
  35. ↑ Golf Select, Tirhatuan Park, retrieved 11 May 2009
  36. ↑ Golf Select, Waverley, retrieved 11 May 2009