Kew (;) is a suburb of Melbourne, Victoria,

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

, 5 km east from Melbourne's

Central Business District A central business district (CBD) is the commercial and business centre of a city. It contains commercial space and offices, and in larger cities will often be described as a financial district. Geographically, it often coincides with the "city ...

, located within the City of Boroondara

local government area A local government area (LGA) is an administrative division of a country that a local government is responsible for. The size of an LGA varies by country but it is generally a subdivision of a State (administrative division), state, province, divi ...

. Kew recorded a population of 24,499 at the 2021 census. A city in its own right from 1860 to 1994, Kew was amalgamated with the cities of Hawthorn and

Camberwell Camberwell () is a district of South London, England, in the London Borough of Southwark, southeast of Charing Cross. Camberwell was first a village associated with the church of St Giles and a common of which Goose Green is a remnant. This e ...

to form the City of Boroondara. The suburb borders the Yarra River to the west and northwest, with Kew East to the northeast, Hawthorn and Hawthorn East to its south, and with Balwyn, Balwyn North and Deepdene to the east.

History

Prior to the establishment of Melbourne, the area was inhabited by the Wurundjeri peoples. In the 1840s European settlers named it the Parish of ''Boroondara'' – meaning "a place of shade" in the Woiwurrung language. In 1838 Dight travelled down the Yarra from Heidelberg and decided to locate a water-powered mill on a site adjacent to Dights Falls; the impressive three-storey mill opened in 1840. John Hodgson established a squatters run at Studley Park, on the eastern bank of the Yarra River, in 1840. ''Studley House'', also known as ''Burke Hall'', built in 1857, was named after Hodgson's birthplace of Studley, Yorkshire and the house is now on the Register of the National Estate. The house was built in the Victorian Period Italianate Revival style. Modifications were made to the house in 1875 and 1919. The house was also owned by former bookmaker, ALP lobbyist, influential Irish-Catholic and millionaire, John Wren and was donated to Xavier College by the land developer T. M. Burke. It illustrates the importance of a residence in indicating success and status in nineteenth- and early-twentieth-century Melbourne society. The nearby ''

Villa Alba Villa Alba at 44 Walmer St, Kew, Victoria, Kew, is a museum in the State of Victoria, Australia. It was built and decorated between 1882 and 1884 for Anna Maria McEvoy and her husband, William Greenlaw who was the General Manager of the Colonial ...

'', built before 1863, is open to the public. In 1851,

Crown land Crown land (sometimes spelled crownland), also known as royal domain, is a territorial area belonging to the monarch, who personifies the Crown. It is the equivalent of an entailed estate and passes with the monarchy, being inseparable from it. ...

sales occurred in the area. One of the purchasers, Nicholas Fenwick, subdivided his land (which was just further out from the centre of the colony of Melbourne than the area known as

Richmond Richmond most often refers to: * Richmond, Virginia, the capital of Virginia, United States * Richmond, London, a part of London * Richmond, North Yorkshire, a town in England * Richmond, British Columbia, a city in Canada * Richmond, California, ...

) and named the region Kew, based on the thought that Kew in England was near

. He also notably named its streets after British statesmen. The area quickly became a sought-after suburb for the well-to-do in Melbourne. Access to Kew was originally via Bridge Road in Richmond, crossing the Hawthorn Bridge to Burwood Road, until the privately owned Studley Park Bridge (nicknamed the ''Penny Bridge'') opened in 1857, connecting Church Street Richmond with Studley Park. The commercial precinct known as Kew Junction began to take shape in the 1850s. The first store was opened by Mr. J. J. French in August 1853 and the first post office on 6 October 1856, however, it was not till towards the end of the decade that many shops appeared in High Street. The Kew Hotel opened in 1855, the Prospect Hill Hotel (now the Dan Murphy's liquor store) in 1857, the Council Hotel about 1860, the Clifton (now Hotel Kew) in 1869 and the Greyhound (now the Skinny Dog Hotel) in 1874. The block of civic buildings comprising the former post office, the former court house and the former police station were built in 1888 as was the National Bank, at the corner of Walpole and High Streets. In 1856 a site was reserved for a mental asylum next to the river. By 1871 Kew Lunatic Asylum, now known as Willsmere Estate, was completed. The Kew Cottages for children were added in 1887. The hospital was built despite objections by residents and the Kew Borough Council and provides an historical example of

nimbyism NIMBY (or nimby), an acronym for the phrase "not in my back yard", is a characterization of opposition by residents to proposed developments in their local area, as well as support for strict land use regulations. It carries the connotation that ...

Kew Cottages
and Willsmere Hospital are listed on th
Victorian Heritage Register
Various churches opened in the 1850s, with the first school opened by the Anglican Church in 1856. In 1875

Sacred Heart Primary School The School of the Sacred Heart is an international network of private Catholic schools that are run by or affiliated with the Society of the Sacred Heart, which was founded in France by Saint Madeleine Sophie Barat. Membership of the network ...

was opened. More private schools were opened in 1878, including

Ruyton Girls' School , motto_translation = Upright and Faithful , established = 1878 , type = Independent, single-sex, day school , denomination = Non-denominational , key_people = , chairman ...

(

non-denominational A non-denominational person or organization is one that does not follow (or is not restricted to) any particular or specific religious denomination. Overview The term has been used in the context of various faiths including Jainism, Baháʼí Fait ...

) and Xavier College ( Catholic in

Jesuit , image = Ihs-logo.svg , image_size = 175px , caption = ChristogramOfficial seal of the Jesuits , abbreviation = SJ , nickname = Jesuits , formation = , founders ...

order). Other private schools soon followed, including Methodist Ladies' College ( Uniting Church in Australia) in 1882, Genazzano FCJ College in 1889, Trinity Grammar School (

Anglican Anglicanism is a Western Christian tradition that has developed from the practices, liturgy, and identity of the Church of England following the English Reformation, in the context of the Protestant Reformation in Europe. It is one of th ...

) in 1903, and

Carey Baptist Grammar School Carey Baptist Grammar School, commonly known as Carey, is an Independent school, independent and co-educational, Baptists, Baptist day school in Victoria (Australia), Victoria, Australia. The institution consists of five campuses: Kew, Victoria, ...

( Baptist) in 1923. Preshil, The Margaret Lyttle Memorial School, was opened in the early 1930s. In 1960 it was said: "it would be difficult to find any locality so richly endowed with so many and such large educational institutions as are to be found in Kew." A railway branch line to Kew from Hawthorn Station opened on 19 December 1887 and was officially closed on 13 May 1957. Kew was proclaimed a town on 8 December 1910, and a city on 10 March 1921. The population of the area tripled between 1910 and World War II. A former house in Kew was the birthplace of the 21st

Prime Minister of Australia The prime minister of Australia is the head of government of the Commonwealth of Australia. The prime minister heads the executive branch of the Australian Government, federal government of Australia and is also accountable to Parliament of A ...

, Gough Whitlam. As of 2016, due to its demolition, the house no longer exists.

Raheen

Raheen is a historic 19th-century Italianate mansion, located at 92 Studley Park Road. It was built in the 1870s, and its name means "little fort" in Irish. Raheen was once the residence of Daniel Mannix, the former Catholic Archbishop of Melbourne and was purchased by the Catholic Church in 1917 with support from John Wren. It was purchased in 1980 by the Australian businessman Richard Pratt and his family and is not currently open to the public. Pratt extensively renovated the house and gardens, including the addition of a new wing, designed by

Glen Murcutt Glenn Marcus Murcutt AO (born 25 July 1936) is an Australian architect and winner of the 1992 Alvar Aalto Medal, the 2002 Pritzker Architecture Prize, the 2009 American Institute of Architects Gold Medal and the 2021 Praemium Imperiale. Gl ...

Today

Kew has grown steadily since the early Bridge Road crossing development and is cited as one of the most prestigious suburbs in Melbourne. As a consequence, many of these residences now attract some of the highest residential resale values in Melbourne. Streets in the Sackville Ward (bounded by Barkers, Burke, Cotham and Glenferrie Roads), such as Alfred, Rowland, Wellington, Grange and Sackville, have some exceptional examples of Edwardian,

Victorian Victorian or Victorians may refer to: 19th century * Victorian era, British history during Queen Victoria's 19th-century reign ** Victorian architecture ** Victorian house ** Victorian decorative arts ** Victorian fashion ** Victorian literature ...

and contemporary architecture. The suburb has been home to numerous Scout Groups since 1st Kew was formed in 1909. Today, only 1st Kew and 4th Kew are in operation. Kew has convenient access to public facilities and transport. The

109 109 may refer to: * 109 (number), the integer following 108 and preceding 110 * AD 109, a year of the Julian calendar, in the second century AD * 109 BC, a year of the pre-Julian Roman calendar * 109 (department store), a department store in Shib ...

, 16 and 72 along with tram route 48 (North Balwyn – Victoria Harbour Docklands) tram routes pass through the suburb and the City/ Lilydale/ Belgrave train line is easily accessed at Hawthorn and Glenferrie Stations. Kew Station and the associated railway branch was last served by passenger trains in 1952, with the station site now the headquarters of VicRoads. In the 12-month period to January 2020 Kew reported a median house price of A$1.55 million for a three bedroom house.

Demographics

In the 2021 Census, there were 24,499 people in Kew. 66.1% of people were born in Australia. The next most common countries of birth were China 6.6%, England 2.9%, Malaysia 2.2%, India 1.8% and New Zealand 1.4%. 70.3% of people spoke only English at home. Other languages spoken at home included Mandarin 8.6%, Greek 3.0%, Cantonese 2.8%, Italian 1.7% and Vietnamese 1.4%. The most common responses for religion were No Religion 44.1% and Catholic 22.7%.

Education

* Kew Primary School *

* Genazzano FCJ College * Methodist Ladies' College * Preshil *

Ruyton Girls' School , motto_translation = Upright and Faithful , established = 1878 , type = Independent, single-sex, day school , denomination = Non-denominational , key_people = , chairman ...

* Trinity Grammar School * Xavier College *

Kew High School Kew High School is a co-educational school in suburban Melbourne for students in years 7–12. The school has an enrolment of approximately 1146 students from the suburbs of Kew, Balwyn North, Hawthorn, Ivanhoe, Kew East and Richmond. School g ...

Sport

Golfers have the choice of membership at Green Acres Golf Club, or Kew Golf Club, in Kew East, or may play at the Studley Park Par 3 Golf Course, on Studley Park Road.

Kew Football Club The Victorian Amateur Football Association (VAFA) is the largest senior community Australian rules football competition in Victoria. It consists of seven senior men's and women's divisions ranging from Premier to Division 4. In addition ther ...

and Kew Cricket Club play out of Victoria Park, on High Street.

Notable people

Cecil Austen Victor Cecil Austen (30 November 1918 – 29 October 2017) was an Australian sportsman who played first-class cricket for South Australia and Australian rules football in the Victorian Football League (VFL) with Hawthorn. Family The son o ...

– footballer *

Jack Billings Jack Billings (born 18 August 1995) is an Australian rules footballer who plays for St Kilda Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL). Billings played TAC Cup with Oakleigh Chargers and played for Vic Metro in Under 18 Champions ...

-AFL footballer * Philip Brady - 3AW radio personality * MacFarlane Burnet – virologist and

Nobel Laureate The Nobel Prizes ( sv, Nobelpriset, no, Nobelprisen) are awarded annually by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, the Swedish Academy, the Karolinska Institutet, and the Norwegian Nobel Committee to individuals and organizations who make out ...

Irene Crespin Irene Crespin (12 November 1896 – 2 January 1980) was an Australian geologist and micropalaeontologist. Irene's interest in geology brought her attention to Frederick Chapman, who was a palaeontologist at the National Museum of Victoria. Ir ...

– Geologist * Peter Curran – footballer * Robert DiPierdomenico – footballer * Jack Gervasoni – footballer and Mayor of Kew * Rupert Hamer – Premier of Victoria * Terrence Hodson - Murdered Police Informant and Drug Dealer * Walter Reginald Hume – businessman and inventor * Michael Klinger – cricketer * Kyrie Irving –

NBA The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America. The league is composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada) and is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United St ...

basketballer for the Brooklyn Nets * Graham Kinniburgh – Australian organised crime figure *

Brian V. Johnstone Brian V. Johnstone, C.SS.R. (born December 5, 1938) is a Roman Catholic Redemptorist priest and Moral Theologian. He was born in Brighton, Australia and has taught at Yarra Theological Union, Melbourne; The Catholic University of America, Was ...

- theologian * Peter MacCallum – pathologist * Jack Macrae - AFL footballer * Glenn Maxwell – cricketer * Luke McDonald (footballer) - AFL footballer * Peter McIntyre (architect) – architect *

Clement Roy Nichols Clement Roy Nichols, , of Kew, Victoria was an Australian Boy Scouts Association Scouting senior official. Nichols served on the World Scout Committee of the World Organization of the Scout Movement from 1959 to 1965 and again from 1967 to 1973 ...

– Scouting * Gustav Nossal – scientist and

Australian of the Year The Australian of the Year is a national award conferred on an Australian citizen by the National Australia Day Council, a not-for-profit Australian Governmentowned social enterprise. Similar awards are also conferred at the State and Territo ...

Phil Ryan (footballer born 1915) Phillip James Ryan AM (9 June 1915 – 7 January 2014) was an Australian rules footballer who played with Hawthorn in the Victorian Football League (VFL). He was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia in 1991, for services to the commun ...

– footballer *

Wendy Smith (politician) Wendy Smith is the chairman and executive director of Vipac Engineers and Scientists Ltd and deputy chairman of the Victorian Government's Patient Review Panel. She has a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Melbourne and a general nursing ...

– politician * Ross Stevenson- 3AW radio presenter * David Syme – owner of The Age and associated newspapers * Frank T. M. White - mineral science educator * Gough Whitlam – 21st

born at 'Ngara' 46 Rowland St. * John Wren – businessman * Josh Frydenberg- politician *

Phil Anderson (cyclist) Philip Grant Anderson (born 20 March 1958) is a British-born Australian former professional racing cyclist who was the first non-European to wear the yellow jersey of the Tour de France. Origins Phil Anderson was born in London but moved to ...

* Jack Sinclair- AFL footballer-played junior football for Kew Comets *

Andrew Gaff Andrew Gaff (born 16 June 1992) is a professional Australian rules footballer playing for the West Coast Eagles in the Australian Football League (AFL). He plays predominantly as a midfielder. Gaff was recruited from the Oakleigh Chargers wi ...

-AFL footballer-played junior football for Kew Comets

References

* (via Internet Archive)

Bibliography

* Rogers, Dorothy. "A History of Kew". Kilmore, Victoria:Lowden Publishing Co. 1973. . * Vaughan, W.D. "Kew's Civic Century" . Kew, Victoria, W.D.Vaughan Pty Ltd, First Edition 1960.

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Kew, Victoria Suburbs of Melbourne 1838 establishments in Australia Suburbs of the City of Boroondara