Balwyn North, also known as North Balwyn, 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 ...
, 10 km east of 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 Cities of
Boroondara and
Whitehorse 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 ...
s. Balwyn North recorded a population of 21,302 at the
2021 census.
Geography
The north-western part of the suburb is known as Bellevue and the eastern part is known as Greythorn.
Traditional Ownership
The formally recognised Traditional Owners for the area in which Balwyn North is located are the Wurundjeri People.
The Wurundjeri People are represented by the Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung Cultural Heritage Aboriginal Corporation.
History
Balwyn North was one of the first Melbourne suburbs to be developed according to the pattern of postwar suburbia, with expansive, quiet residential areas designed as family homes and relatively few business districts. The original route of Bulleen Road began at the present-day corner of Kilby Road and Burke Road, but by the 1900s, its route had changed to its present-day alignment. This was a result of
Elgar'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 regula ...
, which dragged the alignment of Burke Road further west, resulting in the surrounding road network being forced to adjust.
A Balwyn North Post Office opened on 1 April 1937. This was renamed Burke Road in 1941, when a new Balwyn North office opened at its current location. The Greythorn Post Office opened in 1951.
The suburb was lampooned in the 1974 song by Australian band
The Skyhooks
Skyhooks were an Australian rock band formed in Melbourne in March 1973 by mainstays Greg Macainsh on bass guitar and backing vocals, and Imants "Freddie" Strauks on drums. They were soon joined by Bob "Bongo" Starkie on guitar and backing vo ...
, Balwyn Calling.
Greythorn
Greythorn was developed later than North Balwyn, but has had residents living there since the 1830s, when the Maughan and Towt families bought large tracts of land in the area. Present-day Greythorn Road was formerly known as 'Towt's Road' but renamed to 'Whitethorn Road', after the many
whitethorn hedges that had been planted along it. To avoid confusion with
Whitehorse Road
Maroondah Highway (also known as Whitehorse Road from Deepdene to Mitcham) is a major east–west thoroughfare in the eastern suburbs of Melbourne, and a highway connecting the north-eastern fringes of Melbourne to the lower alpine region of V ...
, the name was changed again to 'Greythorn' some time in the 1920s. The area around
Greythorn Park
Greythorn Park is a park in the suburb of Balwyn North, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. It is located in the eastern part of the suburb known as Greythorn, from which the park gets its name.
History
The land where Greythorn Park currently i ...
was a wildlife sanctuary from 1938 until 1954, when the area between the park and Greythorn Road was subdivided and sold for housing. Greythorn Primary School was opened in 1953 and occupies a site covering approximately two hectares.
Today
Consistently among
Melbourne's top 20 most exclusive postcodes, Balwyn North's status as an affluent suburb has seen middle to upper-middle-class families from surrounding localities transfer 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.
In the 12-month period to January 2020 Balwyn North reported a median house price of A$1.46 million for a three bedroom house.
Education
Located in Balwyn North are several primary schools, such as Greythorn, Balwyn North, St Bedes, Boroondara Park and Bellevue.
Balwyn High School is located on Buchanan Avenue, and is so highly sought after, particularly by Asian families, that property prices within its student catchment area sell for hundreds of thousands of dollars more than nearby properties not located in the area.
Shopping
The main shopping strip is located at the intersection of Doncaster and Bulleen Roads, known as 'The Village'. There are a number of other local shopping strips, such as Greythorn Village, located further east along Doncaster Road, the East Balwyn Shopping Centre and Belmore Heights Shopping Centre.
Transport
Bicycle tracks connect with the
Main Yarra Trail
__NOTOC__
The Yarra Trail is a shared use path for cyclists and pedestrians, which follows the Yarra River through the north eastern suburbs of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
The trail follows the river from near its mouth, through the city a ...
, along the
Yarra River and the
Eastern Freeway.
Tram route 48 passes through Balwyn North, running along Doncaster Road and terminating at the intersection with Balwyn Road. A number of
bus routes connect Balwyn North with suburbs such as
Box Hill,
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 ...
,
Doncaster and
Templestowe. A number of freeway bus services have stops at the entrance of the Eastern Freeway, on the northern edge of the suburb.
In recent times, there have been numerous calls from both residents and local councils for
the extension of the route 48 tram from its present terminus to either the 'Doncaster Park + Ride' facility or further along Doncaster Road to
Westfield Doncaster.
Parks and gardens
Balwyn North is host to a large number of parks and reserves, which are used for both passive and active recreation. A line of parks through which
Glass Creek formerly ran at surface level lies at the heart of the suburb, stretching from Jacka Street Reserve in the east, through
Gordon Barnard Reserve and
Hislop Park in the centre, ending with
Macleay Park
Macleay Park is a park in the suburb of Balwyn North, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. The western half of the park is also referred to as Myrtle Park. It is situated between Severn St and Buchanan Avenue in a portion of a valley through which t ...
in the west. Other parks in the suburb include
Greythorn Park
Greythorn Park is a park in the suburb of Balwyn North, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. It is located in the eastern part of the suburb known as Greythorn, from which the park gets its name.
History
The land where Greythorn Park currently i ...
,
Leigh Park and
Koonung Creek Reserve.
Notable residents
*
Warwick Capper
Warwick Richard Capper (born 12 June 1963) is a former Australian rules footballer who played for the Sydney Swans and the Brisbane Bears in the Victorian Football League/Australian Football League. An accomplished full-forward, Capper kick ...
* Melanie Charles
*
Tania Lacy
Tania Jane Lacy is an Australian comedian.
Early life and education
Originally from Toowoomba, Queensland, Lacy spent many of her early years travelling with her family. Her father, then an officer in the army, was posted to Singapore (where L ...
*
John Safran
*
Jo Silvagni
Joanne Louise Silvagni (née Bailey; 10 March 1970) is an Australian model and television personality and television hostess/compere.
Career
Silvagni was born on 10 March 1970 to Barrie and Fran Bailey and was educated at Tintern Grammar, in t ...
*
Stephen Silvagni
Stephen Silvagni (born 31 May 1967) is a former Australian rules footballer who played for the Carlton Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL).
As the second member of three generations of Silvagnis to represent the Blues, he is ...
See also
*
City of Camberwell
The City of Camberwell was a local government area about east of Melbourne, the state capital of Victoria, Australia. The city covered an area of , and existed from 1914 until 1994.
History
Camberwell was first incorporated as the Boroond ...
– Balwyn North was previously within this former local government area.
*
Balwyn
References
{{City of Whitehorse suburbs
Suburbs of Melbourne
Suburbs of the City of Boroondara
Suburbs of the City of Whitehorse