Kew, Victoria

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, Thomas 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, built before 1863, is open to the public.

In 1851, Crown land 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) and named the region Kew, based on the thought that Kew in England was near Richmond. 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,{{Cite web | access-date = 20 June 2011}}

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{{cite web |access-date=7 September 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080817000700/http://www.prov.vic.gov.au/petitions/LunaticAsylum1858.asp |archive-date=17 August 2008

Various churches opened in the 1850s, with the first school opened by the Anglican Church in 1856. In 1875 Sacred Heart Primary School was opened. More private schools were opened in 1878, including Ruyton Girls' School (non-denominational) and Xavier College (Catholic in Jesuit 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) in 1903, and Carey Baptist Grammar School (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.{{cite book

A former house in Kew was the birthplace of the 21st Prime Minister of Australia, 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.

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 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, 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.

|File:Kewasylumskyline1.jpg|Looking towards the former Kew Asylum, now known as Willsmere Estate |File:Kew aerial.jpg|Aerial view over northern residential parts of Kew looking southwest showing Studley Park (top), Kew Asylum (right) and Eastern Freeway Earl Street exit (bottom right) |File:Kewstation.jpg|The street side of the former Kew station. Xavier College in background.}}

Demographics

|2001|22689 |2006|22516 |2011|23876 |2016|24605 |2021|24499}} 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
• Sacred Heart Primary School
• Carey Baptist Grammar School
• Genazzano FCJ College
• Methodist Ladies' College
• Preshil
• Ruyton Girls' School
• Trinity Grammar School
• Xavier College
• Kew High School

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

Notable people

• Phil Anderson – cyclist
• Cecil Austen – footballer
• Jack Billings – AFL footballer
• Philip Brady – 3AW radio personality
• MacFarlane Burnet – virologist and Nobel Laureate
• Irene Crespin – Geologist
• Peter Curran – footballer
• Robert DiPierdomenico – footballer
• Cathy Freeman
• Josh Frydenberg – politician
• Andrew Gaff – AFL footballer-played junior football for Kew Comets
• Jack Gervasoni – footballer and Mayor of Kew
• Robin Gray – Premier of Tasmania
• Rupert Hamer – Premier of Victoria
• Terrence Hodson – Murdered Police Informant and Drug Dealer
• Walter Reginald Hume – businessman and inventor
• Barry Humphries – comedian, actor, author and satirist
• Brian V. Johnstone – theologian
• Graham Kinniburgh – organised crime figure
• Michael Klinger – cricketer
• Peter MacCallum – pathologist
• Jack Macrae – AFL footballer
• Glenn Maxwell – cricketer
• Luke McDonald – AFL footballer
• Peter McIntyre – architect
• Clement Roy Nichols – Scouting
• Gustav Nossal – scientist and Australian of the Year
• Phil Ryan – footballer
• Jack Sinclair – AFL footballer-played junior football for Kew Comets
• Wendy Smith (politician) – 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 Prime Minister of Australia born at 'Ngara' 46 Rowland St.
• John Wren – businessman
• Cyril Callister – Food scientist and inventor of Vegemite

References

• {{cite web |access-date=19 May 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060824202409/http://www.arts.monash.edu.au/ncas/multimedia/gazetteer/list/kew.html |archive-date=24 August 2006

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.

References

1. {{Census 2021 AUS
2. "St. Paul's Anglican Church Online History".
3. {{cite VHD. 621. Studley House
4. {{cite VHD. 624. Villa Alba
5. "Villa Alba Museum – Villa Alba Museum – Kew, Victoria, Australia".
6. (6 June 1857). "OPENING OF STUDLEY PARK BRIDGE". National Library of Australia.
7. Rogers p106
8. Vaughan p163
9. (17 March 2007). "Raheen".
10. [http://www.smh.com.au/national/obituaries/tycoon-with-an-immense-combative-energy-20090428-alzn.html?page=-1 James Kirby and Tony Stephens (obituary) "Tycoon with an immense, combative energy"], ''[[Sydney Morning Herald]]'', 29 April 2009
11. (1 March 2014). "Melbourne's prestige house market bounces back on million-dollar property deals". The Age.
12. Tolhurst, Chris. (14 April 2012). "Kew jumpers lead the dear hunters in finding a place in the dress circle". The Age.
13. "2021 Kew (Vic.), Census All persons QuickStats {{!}} Australian Bureau of Statistics".
14. Golf Select. "Green Acres".
15. Golf Select. "Kew".
16. Golf Select. "Studley Park".
17. (16 February 2023). "30 Yarravale Road, Kew, Vic 3101".