Kew, Victoria

Kew (

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.^[3]

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,^[7] 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,^[8] 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.^[9]

In 1856, a site was reserved for a mental asylum next to the river. By 1871

A railway branch line to Kew from Hawthorn Station opened on 19 December 1887 and was officially closed on 13 May 1957.^[13] 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, Gough Whitlam. As of 2016, due to its demolition, the house no longer exists.

Raheen

Kew has grown steadily since the early Bridge Road crossing development and is cited as one of the most prestigious suburbs in Melbourne.[16] As a consequence, many of these residences now attract some of the highest residential resale values in Melbourne.^[17]

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

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%.^[18]

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,^[19] or Kew Golf Club, in Kew East,^[20] or may play at the Studley Park Par 3 Golf Course, on Studley Park Road.^[21]

Notable people

• Cecil Austen – footballer
• Jack Billings – AFL footballer
• Philip Brady – 3AW radio personality
• Nobel Laureate
• Irene Crespin – 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
• NBA basketballer for the Dallas Mavericks
• Graham Kinniburgh – organised crime figure
• Brian V. Johnstone – theologian
• Peter MacCallum – pathologist
• Jack Macrae – AFL footballer
• Glenn Maxwell – cricketer
• Luke McDonald (footballer) – AFL footballer
• Peter McIntyre (architect) – architect
• Clement Roy Nichols – Scouting
• Gustav Nossal – scientist and Australian of the Year
• Phil Ryan (footballer born 1915)
  – footballer
• 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
• Josh Frydenberg – politician
• Phil Anderson (cyclist)
• Jack Sinclair – AFL footballer-played junior football for Kew Comets
• Andrew Gaff – AFL footballer-played junior football for Kew Comets
• Cathy Freeman^[22]
• Barry Humphries – comedian, actor, author and satirist

See also

• City of Kew – Kew was previously within this former local government area.
• Electoral district of Kew - The state electoral division in which encompasses the suburb of Kew.
• Division of Kooyong- The federal electoral division in which encompasses the suburb of Kew.
• City of Boroondara - The local government council in which encompasses the suburb of Kew.

References