Rowville

thumbnail|right|Tirhatuan Wetlands, to the south of Rowville, 2014|316x316px

Rowville is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, south-east of Melbourne's Central Business District, located within the City of Knox local government area. Rowville recorded a population of 33,571 at the 2021 census. The event was organised by the Knox Council, and was one of Australia's longest running sustainability events. There are three golf courses within Rowville. Stud Park is currently being expanded.

Rowville is at the intersection of many local government areas with the suburb connecting to suburbs within the Yarra Ranges Shire, City of Monash, City of Greater Dandenong, City of Casey and City of Knox.

Early history

Rowville is named after the Row family, whose property Stamford Park was established in 1882. The Stamford Park homestead has been restored in recent years by Knox Council. Rowville Post Office opened on 20 December 1905 and closed in 1987. In 1989, it reopened in the new Stud Park (formerly Darryl Park) Shopping Centre. Rowville developed rapidly throughout the 1980s and 1990s, with housing and light industrial premises being built.

Suburbanisation

1950s

German-born entrepreneurs Max Naumburger and Hans Bachrach purchased the historic 700-acre Stamford Park property in 1955, and proposed to build a housing estate, shopping centre, pub and display homes at the corner of Stud and Wellington Roads.

1960s

A further two housing estates were created in Rowville during the 1960s: the wooded Seebeck Estate (off Police Road) and the low-density Twin Views estate (off Taylors Lane). The latter is protected by an overlay which prohibits further development. During the 1960s, major corporations like Hooker-Rex and Stocks & Holdings acquired vast tracts of agricultural land in Rowville for future housing projects.

1970s

In keeping with the latest housing trends, in 1975, developer Hooker-Rex proposed to build a major housing estate with artificial lakes in Rowville. Rowville Lakes is notable as an early example of lakefront housing estates in Victoria. Land was designated for the Rowville Lakes Shopping Centre (opened 1987) alongside various sporting and community facilities. Over 1500 blocks were sold at the Lakes between 1977 and 1986.

The Park Ridge housing estate is the second largest in Rowville and was developed by Stocks & Holdings between 1979 and 1991. Bounded by Kelletts Road, Napoleon Road and Wellington Road, it has about a thousand blocks and land set aside for educational, recreational and retail purposes. The east campus of Rowville Secondary College and the Park Ridge Primary School were built here alongside a milk bar and a clinic, the latter of which was designed to imitate an edwardian homestead.

1980s

Opened in September 1985 by the Mayor of Knox, the Timbertop Estate in south-west Rowville has about 270 homes on a hill. It forms part of the old Rowville Training Camp site and was developed by Bill Bowness and Raymond Peck "in the Wheelers Hill tradition", characterized by blocks with gentle slopes and views over parkland. Covenants restrict the removal of trees and provide that a home must not be smaller than 165 square metres.

Not to be confused with an estate of the same name at Stud Road. The Wellington Park estate is situated between Wellington and Bergins Roads – comprising about 300 houses in and around Liberty Avenue, Buckingham Drive and Halsbury Drive. The Education Department reserved part of the estate to build the Heany Park Primary School, opened in 1993.

1990s

The Silkwood Rise estate is situated on the northside of Wellington Road, in Silkwood Way. It has about 290 blocks and was developed by Intrapac Consolidated, marking the firm's first major residential project. About half of Peregrine Reserve was created by the development, as was a kindergarten site on Pitfield Crescent. A unique signboard with the estate's name marks the main entrance at Wellington Road.

Turramurra Estate (1985–1986): Around 250 homes near Bridgewater Way, Mantung Crescent and Turramurra Drive subdivided by AV Jennings.
Tirhatuan Hills (1986–1986): Over 110 homes around George Knox Drive and Holstein Court.
Rowville Heights (1987–1988): About 230 blocks in and around Turramurra Drive, Simon Avenue and Ling Drive.
Sovereign Hill (1988–1990): About 45 homes at Tirhatuan Drive, Delta Court and Miramah Close.
Peppertree Hill (1988): Retirement village of about 200 units developed by AV Jennings.
Studwell Park (1988–89): About 150 blocks off Stud Road, including Towt Court and Waradgery Drive.
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.

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.

Rowville is served by four public primary schools:

Rowville Primary School (established 1973)
Park Ridge Primary (established 1990)
Karoo Primary School (established 1992)
Heany Park Primary (established 1993)

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.

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

Rowville Football Club in the Eastern Football League
Rowville Knights Community Football Club in the Eastern Football League
Lysterfield Junior Football Club in the Eastern Football League
Rowville Cricket Club in the Ferntree Gully District Cricket Association
Eildon Park Cricket Club in the Ferntree Gully District Cricket Association
Lysterfield Cricket Club in the Ferntree Gully District Cricket Association
Rowville Eagles Soccer Club
Knox United Soccer Club
Knox Churches Soccer Club
Blue Park
Eildon Park Tennis Club
Rowville Tennis Club
Rowville Netball Club
Aston Athletic FC
Rowville Little Athletics Club
Rowville Lakes Little Athletics Club
Rowville Rockets Basketball Club
Lysterfield Netball Club
Omega Trampoline Sports Club

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 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.