Balwyn VIC, Suburb & Moving Guide – TOP 5 Things To Know

At Glenferrie Dental, we have many patients who live in Balwyn.

We hope that this guide will help you learn more about Balwyn, and we would love to welcome you to our clinic soon.

We offer the following services for residents in Balwyn:

Balwyn Suburb Overview

Balwyn is a very desirable suburb, and if you look around, you’ll get some idea of the prices of houses in Balwyn. It’s about 10 km from the Melbourne CBD. Near to private schools and close to Surrey Hills, another sought after suburb these days.

Its local government area is the City of Boroondara. Whitehorse Road runs east-west along the ridgeline through the centre of Balwyn. Balwyn Road runs north-south from Koonung Creek Reserve (adjacent to the Eastern Freeway) to Canterbury Road. The southwestern part of Balwyn was excised as the suburb of Deepdene in 2010.

Balwyn is great for:

  • Parks & Recreation
  • Schools
  • Medical Facilities
  • Resale or Rental Value
  • Internet Access

Downsides of Balwyn:

  •  It is far from train stations or shops.

Balwyn is great for:

  • Families with kids
  • Professionals
  • Retirees
  • Singles
  • Trendy & Stylish

History of Balwyn, VIC

The house was located on the site that is now part of Fintona Girls’ School. In 1868 Balwyn Primary School was opened in Balwyn Road about 100 metres north of Whitehorse Road. It was moved to its present site, south of Whitehorse Road, in 1880, opposite Murray’s property. Balwyn’s first town centre was near the intersection of Balwyn and Whitehorse Roads, containing a few shops, a blacksmith and the athenaeum or mechanics’ institute. Anglican services began in 1868 and the St. Barnabas church, Balwyn Road, was opened in 1872.

Balwyn Post Office first opened on 26 August 1874, in a rural area, closed in 1894, then reopened in 1920. It faced a second closure on 11 February 2011, but due to a campaign by local residents and the intervention of the Federal Member, Josh Frydenberg, the service was reopened.

Is Balwyn A Good Suburb to move to? - Ranked 7.6 out of 10

To answer the question if Balwyn is the right suburb for you, we have collated some reviews from current and past residents:

"Great for Families", Balwyn Reviewed by the local.

In my experience Balwyn isn’t a suburb that provokes a neutral response from buyers – they either love it for the schools & quiet lifestyle or prefer to be closer in to the action.

PLUS

Quiet – great for families

Green/leafy

Very good for schooling – Balwyn High is one of Melbourne\’s highest-ranked public schools & private schools nearby inc. Fintona Girls Grammar & Camberwell Grammar (boys). However, I’m frequently surprised that prospective buyers have not run the numbers on the cost/benefit of paying the at times hundreds of thousands of dollars premium to get a child into Balwyn High zoning versus the cost of a private school.

Access to Whitehorse Road cafes & retail. My favourite Balwyn café being Snow Pony – 95 Whitehorse Rd.

MINUS

Quiet – not great for those wanting an interesting inner-city lifestyle

Lack of a train station is the elephant in the room & negates its relative proximity to the CBD – circa 10 km. While there are bus services, you are still going to face the traffic delays inherent on Melbourne roads

Traffic – but where in Melbourne doesn’t have this issue

Streetscapes have “modernised” significantly in the last ten years & it could be argued that the number of Mc Mansions inc. Historical reproductions e.g. Neo Georgian & increased multi-unit development have reduced the “charm” of the suburb – however this has been a Melbourne wide phenomenon.

"Most residents" Balwyn Reviewed by the local.

Most residents keep to themselves as there isn\’t much to do after work anyway. Transport accessibility isn\’t superb so private vehicles are advisable though traffic jams are a daily norm.

"Family area, fantastic schools!" Balwyn Reviewed by the local. 

I love the family area. Neighbours are friendly, lots of grandparents, children, teens and young professionals around the area. Great place to live!

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