Boronia is a suburb in
MelbourneMelbourne is the capital city and most populous city of the State of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne city centre is the anchor of the larger geographical area and statistical division known as the Greater Melbourne metropolitan area – of which Melbourne is...
,
VictoriaVictoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales to the north, South Australia to the west, and Tasmania to the south, across the Bass Strait. Victoria is the most densely populated state, with over 70% of...
,
AustraliaAustralia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the continental mainland , the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans...
, 29 km east from Melbourne's
central business districtMelbourne also known as the Melbourne city centre is a locality surrounded by metropolitan Melbourne which comprises the original settlement, the central business district, parkland and other built-up areas...
. Its
Local Government AreaThere are 79 Local Government Areas in the Australian state of Victoria. LGA's are constituted as cities, shires, rural cities and, in one case, a borough...
is the
City of KnoxThe City of Knox is a Local Government Area in Victoria , Australia, located in the eastern suburbs of Melbourne, and parts including Ferntree Gully, Boronia, Sassafrass and Upwey are in the Dandenong Ranges area of Melbourne...
. At the 2006 Census, Boronia had a population of 20,447.
The area was originally occupied by the
WurundjeriThe Wurundjeri are a people of the Indigenous Australian nation of the Woiwurrung language group, in the Kulin alliance, who occupy the Birrarung Valley, its tributaries and the present location of Melbourne, Australia...
,
Indigenous AustraliansIndigenous Australians are the original inhabitants of the Australian continent and nearby islands, and these peoples' descendants. Indigenous Australians are distinguished as either Aboriginal people or Torres Strait Islanders, who currently together make up about 2.6% of Australia's...
of the
KulinThe Kulin nation, was an alliance of five Indigenous Australian nations in Central Victoria, Australia, prior to European settlement. Their collective territory extended to around Port Phillip and Western Port, up into the Great Dividing Range and the Loddon and Goulburn River valleys. To their...
nation, who spoke variations of the
WoiwurrungWoiwurrung is an Indigenous Australian language spoken by some of the Kulin Nation clans, the Wurundjeri people, of Central Victoria, from Mount Baw Baw in the east to Mount Macedon, Sunbury and Gisborne in the west.The Woiwurrung clans inhabited the Yarra River, called Birrarung in Woiwurrung,...
language group.
Prior to European settlement, Boronia and surrounding suburbs were often visited by
AboriginesIndigenous Australians are the original inhabitants of the Australian continent and nearby islands, and these peoples' descendants. Indigenous Australians are distinguished as either Aboriginal people or Torres Strait Islanders, who currently together make up about 2.6% of Australia's...
from the Westernport and Yarra Yarra tribes, hunting during the summer months in the Dandenong Ranges and its foothills.
Boronia is a suburb in
MelbourneMelbourne is the capital city and most populous city of the State of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne city centre is the anchor of the larger geographical area and statistical division known as the Greater Melbourne metropolitan area – of which Melbourne is...
,
VictoriaVictoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales to the north, South Australia to the west, and Tasmania to the south, across the Bass Strait. Victoria is the most densely populated state, with over 70% of...
,
AustraliaAustralia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the continental mainland , the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans...
, 29 km east from Melbourne's
central business districtMelbourne also known as the Melbourne city centre is a locality surrounded by metropolitan Melbourne which comprises the original settlement, the central business district, parkland and other built-up areas...
. Its
Local Government AreaThere are 79 Local Government Areas in the Australian state of Victoria. LGA's are constituted as cities, shires, rural cities and, in one case, a borough...
is the
City of KnoxThe City of Knox is a Local Government Area in Victoria , Australia, located in the eastern suburbs of Melbourne, and parts including Ferntree Gully, Boronia, Sassafrass and Upwey are in the Dandenong Ranges area of Melbourne...
. At the 2006 Census, Boronia had a population of 20,447.
The area was originally occupied by the
WurundjeriThe Wurundjeri are a people of the Indigenous Australian nation of the Woiwurrung language group, in the Kulin alliance, who occupy the Birrarung Valley, its tributaries and the present location of Melbourne, Australia...
,
Indigenous AustraliansIndigenous Australians are the original inhabitants of the Australian continent and nearby islands, and these peoples' descendants. Indigenous Australians are distinguished as either Aboriginal people or Torres Strait Islanders, who currently together make up about 2.6% of Australia's...
of the
KulinThe Kulin nation, was an alliance of five Indigenous Australian nations in Central Victoria, Australia, prior to European settlement. Their collective territory extended to around Port Phillip and Western Port, up into the Great Dividing Range and the Loddon and Goulburn River valleys. To their...
nation, who spoke variations of the
WoiwurrungWoiwurrung is an Indigenous Australian language spoken by some of the Kulin Nation clans, the Wurundjeri people, of Central Victoria, from Mount Baw Baw in the east to Mount Macedon, Sunbury and Gisborne in the west.The Woiwurrung clans inhabited the Yarra River, called Birrarung in Woiwurrung,...
language group.
History
Prior to European settlement, Boronia and surrounding suburbs were often visited by
AboriginesIndigenous Australians are the original inhabitants of the Australian continent and nearby islands, and these peoples' descendants. Indigenous Australians are distinguished as either Aboriginal people or Torres Strait Islanders, who currently together make up about 2.6% of Australia's...
from the Westernport and Yarra Yarra tribes, hunting during the summer months in the Dandenong Ranges and its foothills. The
WurundjeriThe Wurundjeri are a people of the Indigenous Australian nation of the Woiwurrung language group, in the Kulin alliance, who occupy the Birrarung Valley, its tributaries and the present location of Melbourne, Australia...
people of the
KulinThe Kulin nation, was an alliance of five Indigenous Australian nations in Central Victoria, Australia, prior to European settlement. Their collective territory extended to around Port Phillip and Western Port, up into the Great Dividing Range and the Loddon and Goulburn River valleys. To their...
nation are the acknowledged traditional custodians of the land on which Boronia and all of
City of KnoxThe City of Knox is a Local Government Area in Victoria , Australia, located in the eastern suburbs of Melbourne, and parts including Ferntree Gully, Boronia, Sassafrass and Upwey are in the Dandenong Ranges area of Melbourne...
is located (source: Knox City Council publication).
In its early days of European settlement, Boronia was predominantly an orchard, flower growing and farming area.
Boronia was named in 1915 by local councillor A. E. Chandler (prior to this, Boronia was considered part of
BayswaterBayswater is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 28 km east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Knox. At the 2006 Census, Bayswater had a population of 10,738.-History:...
). Chandler named the suburb Boronia after the plant, boronia, which grew on his property at
The BasinThe Basin is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 31 km east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Knox...
. The plant was discovered by
Ferdinand von MuellerBaron Sir Ferdinand Jacob Heinrich von Mueller, KCMG was a German-Australian physician, geographer, and most notably, a botanist.-Early life:...
, an
AustriaAustria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.3 million people in Central Europe. It borders both Germany and the Czech Republic to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the west...
n botanist who came to Australia during the colonial period.
Boronia railway stationBoronia is a railway station in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, located in the suburb of Boronia, on the Belgrave railway line. Boronia is classed as a Premium Station and is in Metcard
Zone 2.-Facilities:...
opened in 1920, leading to an influx of residents, and Boronia Post Office opened on 1 October 1920. A further influx occurred in the 1960s and 1970s.
Boronia's most impressive historical building is Miller Homestead. Originally built in 1888 for John Miller, who was originally from
Bayswater, LondonBayswater is an area of west London in the City of Westminster. It is a built-up district located 3 miles west north-west of Charing Cross and borders the north of Hyde Park over Kensington Gardens....
, and the first president of the Shire of Fern Tree Gully (from which City of Knox separated in 1963) and
Justice of the PeaceA justice of the peace is a puisne judicial officer appointed by means of a commission to keep the peace. Depending on the jurisdiction, they might dispense summary justice and deal with local administrative applications in common law jurisdictions...
. The original property included stables and horse training facilities and was over in size. The property was sub-divided in 1971. Miller homestead is classified by the
National Trust of AustraliaThe Australian Council of National Trusts is a community-based, non-government organisation, committed to promoting and conserving Australia's indigenous, natural and historic heritage by assisting the work of the State Trusts....
(Vic). One of Boronia's most notable residents is Patricia Saliba, who loved the hilly country atmosphere the suburb has to offer. She also insisted the local basketball stadium be referred to as Knox basketball stadium rather than Boronia, for unknown reasons.
Boronia is a tree-lined suburb with views of the National Park and the city of Melbourne (from the foothills themselves). There are also nature reserves and extensive bike paths/lanes. Boronia includes sections of the Dandenong Ranges foothills and thus possesses many hills itself. It has the beautiful, natural, green backdrop of the hills and
Dandenong Ranges National ParkDandenong Ranges National Park is in Victoria , 38 km east of Melbourne.Because the park is located in an urban area, the park has a long history of major problems with feral and roaming animals...
. Knox City Council have endeavoured to protect this green backdrop to Melbourne by developing pro-environment planning guidelines.
For years, Boronia had been split in two by a railway line and a bottleneck railway crossing across the two main thoroughfares—Boronia and Dorset Roads. In the mid 1990s,
VicroadsVicRoads or the Roads Corporation Victoria is a subordinate authority which is the State's road and traffic authority in Victoria, Australia....
proposed the reconstruction the Boronia and Dorset Roads intersection with the railway line being located underground and a new railway station built in a concrete cutting—ending the separation of the two halves of the suburb and uniting Boronia. The new tunnel and intersection opened in 1998 with the land which the railway used to occupy (housing the
Country Fire AuthorityCountry Fire Authority, or CFA, is the name of the fire service that provides firefighting and other emergency services to all of the country areas and regional townships within the state of Victoria, Australia, as well as large portions of the outer suburban areas and growth corridors of Melbourne...
,
railway stationBoronia is a railway station in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, located in the suburb of Boronia, on the Belgrave railway line. Boronia is classed as a Premium Station and is in Metcard
Zone 2.-Facilities:...
and large playground/park) being converted into a new shopping centre and carpark.
Community groups
There are numerous community and service groups in Boronia including Lions Club, Rotary Club, Returned and Services League (RSL),
YWCAThe YWCA USA is the United States branch of a women's membership movement that strives to create opportunities for women's growth, leadership and power in order to attain a common vision—to eliminate racism and empower women. The YWCA is a non-profit organization, the first of which was founded...
Women's Group,
Probus ClubsThe Probus Club movement was formed in the United Kingdom in 1965. Often sponsored by Rotary International, Probus Clubs cater for the interests of retired or semi-retired professional or business people. Each club is autonomous...
,
Country Women's AssociationThe Country Women’s Association of Australia is the largest women's organisation in Australia. It has 44,000 members across 1855 branches. Its aims are to improve the conditions for country women and children and to try to make life better for women and their families, especially those women...
, VIEW Club,
ScoutsScouting and Guiding in Victoria is predominantly represented by the branch of Scouts Australia in the State of Victoria, Australia and Girl Guides Victoria, a member of Girl Guides Australia.-Scouts Australia in Victoria:...
and various church youth groups, such as Jigsaw, formally know as HYP, run by local Youth Leaders. The Boronia Progress Hall is a historic building of local importance.
Sport and leisure
Amenities include Knox Leisureworks (a swimming pool and exercise centre run by the
YMCAThe Young Men's Christian Association is a worldwide movement of more than 45 million members from 124 national federations affiliated through the World Alliance of YMCAs....
).
The suburb has an Australian Rules football team, The Boronia Hawks, competing in the
Eastern Football LeagueThe Eastern Football League, or Eastern Districts Football League as it was formerly known, is an Australian rules football League, based in the eastern suburbs of metropolitan Melbourne....
. The club is based at Tormore Reserve which is a cricket ground in the summer months as the home ground of the Boronia Cricket Club.
Other activities include Boronia Bowls Club, health and fitness centres, netball clubs, An Internet Cafe that people go to to play LAN games, swimming schools/clubs, martial arts schools, pool club, bike paths and numerous small parks and playgrounds, Boronia weightlifting club and calisthenics schools. Knox Basketball stadium is one of several venues utilised by the
Knox Basketball League-History:Knox Basketball was established in the early 1970’s to provide youth from the City of Knox with a sporting and social infrastructure to develop and promote personal, team and social skills in a sporting environment. Founded by Alf Stevens, Alice Jago and Heather Kemp it began as an after...
, claimed to be the largest Basketball League in Australia. There is also a library and a radio-control car club and raceway in the basketball stadium precinct. A new Dance and Cheerleading school was opened in February 2008.
Retail
Boronia Junction, a relatively new shopping centre, was completed over 2000 – 2001. Boronia Junction includes AMF bowling, a number of restaurants and a hairdresser. There has been a cinema in Boronia for many decades (although not continuously). Metro cinemas opened in 2005 (in the former Village cinemas complex in Dorset Square). Boronia boasts over 11 restaurants including Indian, Thai, Malaysian, Chinese and Italian cuisine.
The other two shopping precincts in Boronia are Boronia Village and Dorset Square (including Boronia Mall). There is also Dorset Arcade and Chandler Arcade, both run by the Boronia Chamber of Commerce. Boronia is currently being targeted by Knox City Council for rejuvenation in consultation with resident interest groups—major works are intended for the Dorset Square retail and entertainment precinct during 2008.
Education
There are a number of kindergartens located in Boronia. There are also four primary schools in Boronia: Boronia Primary, Boronia Heights Primary, Boronia West Primary and St Joseph's Catholic Primary school. There is one secondary school:
Boronia Heights CollegeBoronia Heights College is a public secondary school in Boronia, a suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.It has formerly had the names of Boronia Technical School and Boronia Heights Secondary College.-External links:**...
.
Newspaper
The offices of Knox Leader weekly local newspaper (part of the
News CorporationNews Corporation is the world's second largest media conglomerate as of 2008 and the world's third largest in entertainment as of 2009...
group) are located in Boronia. The Boronia and The Basin Community Newspaper (BBCN) is also produced and distributed locally by volunteers and focuses on local stories and history, including feature articles on immigrants' stories and local businesses. The community newspaper is produced on a monthly basis.
Places of Worship
There are a number of groups providing for the local community. These include St Paul's Anglican Church, Boronia Uniting Church, Boronia Church of Christ, The Potter's Church, Vineyard Church,
Wesleyan MethodistThe Wesleyan Methodist Church of Australia is a small Christian denomination with its origins in Wesleyan Methodism.-Background and formation:...
Church of Boronia (pictured),
Jehovah's WitnessesJehovah's Witnesses is a restorationist, millenarian Christian denomination. The religion reports worldwide membership of over 7 million adherents involved in evangelism; they report convention attendance of over 12 million, and annual Memorial attendance of over 17 million...
of Bayswater and Boronia,
ChristadelphianChristadelphians are a Christian group that developed in the United Kingdom and North America in the 19th century. The name was coined by John Thomas, who was the group's founder...
Hall of Boronia, Boronia
BaptistA Baptist is a Christian who subscribes to a theology and may belong to a church that, among other things, is committed to believer's baptism and, with respect to church polity, favors the congregational model...
Church, Martin Luther Home for the Aged, Tenrikyo Melbourne Shinyu Church (only Japanese church of its kind in Australia) and
St Joseph'sSaint Joseph is known from the New Testament as the husband of Mary, mother of Jesus...
CatholicThe Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church. With more than a billion members, over half of all Christians and more than one-sixth of the world's population, the Catholic Church is a communion of the Western, or Latin Rite Church, and...
Church.
Wadi Street, Boronia is also the location of the first Templer Community Church Hall in Australia. Built in 1957 entirely by local volunteer
TemplersTemplers are members of the Temple Society , a German Protestant sect with roots in the Pietist movement of the Lutheran Church. The Templers were expelled from the church in 1858 because of their millennial beliefs. Their aim was to realize the apocalyptic visions of the prophets of Israel in the...
, the building, with its unusual belltower and the attached nine-pin bowling alley, has been assessed by the Heritage Council in 2003 as "culturally significant" and placed on the Register of Heritage Victoria.
Famous former residents
- Timothy Spanos
Timothy Spanos is an Australian film director.Spanos has made four feature films in Australia that have become cult movie hits in the USA and Europe. His first film, Prisoner Queen, was about an actress who is diagnosed with leukemia and her son who believes he is living in the television series...
, award winning filmmaker grew up in Boronia, and recently made a feature film called "Boronia Boys"
- Davey Lane
David Lane, also known as Davey Lane , is an Australian musician, lead guitarist of You Am I , and frontman of The Pictures. He is also a guitarist in Australian supergroup The Wrights, who performed at Waveaid in aid of the Boxing Day Tsunami, presented at the Sydney Cricket Ground on January 29th...
, guitarist of rock band You Am IYou Am I is an Australian alternative rock band, fronted by vocalist/guitarist and main songwriter Tim Rogers. They were the first Australian band to have three albums successively debut at #1 on the ARIA Charts, and are renowned for their live performances....
, grew up in Boronia.
- Comedian Shane Bourne
Shane Bourne is an Australian stand-up comedian]] and actor.-Career:Bourne was a well-known comedic face throughout the 1980s, with roles on the Australian version of Are You Being Served? and Hey Hey It's Saturday...
has also made references to growing in Boronia before it was a bona fide suburb.
- TV personality Ian Turpie attended Boronia High School in the early 1960s.
Street Names
Many of the streets in Boronia follow a botanical theme, such as Sycamore Crescent, Cypress Avenue, Daffodil Road, Iris Crescent, Pine Crescent, Tulip Crescent, Hazelwood Road, Olive Grove and Oak Avenue. Others are named after important local residents—Chandler Road, Rathmullen Road, Dinsdale Road, Kleinert Road.
External links