Surrey Hills real estate

In the 1880s, as the population grew in surrounding districts and the railway extended its line from Camberwell to Lilydale - real estate developers carved up the land known as ‘Surrey Hills’.

Housing estates were laid out and streets were given impressive names such as Balmoral, Leopold, Windsor and Albert Crescents, but the area was considered too distant from the nearest shopping districts in Camberwell and Box Hill – how things have changed! With street names like Durham, Kent, Middlesex, Essex and Suffolk it’s no wonder the area between Canterbury and Riversdale Roads is called the ‘English Counties Estate’.

During the 1990s depression the last bank closed in Union Road but local residents mustered together and on 24 February 2003, the Surrey Hills Community Bank (a community bank branch of Bendigo Bank) opened for business.

The Union Road shopping precinct comprised at last count of five cafes, two bakers, two chemists, neighbourhood centre, community Bank, a post office and a large bottle shop!

Shops, train station and primary school are grouped together – Chatham Station is further along the line through the trees and leafy surrounds of the area.

Parks and gardens flourish in Surrey Hills – especially Surrey Gardens and South Surrey Park – plus across the Riversdale Road lies the large grounds of Wattle Park.

The local footy team - The Surrey Park Panthers – is in the Eastern Football League.

This is a leafy and select suburb that has managed to keep itself to itself and neither expand not merge with the surrounding areas.

Christopher Russell Real Estate agents with current properties in Surrey Hills are Angela Plesnicar, Jessica Conte, Russell Turner.