Why we love Mount Waverley.
The suburban dream is alive and well in the heart of the City of Monash. With everything at their fingertips, it’s no wonder Mt Waverley locals don’t want to leave.
NESTLED in the heart of Melbourne’s southeast, highly sought-after Mt Waverley is the picture-perfect image of suburbia.
The well-established, family-friendly suburb reflects the dreamy 1970s ‘sprinkler on the lawn’ era and has no shortage of space, with wide, leafy streets and expansive home blocks.
Often referred to as a new blue-chip suburb, Mt Waverley is also making way for contemporary townhouses and apartments with new developments catering to a changing and growing population.
Mt Waverley’s property prices have skyrocketed over the past five years, with the median house price soaring 38.5 per cent from $868,000 to $1.202,500, according to the latest CoreLogic data for the year to July 2019.
Growth in the median unit price is not far behind, up 32.1 per cent from $655,000 to $865,000 over the same period.
While the recent market cool down has seen house prices dip 14.1 per cent in the 12 months to July, unit prices have defied the correction, growing 8.1 per cent in 12 months.
The area’s education facilities have been a big driver of price rises and population growth over the past decade.
Ideal for growing families, the suburb’s highly rated local government primary and secondary schools include Mt Waverley Primary, Mt Waverley Secondary College, Essex Heights Primary and Pinewood Primary.
There’s also a great choice of private schools: Avila College and Huntingtower School are in Mt Waverley, while others nearby include Wesley College in Glen Waverley and Caulfield Grammar in Wheelers Hill.
Monash University is also nearby in Clayton and Deakin University is just down the road in Burwood.
The latest Census data shows the City of Monash is one of Melbourne’s most multicultural areas, with about 54 per cent of residents born overseas and about 13 per cent of those in China.
Mt Waverley’s population is estimated at 36,045, with Forecast.id predicting it will grow 13.27 per cent over the next two decades to 40,827.
It’s easy to see why the suburb is growing. Mt Waverley also offers great transport links, with two train stations - Mt Waverley and Jordanville - on the Glen Waverley line and an extensive bus network. The Monash Freeway also provides easy access into town, just 16km away.
There are also plenty of indoor and outdoor recreational facilities and local shopping options galore.
Pinewood Shopping Village comes complete with medical facilities, beauty salons, banking facilities, a number of food outlets and a movie cinema.
The suburb is also just a 10 minute drive from the shopping mecca of Chadstone.
Picturesque Damper Creek and Regent Reserve make for a great bush walk or the Valley Reserve is a perfect spot for a family barbeque or picnic and some fun on the playground.
The renowned 1892 Riversdale Golf Club sports an 18-hole circuit and is very popular among the proud locals.
An emerging foodie culture is drawing more than just locals, with a diverse range of cuisines on offer. Popular picks include Proud Peacock Restaurant, Mango Tree Thai and Palms on the Park.
Local business owner and manager of Debarge Hair and Caffe says Mt Waverley is “such a good spot to live.”
“I think it’s probably one of those hidden secret suburbs,” she says. “If you live in it you definitely don’t want to move out of it, and if you want to move into it it’s kind of one of those really hard to pop into kind of suburbs.”