Mulgrave

Hidden within Melbourne’s southeastern suburbs lies Mulgrave, a place brimming with more history than meets the eye. Mulgrave was named after Mulgrave Castle in North Yorkshire, England. The namesake is a nod to Sir George Phipps, the Earl of Mulgrave, who served as Victoria’s Governor from 1879 to 1884. Originally, Mulgrave was a vast expanse of land, a parish surveyed in 1853, stretching between Nunawading and Moorabbin. It reached eastward to the Dandenong Creek and even encompassed Oakleigh on its western border. This area became the heart of a burgeoning municipality, starting with the Oakleigh and Mulgrave Road District in 1857. Over time, Mulgrave’s boundaries shifted and its size diminished. Despite these changes, the name persists, a testament to its enduring presence. Mulgrave is curiously split into two distinct areas, both bearing the name without the usual “East” or “West” prefixes. This division arose from the renaming of parts of Mulgrave to Wheelers Hill in the late 1990s. The separation is so pronounced that in 2004, residents of the southeastern area unsuccessfully campaigned to rename their part of Mulgrave to Waverley Park. Today, Mulgrave is perhaps best known for Jacksons Road, a vital artery running through its eastern section. This road is a familiar name to many Melburnians, thanks to the Jacksons Road Interchange with the Monash Freeway. The interchange serves as a VicRoads timing point for city traffic, making Jacksons Road a frequent reference in radio traffic reports. Beyond the freeway, Mulgrave boasts other attractions. The Waverley Gardens Shopping Centre offers retail therapy, while the Village Green Hotel at the corner of Springvale and Ferntree Gully Roads provides a local gathering spot. For those seeking fresh produce and local crafts, the Sunday Mulgrave Farmers’ Market at the corner of Jacksons and Wellington Roads is a must-visit. And let’s not forget the former Waverley Park AFL/VFL football ground, now a vibrant housing estate. Mulgrave even housed the first settler in the Mulgrave parish, a Scottish builder named Thomas Napier, who arrived in 1839. He built his homestead within what is now Jells Park. Although his homestead, like others from that era, is gone, remnants discovered during the EastLink Tollway construction offered a glimpse into Mulgrave’s early settlement. From a vast parish to a divided suburb, Mulgrave’s journey is a fascinating reflection of Melbourne’s growth and evolution.