The arrival of the Glen Waverley train line in 1930 helped transform an area of open fields and orchards into what it is today – a suburb of 40,000 people with a thriving retail and entertainment centre.
As late as the 1950s, Glen Waverley was mostly undeveloped land. Then, the arrival of new homes fuelled demand for the shopping centre in Kingsway that opened in 1967.
Such was the suburb’s growth it was the site of Melbourne’s first McDonald’s, which opened on Springvale Road in 1973.
In the decades since, the Kingsway activity centre has extended all the way to High Street Road. In the 1990s, construction began on one of Melbourne busiest shopping centres, The Glen.
As Glen Waverley prepares for its second rail line – SRL East, from Cheltenham to Box Hill – the opening of a brand-new underground station in 2035 promises to support Glen Waverley’s continued transformation over the next century.
Change has always been a feature of the Glen Waverley community – and SRL will be part of its exciting next chapter. Let’s look back at the moments that made Glen Waverley what it is today.
The train station
When Glen Waverley station opened in 1930, there was one passenger platform, a couple of sidings for parked trains, and a goods platform where freight was unloaded. Electric red rattler trains - often a single carriage - would travel via single-track railway to East Malvern station, where passengers would change for services to Flinders Street.
By 1964, the entire line had been converted to twin tracks and Glen Waverley trains ran directly to the city. That year the station was moved westwards to its current location to make room for a car park.
When SRL East opens by 2035, Glen Waverley station will become a junction station for the first time, with trains in three directions. Metro Train passengers will be able to transfer seamlessly to the underground SRL station in Coleman Parade and travel south to Monash, Clayton and Cheltenham, or north to Burwood and Box Hill.
Kingsway
The shopping strip around Kingsway and Coleman Parade was first established in 1967, consisting of Woolworths, Lindsay’s (the forerunner of Target) and 30 speciality shops.
Now, Kingsway is also famous for its dining, with dozens of restaurants, cafes and groceries - and Asian cuisine a speciality.
In the 1990s, the Novotel and Century City complex with Village cinemas was completed, dominating Springvale Road.
The people
Glen Waverley has come a long way since gold miners scoured creeks and shafts in the 19th Century. Back then, the area was known as Black Flat.
Now, Glen Waverley is one of Melbourne’s most multicultural suburbs. In 2021, about 60 per cent of residents were born overseas, with significant populations of residents from China, India, Malaysia, Sri Lanka and Hong Kong.
The future of Glen Waverley with SRL East
Already thriving, Glen Waverley will continue to evolve with SRL East opening by 2035.
SRL will slash travel times and provide faster and more convenient access to the Glen Waverley activity centre, local jobs and schools, as well as to universities, employment areas and hospitals to the north and south.
A new station plaza will be built next to Coleman Parade, including laneways and paved areas around the station entrance and plenty of opportunity for new dining and retail. There will be a seamless connection to the existing Glen Waverley station forecourt, which will be upgraded.
The SRL station will have 600 bicycle parking spaces, making it easier and more convenient for people to ride to and from the station.
And new recreation spaces, community facilities and walking and cycling links will make Glen Waverley an even more attractive and vibrant place to live, work and visit.
The new station will attract clusters of new businesses, better local services and more diverse quality housing, with local employment opportunities expected to more than double by around the 2050s.
Historical photos courtesy of the Monash Public Library Service.