Welcome to Newman Plumbing

Kew Plumbing Experts Since 1988

Phone Newman Plumbing on: 9899 3442

Kew is a residential suburb 6km. east of Melbourne, bordered on its west and north by the Yarra River, on its south by Hawthorn and on its east by Balwyn. In 1840 John Hodgson took a squatting licence over Studley Park, on Kew’s eastern bank of the Yarra River. Hodgson was born at Studley, Yorkshire {hence “Studley Park”}, and his surname became a street name in a subdivision nearby. Hodgson’s “Studley” in Nolan Avenue is on the register of the National Estate. In 1851 crown land sales in lots of between 15 and 80 ha. Took place in Kew. One of the purchases, Nicholas Fenwick had his 495 ha. estate subdivided into quarter-hectare blocks with streets laid out. He named the streets after English statesmen { Walpole, Gladestone, etc.}, and the subdivision was named Kew, probably because its closeness to Richmond mirrored the relationship between London’s suburbs of the same names. The estate was north-east of the Kew junction, bordered by Princess and High Streets.

Access across the river was provided early in the 1950s by a bridge to Burwoood Road, Hawthorn which resulted in Hawthorn being developed ahead of Kew. Nevertheless, two hotels were opened along High Road. Congregational, Baptist, Primitive Methodist and Anglican churches were opened in 1854, 1855,1856 and 1858 respectively. The Anglican church opened a school in 1856 and the combined Protestant Churches opened one in 1859. It was replaced by a government school in 1870. Direct access to Kew was gained when Johnston Street bridge was built in 1858.

In 1856 the Boroondara Road Board District, comprising Kew, Hawthorn and Camberwell, was proclaimed. After Hawthorn in effect seceded from the Board in 1860, Kew acted likewise later in the year and was proclaimed a municipality on 22 December. It became a borough on 1 October, 1863.

The First public transport service in Kew was a horse drawn tram from the Hawthorn railway station {1876}. Ten years later a horse tram service was opened along High Street, from the Boroondara {Kew} Cemetery to the cable tram on the other side of the river. {The cemetery is noted for its elaborate monuments to prominent citizens.} In the same year a railway replaced the horse tram between Hawthorn station and Kew, and the spur line provide an often criticized service until 1957. The line ran along the west side of Xavier College terminating short of the Kew junction. The railway station site was later occupied by the Country Roads Board’s headquarters. Its other station was Barker. Another attempt at providing public transport was the Outer Circle railway from Oakleigh to Fairfield. It entered Kew at Burke Road, about 500 meters north of Cotham Road, travelling generally north-west to the Chandler Highway bridge over the river. Most of the route is now a linear park. The Kew section opened in 1891 with stations in East Kew, Willsmere and Fulham Grange. It was so unsuccessful that passenger services were ended within two years. Trams proved to be more successful, with services opening along High Street, Cotham Road and northwards along Glenferrie Road to private schools’ area between 1913 and 1915. The Burke Road tram opened in 1918.

High Street developed two strip shopping centres, the main one east of Kew junction and the other near the Harp Hotel. A minor landmark near the Harp Hotel, on land formarly occupied by the Outer Circle, is a wood yard. Each year before Winter a metropolitan newspaper can be relied on to feature the yard’s wood pile, acknowledging the preference for traditional wood fires in Kew’s comfortable homes.

Kew is generously provided with parks. Alexandra Gardens is in the original village and a larger reserve with the cricket ground is next to the cemetery. On a much larger scale the colonial government reserved the Yarra Bend Park and Studley Park {1877} adjoining the Yarra River. Yarra Bend was the site of the first asylum {hence the pejorative expression “gone around the bend”}. Both parks retain much of their original bush land, although part of the park in Kew has had an excision for a golf course. {The part in Fairfield on the other side of the river has had larger excisions for a larger golf course, ovals, infectious disease hospital and a women’s prison.} The scenic Yarra Boulevard {1936} runs through the park. In the north-east of Kew there is Willsmere Park and Hays Paddock, each with bushland billabong. In Kew North, next to the Yarra River, there are Green Acres and Kew Golf Clubs. They are skirted by the Eastern Freeway.

The shopping centre east of the Kew junction contains a landmark post office and war centograph, passed on either side by tram lines. The congested site saw the postal activity removed-mail sorting to a more functional site and retail sales to a shop. The post office became the QPO restaurant, and is on the Victorian Heritage Register. Willsmere Hospital {also on the Register} was decommissioned and became the Willsmere housing development site in the early 1990s.

The median house price in Kew in 1987 was twice the median house price for metropolitan Melbourne, and in 1996 it was 211% of the metropolitan median. Kew East’s median house price was two-thirds higher than metropolitan Melbourne’s during 1987-96.

On 22 June, Kew city was united with Camberwell and Hawthorn cities to form Boroondara city. Absorption with Camberwell saw Kew’ civic offices become a customer service centre.

Kew municipality’s census populations were 1,439{1861}, 8,462{1891}, 17,382{1921}, 30,859{1947}, 3,341{1961} and 27,291{1991}

Newman plumbing are the experienced plumbers in Kew providing plumbing services to kew homes and businesses including:

• Blocked drains
• Hot water units
• Roof leaks
• Burst pipes
• Taps & Toilets
• Water jet drain cleaning
• Gas leaks

With knowledge in solving plumbing issues that are common to Kew properties we are able to expertly help you with your plumbing needs. For a reliable and prompt Kew plumber contact Newman Plumbing on 9899 3442

Our Melbourne plumbing services cover the following areas:

Alphington Ashburton Ashwood kew kew East kew North Blackburn Blackburn North Blackburn South Box Hill Box Hill North Box Hill South	Bulleen Burwood Burwood East Canterbury Camberwell Clifton Hill Collingwood Deepdene Doncaster Doncaster East Donvale Fitzroy	Forest Hill Glen Iris Glen Waverley Hawthorn Hawthorn East Ivanhoe Kew Kew East Mitcham Mont Albert Mont Albert North Mount Waverley	Nunawading Park Orchards Richmond Ringwood Surrey Hills Templestowe Templestowe Lower Vermont Vermont South Wantirna Wheelers Hill

 

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