Why the Melbourne suburb of Burwood is suddenly gaining hipster credentials

Burwood hasn’t been the home of many firsts. In fact, this classic bridesmaid suburb for people priced out of their first preference address of Camberwell, Surry Hills or Canterbury was stuck in second place for many decades.

But now the firsts are flying thick and fast. Try “the world’s most sustainable shopping centre”. Or – slightly more wordy, but you’ll get the drift – “the first urban agriculture project in an Australian shopping centre environment”. 

Take a bow, Burwood Brickworks. Launched late last year this mixed-use development featuring retail, a Reading cinema and a 2000-square-metre sustainable rooftop farm and restaurant, known as Acre Farm and Eatery and endorsed by eco-pioneer Joost Bakker, has not only helped put Burwood on the map; it’s a bellwether of the suburb’s changing fortunes and a vivid glimpse into its hipster-tinted future.

It was a local eyesore for years: a deserted site on Middleborough Road that changed hands several times without anything ever really happening. And then along came this forward-thinking development aiming to achieve certification under the rigorous performance standard the Living Building Challenge.

“It’s really nice to see Brickworks come along for Burwood,” says Nicole Lismore of Buxton Camberwell. “The site was empty for in excess of 10 years so it’s great to see someone brave having a vision. It’s definitely attracting a younger buyer who sees the benefit of this sort of thing.”  

Deakin University, one of Burwood’s main calling cards, was already naturally attracting younger people, “and typically a lot of young families are moving into the area. We’re in the middle of a change-over cycle. Older people are moving on and the whole demographic is going younger.”

Burwood is the geeky suburb that has grown up to be a success story. Not quite Bill Gates, but a solid performer that has become a coveted destination in its own right with the average house price of just under $1.05 million to prove it.

Around 14 kilometres east of the CBD, Burwood was already riding a gentle wave of gentrification before Brickworks turned it into a tsunami.

“It’s the start of a new era for Burwood,” says Sam Macaluso of Jellis Craig. “Now we’re finding people who want to live in Burwood being priced out and pushed out to other suburbs. The cycle begins again.”

You can judge a suburb by the cars people drive, says Macaluso, “and gone are the Holdens and Fords and common Japanese makes. Now you see Porsches, Mercedes and many more European cars driving the streets. Burwood’s stepping up in the world and the people want you to know it.”

Once the home of small farms and market gardens, the suburb has kept a smattering of Victorian and Edwardian homes. A new appreciation for the light-filled living areas and solid bones of mid-century homes is seeing them renovated and extended rather than demolished. 

Slightly less hipster-credentialled but important nonetheless, the fact that much of Burwood fits into the Mount Waverley Secondary College and the up-and-coming Ashwood High School zones is another attraction for buyers keen to access the financial benefits of a government-funded education.

The future’s looking bright for Burwood, and that’s not just when Brickworks fully realises its ultra-sustainable, rigorously recycled future. An underground station servicing Deakin University, proposed for the Andrews’ government’s $50 billion Suburban Rail Loop, has the vigorous support of residents and agents alike.

How long it might take to come to fruition is another matter – but Burwood’s used to playing the waiting game.