Hawthorn: The historic family suburb with a strong sense of community

After eight years living in London’s Notting Hill, Hayley Jenkins-Smith returned to her home town of Melbourne in 2018, keen to replicate the sense of community she’d discovered overseas.

She was surprised to discover that Hawthorn, the suburb she grew up in, had become a prime contender in her absence. 

“I grew up in Hawthorn, then I went to see the world,” Jenkins-Smith says.

“We came back, and now I’m living around the corner from my parents. It’s the closest family suburb to the city and quite comparable to Notting Hill in that respect, and it’s become a lot more gentrified.”

But perhaps most enticingly, Hawthorn offers Jenkins-Smith and her young family the “best park life”, on par with Notting Hill’s community gardens and residential squares.

“We have two kids, so we go to a couple of the local parks where we’ve made many friends socialising at the playground with the local kindergarten and childcare,” she says. 

Classic character

Like Notting Hill, Hawthorn also plays host to a mix of Edwardian and Victorian architecture, with the added benefit of being set in leafy streets.

These grand old homes are increasingly coming under protection to preserve the beautiful streetscapes.

Jenkins-Smith, who is midway through a major renovation of her Edwardian cottage, says Boroondara Council is keen to see historic homes retained and restored.

“It’s one of the hardest councils that our builders have ever worked with; the authenticity of the buildings is so important to the area,” she says.

“You can really notice so much work happening in the area, and a lot of money is being spent, but people are preserving the older homes.”

Local agent Sam Wilkinson of Kay & Burton South Yarra lives in the West Hawthorn precinct and says there’s a market both for character homes and large-scale contemporary homes.

“A lot of people in the area are passionate about retaining what has kept Hawthorn such a beautiful area for decades,” he says.

“But it’s also a fairly progressive neighbourhood, with people looking to enhance what is already here.”

Food for thought

Wilkinson says from an amenity perspective, the sheer volume of schools in Hawthorn and Kew combined with a “super-convenient” tram network draws growing families, as does the Glenferrie Road shopping strip.

Stretching for more than one kilometre, you’ll find cafes, restaurants, clothing boutiques, supermarkets and the stylish arthouse Lido Cinemas.

Jenkins-Smith recommends Venetian restaurant Vaporetto for an Aperol spritz and tasty Italian fare, and a new restaurant and wine bar called Butcher & Vine for great steak.

She’s also a fan of the Barton Street cafe near St James Park. 

One to Watch

Set amid established gardens in prestigious Scotch Hill, this stately 1928 home was originally built for the Seppelt wine family.

It offers a selection of indoor and outdoor living spaces, including two home offices and a poolside pavilion.

Kay & Burton South Yarra‘s Sam Wilkinson is taking expressions of interest that close on April 7.

He guides the home at $7 million-$7.7 million. 

SOLD - $8,500,000

14 Wellesley Road, Hawthorn VIC 3122

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