Research: The leafy Melbourne suburb where the city meets the country

Big blocks, a tight community and kangaroos interrupting soccer practice: the suburb of Research is just 24 kilometres north-east of Melbourne’s CBD but its location on the fringe of the city sprawl lends the suburb a country air.

A rural neighbour to faster-paced Eltham, which shares the same postcode, Research is bordered to the east by the sparsely populated Kangaroo Ground which lies on the edge of the Yarra Valley and is home to three wineries, with dozens more a short drive away.

Leafy sanctuary

“We’re an urban interface, where the city meets the country,” says Neville Stewart, a Research resident of 30 years.

“It starts getting really green; there are plenty of trees. And there are a lot of restrictions on how many houses can be built here, to try to maintain that tree cover.”

Stewart, who is the captain of the Research Country Fire Association, moved to the suburb looking for a large block of land and settled with his young family on about 0.8 hectares.

“We’re on top of the hill so we get views all the way to the city and it was good for the kids to run around outside,” he says.

Stewart values being part of a close-knit community where there’s generally only two degrees of separation rather than six, without anyone being “in everyone’s back pocket”.

“Being involved with the CFA brings a lot of the community together, but we’ve also got the local shops around the corner and the local footy club,” he says.

Jellis Craig Eltham agent Aaron Yeats says the sporting clubs and schools loom large when it comes to fostering community spirit, with Eltham College, a 40-hectare school for students from early learning to year 12, a well-regarded magnet for families.

Finders keepers

Yeats says many residents who initially target Eltham end up finding a home in Research and when it comes time to upgrade, are keen to stay in the suburb.

Top-end sales this year include a Reynolds Road property which sold for $3.035 million in June and a Lindon Strike Court property which fetched $2.432 million in May.

The suburb’s record price is held by a sprawling estate at 525 Mount Pleasant Road, which sold for $6.7 million in 2017.

“There are a lot of very affluent families that live in Research and some large, prestigious properties,” he says.

“It’s a great suburb for the type of person who wants to be a little more tucked away.”

It’s also a great base for the hiking enthusiast, with a selection of walking trails including the family-friendly, four-kilometre Aqueduct Trail which follows the corridor of the historically significant Maroondah Aqueduct between Main Road and Allendale Road in Eltham.

This trail joins the Research Trail to form a 10.2-kilometre loop around Research and Eltham North.

One to watch

A dramatic, top-to-toe renovation has transformed this family home into an entertainer’s paradise wrapped in impressive gardens and complete with a resort-style pool.

Highlights include a well-equipped granite kitchen, cathedral ceilings in the living room and designer bathrooms with lush, green outlooks.

Jellis Craig Eltham’s Aaron Yeats takes the home to auction on October 17 with a guide of $2.3 million-$2.5 million.

SOLD - $2,560,000

22 Brenda Road, Research VIC 3095

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