House Cleaning Services in Kew

Before the establishment of Melbourne, the area had been inhabited by the Wurundjeri tribes. In the 1840s European settlers named it the Parish of Boroondara – meaning “a place of shade” in the Woiwurrung language. In 1838 Dight travelled down the Yarra from Heidelberg and decided to locate a water-powered mill on a site adjacent to the falls; the impressive three-storey mill opened in 1840.

John Hodgson set up a squatters’ run at Studley Park on the eastern bank the Yarra River in 1840. Studley House, also known as Burke Hall, built in 1857, was named after Hodgson’s birthplace of Studley, Yorkshire and the house is now on the Register of the National Estate. The Victorian Period Italianate Revival style was used to build the house. The house was modified in 1875 and 1919. The house was also owned by former bookmaker, ALP lobbyist, influential Irish-Catholic and millionaire, John Wren and was donated to Xavier College by the land developer T. M. Burke. It illustrates the importance of a residence in indicating success and status in nineteenth- and early-twentieth-century Melbourne society. The nearby Villa Alba, built before 1863, is open to the public.

In 1851, Crown land sales occurred in the area. One of the purchasers, Nicholas Fenwick, subdivided his land (which was just further out from the centre of the colony of Melbourne than the area known as Richmond) and named the region Kew, based on the thought that Kew in England was near Richmond. He also notably named its streets after British statesmen. The area quickly became a sought-after suburb for the well-to-do in Melbourne. Access to Kew was originally via Bridge Road in Richmond, crossing the Hawthorn Bridge to Burwood Road, until the privately owned Studley Park Bridge (nicknamed the Penny Bridge) opened in 1857, connecting Church Street Richmond with Studley Park.

In the 1850s, Kew Junction was established as a commercial precinct. Mr. J. J. French opened the first store in August 1853, and the first post office was opened on October 6th 1856. However, many shops started to appear in High Street towards the end of the decade. The Kew Hotel opened in 1855, the Prospect Hill Hotel (now the Dan Murphy’s liquor store) in 1857, the Council Hotel about 1860, the Clifton (now Hotel Kew) in 1869 and the Greyhound (now the Skinny Dog Hotel) in 1874. The block of civic buildings that includes the former post office, former courthouse, and former police station was built in 1888. Also, the National Bank, located at the corner Walpole and High Streets, was built in 1888.