Dynamic Doncaster

Doncaster is one of Melbourne’s inner Eastern suburbs just 16 kilometres north-east of Melbourne’s Central Business District with a population of approximately 21,000. 45% of the residents were born in Australia and 15% born in China. 40% of the population speak only English at home and most do not have any religious affinity. The largest religious denomination is Catholic at 18%.  

This hilly suburb’s demonym “Donny” is derived from its British namesake. With its cornucopia of restaurants, gorgeous parks, libraries, schools, social clubs, medical and sporting facilities along with Manningham City Square’s hub of art galleries, cafes, markets, cultural centres and shopping centres there is no reason to leave this suburb but if you choose to, getting around is relatively easy with two reliable train lines, buses, trams and the convenience of the Eastern and Monash Freeways on its doorstep. A trip on the Eastern Freeway will take approximately 15 minutes to the CBD and 10 minutes to Collingwood outside of peak hour.

Buses 902 and 903 pass through Doncaster from Airport West to Chelsea, Altona and Mordialloc. Additionally, there are bus routes which take you to the CBD along the Eastern Freeway and along Belmore Road via Balwyn and Kew and Doncaster Road through Kew and Collingwood plus routes to Greensborough, Glen Waverley and Box Hill. Box Hill railway station is just 3 kilometres away and has several direct bus routes to the CBD.

The area embraces all nationalities, ages and religions, with a variety of places of worship, catering to a diverse demography. Doncaster is considered to have the lowest crime rate in Greater Melbourne.

Doncaster’s rich history and schools

The first Lutheran Church was built in 1858, a Lutheran school opened in 1860 followed by a denominational school in 1861. Schramm’s Cottage, an historic stone cottage originally located in Doncaster Road was relocated to the site of the original Lutheran Church building in the 1970s. The remains of the Waldau Cemetery, where approximately 150 burials took place between 1853 and 1888, are now in the grounds of Schramm’s Cottage. Other historical buildings include Doncaster’s Post Office which opened in 1860. In the 1880s an observation tower (285 feet high) was constructed on Doncaster Hill, which attracted day-trippers to what was then considered the countryside. Doncaster was also the site of the first electric tram to run in Melbourne in 1889. The tram started in Doncaster and ended in Box Hill (about 3.5 kilometres away) and this route was named “Tram Road”.

The local public high schools are listed as some of the state’s finest and include:

• Doncaster Secondary College
• St. Gregory the Great Primary School
• Birralee Primary School
• Doncaster Primary School
• Doncaster Gardens Primary School

With everything within easy access, Doncaster is an ideal location to move to. Make the move easy on yourself by booking a SmartBox that will be delivered to your doorstep. SmartBox is a mobile storage unit that makes moving a breeze. Once packed and locked, all you need to do is call to have it taken away and stored. You can access the contents any time or call for the SmartBox in its entirety to be delivered to you.