Community Snapshot Upwey - Shire of Yarra Ranges

Historical Context
The area of Upwey was originally known as “Mast Gully” deriving its name from the tall strong straight trees
that were cut down and used for ship masts in the 1850s. Mast Gully Creek and Mast Gully Road still remain
as features of the Upwey township.
In the mid 1890s sections of the locality were divided into ten acre blocks as part of the Scoresby village
settlement scheme, which extended north towards Ferny Creek. It is believed that Upwey was renamed to its
current name by the Tullidge sisters, who named it after an English village on the River Wey, in the late 1890s.
A narrow gauge railway from Upper Ferntree Gully to Gembrook, stopping at Upwey, opened in 1901. In
1954 the railway was closed due to a landslide along the line past Selby. The line was reopened, to Belgrave,
in 1955 as a tourist railway but closed again in 1958. In 1962 the metropolitan train service to Belgrave was
opened, giving Upwey a direct link to Melbourne.
Belgrave – Main Street.
By the 1920s and early 1930s many weekenders had been built in the area. When the Great Depression
occurred the Government opened up the Dandenong Ranges to housing and the population of Upwey
and surrounding towns grew. The Primary School opened in 1934 and the high school in 1945.
The main road to Belgrave originally ran along the Main Street of Upwey, but the construction of a bypass in
the 1970s resulted in the town centre being separated from the Burwood Highway.
Transport Options
Upwey is well serviced by public transport with the metropolitan train line and bus service. The two-way bus
service between Belgrave and Oakleigh (693) stops at Upwey and links the community to suburbs along its
route; it also stops at Monash University. The service runs Monday to Friday, half hourly in the off peak times and
on the weekend it runs hourly.
There is also a bus service between Belgrave and Upwey (699) with services running hourly between 8am and
5pm, Monday to Friday, with a more limited service on Saturday and Sunday.
Victorian taxis operate within prescribed taxi zones. The urban area of Yarra Ranges sits within the Metropolitan
Taxi Boundary. Upwey sits within the Metropolitan Taxi Boundary. There are several taxis in operation in the area
outside the Metropolitan Taxi Boundary these generally cover the Yarra Valley, Upper Yarra and Hills districts.
Retail and Tourist Overview
Upwey has a range of businesses operating, with a
main street shopping strip offering convenience
and everyday retail services. Residents travel to the
larger retail precincts of Ferntree Gully and Knox for
their broader retail needs.
Page 2
Upwey Main Street Shopping Precinct
The commercial centre of Upwey is also located of
Burwood Highway, which can be a disadvantage
to businesses missing out on exposure and passing
traffic.
The retail and commercial businesses of Upwey are
predominantly focused on servicing the needs of
the local communities with tourists travelling past
Upwey on their way to Belgrave and the
Dandenong Ranges.
Page 2 Yarra Ranges Council ● Community Snapshot ● February 2012