Kilsyth and Kilsyth South

Kilsyth and Kilsyth South are residential suburbs between Mooroolbark and Boronia, 32 km east of Melbourne. The name presumably was inspired by Kilsyth, Scotland, but no record has revealed the reason for any such connection.

Kilsyth

Kilsyth is in the foothills of the Dandenong Ranges and the cleared land was suitable for orchards. The original village centre was on Mount Dandenong Road, which was the linking route between the Croydon railway station and the Dandenong Ranges. Kilsyth primary school was opened in 1910, by when there was a public hall, store and post office. A Kilsyth and District Horticultural Society was formed in 1913.

Residential settlement along the Mount Dandenong Road grew as weekenders and hillside retreats were built. By 1954 Kilsyth had an estimated population of 1500 persons. In 1971 a second primary school, Kilsyth East, was opened. Pembroke secondary school (now Yarra Hills secondary college) was opened in 1970 and a third primary school next to it several years later. The Kilsyth East school has closed but most of its area is covered by the Gladesville school (1974). In 2014 Kilsyth primary school had 193 pupils and Yarra Hills secondary college had 599 pupils.

Kilsyth is generously provided with recreation reserves, the largest having a sports centre in Liverpool Road. The Elizabeth Bridge Reserve includes a lake and a community house. Kilsyth has a small shopping centre in Mount Dandenong Road near the first primary school. Mount Dandenong Road is also the address of a Catholic primary school (1985), elderly persons’ accommodation, the Linley reception centre and a larger shopping centre, Churinga Village, near the Kilsyth Hall.

Kilsyth South

Kilsyth South consists of undulating land reducing to flat land in the west, between Canterbury Road and the Dandenong Creek. Drainage works have enabled residential settlement in parts, mixed with industrial uses, the Eastwood Golf Club and a water-retarding basin. The Ghilgai (Steiner) school is in Kilsyth South.

Kilsyth’s estimated populations have been: 1955 (1500), 1970 (4000), 1994 (10,250).

Census populations have been: