Town by town snapshot: Grovedale

The size of Grovedale is approximately seven square kilometres and it has seven parks covering nearly 9.6 per cent of the total area.

The population of Grovedale in 2011 was 14,153 people and by the 2016 Census the population was 14,314 showing a population growth of 1.1 per cent in the area during that time.

Grovedale was named after a property of about 76 hectares acquired by Alexander Pennell in 1847, just south of Waurn Ponds Creek.

Originally the place was named Germantown, which arose from several families of Lutheran German origin who arrived at Corio Bay in 1849.

A Geelong pioneer, Dr Alexander Thomson, encouraged them to settle on Pennell’s land and a school was opened in 1854.

By the mid-1860s there were about 70 families of German origin settled there, and there were two hotels, two flour mills, two tanneries and four wool washing establishments.

In September 1915, after the outbreak of World War I, the South Barwon Council changed the name to Grovedale.

Grovedale continued to be an agricultural district until the mid-1960s when residential expansion from neighbouring Belmont began.

In 1970 the estimated population was 1,200 persons and in 1980 the suburb had grown to 5,000.

CoreLogic data indicates that the predominant age group in Grovedale is 20-29 years with households in Grovedale being primarily childless couples and are likely to be repaying $1,400 – $1,799 per month on mortgage repayments, and in general, people in Grovedale work in a professional occupation.

In 2011, 74.1 per cent of the homes in Grovedale were owner-occupied compared with 70.5 per cent in 2016.

AGENT PERSPECTIVE:
“The Grovedale market is strong at the moment with first home buyers and investors wanting to break into the market.

“Grovedale represents fantastic living, close to Waurn Ponds shops, walking tracks and parks, a multitude of schools nearby and only 10 minutes to coastal towns.

“With the bonus of the ring road making commuting to Melbourne quick and easy, this is one of the hottest suburbs to buy into at the moment, with a number of enquiries on every home that is listed, they aren’t lasting long.”
Michelle Winckle – director – Hayeswinckle

TIDBIT:
Town and Country Shopping World opened in 1985 and is now called Waurn Ponds Shopping Centre, although in Grovedale, just.