Rowville, VIC

 town, suburb

Rowville is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 26 km south-east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Knox. At the 2006 Census, Rowville had a population of 34,412.

Rowville is named after the Row family, whose property Stamford Park was established in 1882. The Stamford Park homestead has been restored in recent years by Knox Council. Geographically, Rowville is one of the largest suburbs south-east of Melbourne. Rowville Post Office opened on 20 December 1905 and closed in 1987. In 1989 it reopened in the new Stud Park Shopping Centre.

Rowville has developed rapidly over the 1980s and 1990s, especially in terms of housing and light industrial activities. Culturally, Rowville is still developing, like many of Melbourne’s outer suburbs. Development has included the construction of the Wellington Village shopping centre on Wellington Road, complementing the Rowville Lakes shopping centre on Kelletts Road.

Stud Park Shopping Centre, opened in 1989, is the largest in the suburb. It houses the Rowville branch of the Eastern Regional Library, and is adjacent to the Rowville Community Centre. In October, the Stringybark Festival is held at the centre. This popular event is organised by the Knox Council, and focuses on environmental sustainability. There are three golf courses within Rowville.