It houses the Rowville branch of the Eastern Regional Library, adjacent to the Rowville Community Centre under the Clock Tower. The Stringybark Festival is held at the centre on the third weekend of every October and attracts over 25,000 visitors.[citation needed] The event is organised by the Knox Council, and is one of Australia's longest running sustainability events. There are three golf courses within Rowville. Stud Park is currently being expanded.
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.
Rowville Post Office opened on 20 December 1905 and closed in 1987. In 1989 it reopened in the new Stud Park (formerly Darryl Park) Shopping Centre.[2]
Rowville developed rapidly throughout the 1980s and 1990s, especially in terms of housing and light industrial activities.[citation needed] Development has included the construction of the Wellington Village shopping centre on Wellington Road, complementing the Rowville Lakes shopping centre on Kelletts Road. Rowville has many estates including the prestigious Sovereign Crest Estate and the older Timbertop Estate. Sovereign Crest Estate is a medium-sized estate which includes homes located on parts of Karoo Road, in particular 130–above.
Education
Rowville has one dual-campus high school, Rowville Secondary College, with an Eastern Campus (7–12) and a Western Campus (7–12). Students from the Eastern Campus used to move to the Western Campus to complete their VCE. But now they can complete VCE at the eastern campus as well.
There are 4 government primary schools, Rowville Primary, Karoo Primary School, Heany Park Primary and Park Ridge Primary, and one Catholic Primary School, St. Simons the Apostle Primary School. When Lysterfield Primary School was relocated to its present site, it was in Rowville, however the boundary between the suburbs has changed and Lysterfield Primary is once again in Lysterfield.
St. Simons Primary School celebrated their 25th anniversary in 2007.
Karoo Primary School celebrated their 20th anniversary in 2012.
Rowville Primary celebrated its 40th Birthday in 2013.
Karoo Primary School celebrated their 30th anniversary in 2022
Transport
Rowville is currently a heavily car-dependent community, with many families having at least two cars. This is unlikely to change, without the addition of significant improvements to public transport serving the area, such as greater bus frequencies and coverage. The Rowville railway line, has long been called for, but lacks political commitment.[citation needed] Three or four cars per household are not uncommon, depending on the number of children of driving age still living at home. 70% of residents drive cars to work.[3]
The current State Government has proposed that the public transport problems will be resolved by the SmartBus system, which includes special bus lanes on major traffic routes.
Commerce
Rowville's main centre of commerce is Stud Park Shopping Centre which opened in 1989 and is the largest shopping centre in the suburb. It contains a Coles, Woolworths, Kmart, and over 60 specialty stores including two hairdressers, a pharmacy, two travel agents, banks, a vet and assorted food outlets. It has approximately 1500 car park spaces and is serviced regularly by bus services.[4]
Wellington Village, located at 1100 Wellington Road, is Rowville's second largest shopping centre. It contains an IGA, Aldi, Bendigo Bank, Biggin & Scott Real Estate, a butcher, a vet, a bakery, a pharmacy, a hairdresser and assorted food outlets.
Rowville Lakes is a third, smaller shopping centre on Kelletts Road. It contains an IGA, a pharmacy, a real estate agent, a hairdresser, and various food outlets.
Home to manufacturing and distribution of major Australian Corporations of Parmalat, Sigma Pharmaceuticals, Jeld Wen, Regal Senoit Australia, Twinings, Darrel Lea Chocolates, Matthews, Australia Post stamp printing, Callaway Golf, D4J, Johnson Controls, Brilliant Lighting, Cold Xpress and Eaton.
Rowville Knights Community Football Club in the Eastern Football League[5]
Lysterfield Junior Football Club in the Eastern Football League
Rowville Cricket Club in the Ferntree Gully District Cricket Association
Eildon Park Cricket Club in the Ferntree Gully District Cricket Association
Lysterfield Cricket Club in the Ferntree Gully District Cricket Association
Rowville Eagles Soccer Club
Knox United Soccer Club
Knox Churches Soccer Club
Blue Park on Sovereign Crest Boulevard
Eildon Park Tennis Club
Rowville Tennis Club
Rowville Netball Club
Aston Athletic FC
Rowville Little Athletics Club
Rowville Lakes Little Athletics Club
Bird Pigeon Racing Club on Victoria Knox Ave
Turtle Collection on Pickworth Crescent
Wheel of Fortune Champion of Candlebark Quadrant
Rowville Rockets Basketball Club
Lysterfield Netball Club
Omega Trampoline Sports Club
Golfers play at the course of the Kingston Links on Corporate Avenue,[6] at the course of the Tirhatuan Park Golf Club on Police and Stud Roads[7] or at the course of the Waverley Golf Club on Bergins Road.[8]
Community service groups
Rowville is supported by local community groups; including the 1st Rowville Scout Group since 1972, being based in an architectural marvel of its Scout Hall since 1991.
