Correction (2 October 2026): an earlier version of this page was produced by a template. It listed twelve venues with street addresses, prices, seat counts and “insider tips” that we could not stand behind, gave Kew the postcode 3143 (Kew’s is 3101), and quoted travel times with no source. It has been rewritten from scratch. Every place below was checked against its own current information and a second, independent source on 2 October 2026.
Kew is a residential suburb on the Yarra in Melbourne’s inner east, in the City of Boroondara, with trams on High Street, Cotham Road, Glenferrie Road and Burke Road and its main shopping strip at Kew Junction. This profile sticks to what can be checked from a desk: the council’s pages, the tram operator, the 2021 Census, Victorian Places, Parks Victoria and each place’s own website.
Fast facts: postcode 3101; council: City of Boroondara; 6 km east of central Melbourne, per Victorian Places; population 24,499 at the 2021 Census.
Origin of the name: Victorian Places says Nicholas Fenwick’s 1851 estate was subdivided and “named Kew, probably because its closeness to Richmond mirrored the relationship between London’s suburbs of the same names”. Fenwick named the streets after English statespeople, Walpole and Gladstone among them.
Getting around
The shape of it: Victorian Places describes Kew as bordered by the Yarra River on the west, Earl Street and Harp Road on the north, Hawthorn on the south and Balwyn on the east. Kew Junction, on High Street, is the hub: from there route 48 follows High Street on into Kew East, and route 109 heads east along Cotham Road towards Balwyn and Box Hill.
Trams. These Yarra Trams routes list stops in Kew:
- Route 48 (North Balwyn to Victoria Harbour Docklands) runs along High Street, with Kew stops from 29 (Barkers Road) to 37 (Kew Cemetery); stop 32 is Kew Junction.
- Route 109 (Box Hill to Port Melbourne) also stops at Kew Junction, then runs east along Cotham Road, with Kew stops out to 41 at the Kew Traffic School.
- Route 16 (Melbourne University to Kew) runs up Glenferrie Road, past Glenferrie Station (stop 74) in Hawthorn, and ends at Cotham Road (stop 80).
- Route 72 (Melbourne University to Camberwell) has three Kew stops: Mont Albert Road and Sackville Street on Burke Road, and Cotham Road.
Trains. None today. Victorian Places records that a spur line from Hawthorn “provided an often criticised service until 1957”, and that the old station site was later taken by the Country Roads Board’s headquarters. Trams had arrived decades earlier: lines opened along High Street, Cotham Road and Glenferrie Road between 1913 and 1915.
For: two tram routes, 48 and 109, meet at Kew Junction, and route 16 links to the train at Glenferrie Station. Against: there is no railway station inside the suburb; Glenferrie, the one on route 16, is in Hawthorn by Metro’s own address.
Who lives here
At the 2021 Census, the ABS counted 24,499 people in Kew, with a median age of 41 (38 for Victoria). The median weekly household income was $2,497, against $1,759 for Victoria, and the median weekly rent was $476, against $370 across the state. These figures are five years old, so treat them as a baseline, not a quote.
For: Census incomes well above the state median. Against: rents were above the state median too, and the figures date from 2021, so today’s will differ.
Parks and places
Victorian Places puts it plainly: “Kew is generously provided with parks.” The council’s park list includes:
- Yarra Bend Park, on the river. Parks Victoria calls it “Melbourne’s largest natural bushland park”, with trails, picnic spots, a golf course, canoe hire at the historic Studley Park Boathouse, and grey-headed flying-foxes that roost in the park by day.
- Alexandra Gardens, “beautiful gardens in Kew featuring large trees, lawns, a pond and rotunda”, per the council.
- Victoria Park, a large open space with two ovals and an adventure playground.
- Howard Dawson Reserve and Reservoir Reserve, each with a sportsground and a new playground.
Just over the line in Kew East, the council lists Willsmere Park, with two billabongs, and Hays Paddock, with an archery range and an all-abilities playground.
Kew Library is closed for upgrades. The council says it is expected to reopen in early 2027. Meanwhile a temporary library runs in the Kew Court House at 188 High Street, open 10 am to 6 pm on weekdays and 10 am to 1 pm on Saturday, with a 24-hour returns chute. Route 48 stops outside, and route 109 stops around the corner on Cotham Road.
For: river bushland, ovals and playgrounds inside the suburb. Against: the main library is shut until 2027, and the temporary site opens weekdays and until 1 pm on Saturday, with a limited collection.
Shopping and eating
Boroondara counts Kew Junction among its shopping villages: specialty shops, cafes, professional and health services, supermarkets and restaurants. Victorian Places notes that High Street grew two strips, “the main one east of Kew junction and the other near the Harp Hotel”, and that the junction’s landmark post office (1888) and war cenotaph (1925) sit between the tram lines.
Skinny Dog Hotel — 155 High Street, Kew VIC 3101
The pub’s own history page says it was known for most of its life as the Greyhound Hotel, licensed in 1873, and is one of three survivors of the nine hotels built in Kew in the 1870s. Its spring 2026 menu lists the house chicken parma at $37 and beer-battered fish and chips at $34, and a $38 Sunday roast runs from 12 pm until sold out. A parma, for the uninitiated, is a crumbed chicken schnitzel under napoli sauce, ham and melted cheese.
For: open from noon every day, with a beer garden and an upstairs level. Against: the menu adds a 15 per cent surcharge on public holidays.
Axil Coffee — 145/147 High Street, Kew VIC 3101
The Kew cafe of the Melbourne roaster. Its locations page lists it open 7 am to 4 pm, seven days. The Kew Junction traders’ directory calls it the “Home of the 2022 World Barista Champion” and lists hot toasties and Penny For Pound pastries alongside the coffee, and pitches it as “the ideal location for breakfast on the go or lunch with a friend”.
For: seven-day hours from 7 am. Against: it closes at 4 pm, so it is a daytime stop only.
Noisette — 2 Walpole Street, Kew VIC 3101
A French bakery with three shops, in Port Melbourne, Bentleigh and Kew, which describes itself as “Traditional French baking since 1825”. The Kew shop opens 7 am to 4 pm Monday to Saturday and 7 am to 3 pm on Sunday. The retail range runs to celebration cakes, petits gateaux, tea cakes and macarons as well as bread.
For: a French bakery open seven days. Against: it shuts at 3 pm on Sunday and 4 pm on other days.
Cocoa Patisserie — 169 High Street, Kew VIC 3101
A cake shop and cafe that, by its own account, opened in 2005 to bake “sweet and savoury treats” for Kew. The traders' directory says it bakes in-house seven days, with filled baguettes, home-made pies, frittata, quiches and take-home meals alongside the cakes. Its site lists 7 am to 4 pm Monday to Saturday and 8 am to 4 pm on Sunday, with a back entrance from the Woolworths car park.
For: a back door from the supermarket car park. Against: it is a daytime shop that closes at 4 pm.
Araliya — 1/118 High Street, Kew VIC 3101
A Sri Lankan restaurant, cocktail and wine bar on High Street. Its own site promises “Sri Lankan Inspired Flavours” in a “Relaxed Fine Dining” room, with sharing plates or a curated degustation, and function menus written to your budget from $85 a head. If Sri Lankan food is new to you, the everyday staple is rice and curry: rice with several small curries and sambols on the side.
For: an evening kitchen, open until 10.30 pm on Friday and Saturday. Against: it is closed on Monday, and from Tuesday to Thursday it opens only from 5 pm.
Schools and services
Kew has long been a school suburb. Victorian Places records that in 1990 the old municipality had six government school campuses and 28 non-government ones. Schools in Kew, by their own websites, include Kew Primary School (20 Peel Street), Methodist Ladies’ College (207 Barkers Road), Trinity Grammar School (40 Charles Street), Ruyton Girls' School (12 Selbourne Road) and Carey Baptist Grammar School, which has campuses in Kew and Donvale. Check zones and enrolment with each school and the Victorian Government’s school finder; we do not rank schools.
If you move here, know:
- Bins, planning, parks and the library are the City of Boroondara’s job; Kew joined Camberwell and Hawthorn to form Boroondara in 1994.
- There is no train station in Kew; trams 16, 48, 72 and 109 do the work, and 48 and 109 meet at Kew Junction.
- Kew Library is closed until early 2027; the temporary library is at the Kew Court House, 188 High Street.
Quick answers
What is the postcode for Kew VIC?
- Australia Post lists Kew, Victoria, under 3101, and Kew East under 3102.
Which council is Kew in?
The City of Boroondara. Victorian Places records that on 22 June 1994 the City of Kew was united with Camberwell and Hawthorn to form Boroondara.
Which trams go to Kew?
Routes 48 (North Balwyn to Victoria Harbour Docklands) and 109 (Box Hill to Port Melbourne) both stop at Kew Junction. Route 16 (Melbourne University to Kew) ends at Cotham Road, and route 72 (Melbourne University to Camberwell) has three Kew stops, two of them on Burke Road.
Is there a train station in Kew?
No. Kew’s railway spur from Hawthorn ran until 1957, according to Victorian Places. Tram route 16 runs from Kew down Glenferrie Road to Glenferrie Station, which Metro lists in Hawthorn.
How far is Kew from the Melbourne CBD?
Victorian Places describes Kew as a residential suburb 6 km east of central Melbourne.
Is Kew a rich suburb?
At the 2021 Census, incomes were well above the state’s: the median weekly household income in Kew was $2,497, against $1,759 for Victoria. Kew had 24,499 residents, with a median age of 41.
What are Kew Library’s opening hours?
Kew Library is closed for upgrades and is expected to reopen in early 2027. The temporary library at the Kew Court House, 188 High Street, opens 10 am to 6 pm Monday to Friday and 10 am to 1 pm on Saturday.
How we checked
On 2 October 2026 we read every source below directly, as raw web pages or a PDF menu, and copied figures and prices exactly as printed. Population, age, income and rent figures come from the ABS 2021 Census QuickStats for Kew (Vic.), and they describe 2021, not today. Council, park and library facts come from the City of Boroondara’s own pages; the bushland park from Parks Victoria; tram routes and stops from Yarra Trams’ route guides; history, boundaries and distance from Victorian Places. Each place under “Shopping and eating” was confirmed at its own website and at a second, independent source, the Kew Junction traders’ directory. Prices come only from each venue’s own current menu or page; menus and hours change, so check before you go. We have left out travel times, bus routes, crime figures and property prices or forecasts because we could not confirm them at a primary source. The photos are illustrative, from Unsplash: they show the kind of street, river or food, not Kew or the venue itself.
Seen something out of date? Email [email protected] with the page link and what has changed, and we will check it again.
Sources
- Population, age, income and rent: ABS 2021 Census QuickStats, Kew (Vic.)
- Postcode: Australia Post
- History, name, boundaries, council merger and distance: Victorian Places, Kew
- Trams: Yarra Trams route 16, route 48, route 72 and route 109
- Parks: City of Boroondara, all parks and reserves and Parks Victoria, Yarra Bend Park
- Library: City of Boroondara, Kew Library hours and location
- Kew Junction: City of Boroondara and the Kew Junction traders’ directory
- Skinny Dog Hotel: skinnydoghotel.com.au, its history, Sunday roast and spring 2026 menu (PDF); also Kew Junction
- Axil Coffee: locations; also Kew Junction
- Noisette: noisette.com.au; also Kew Junction
- Cocoa Patisserie: cocoapatisserie.com.au; also Kew Junction
- Araliya: araliya.com.au; also Kew Junction
- Schools: Kew Primary School, Methodist Ladies’ College, Trinity Grammar School, Ruyton Girls’ School, Carey Baptist Grammar School
