AUBURN VILLAGE

ABOUT

Auburn Village is a hidden, historical gem located in the heart of Hawthorn, Victoria.​​ Heralded as the oldest shopping village in Melbourne, this area was originally called Red Gum Flat. It was highly regarded for brick and pottery products.​

Today, the horse and carts have been replaced with bustling traffic as the popularity of this area increases. Auburn Village comprises of many unique shops including hospitality venues, clothing, hairdressers, jewellers, florists and home improvement stores to name a few.​

It is conveniently located in between Glenferrie Road and Camberwell making it the perfect spot to stroll and admire the beautiful, heritage listed buildings along the way.

This website is dedicated to enriching your overall shopping experience and to provide the retailers the opportunity to promote and enhance their businesses.

We look forward to seeing you in Auburn Village

Since 1850

Our History

How it all started

Auburn Village emerged as one of the significant shopping centers in Hawthorn during the late 19th century. Hawthorn was initially a small township on the rural-urban fringe of Melbourne that experienced rapid development from the 1840s. In 1860, Hawthorn was declared a Municipality, leading to improvements in roads and essential services, including the extension of the Yan Yean water supply in 1865, which boosted development. The most significant development in Hawthorn was the arrival of the railway in 1861, which led to the establishment of small shops in and near Hawthorn Village Reserve.

Hawthorn’s three major shopping centers- Glenferrie Road, Auburn Road, and Burke Road- had their origins in the 1850s on a small scale. However, significant growth and development did not occur until the 1880s and 1890s. The development of all three shopping centers was centered around existing small clusters of shops and prompted by dramatic residential subdivision in Hawthorn following the 1880s Land Boom, and particularly the extension of the railway line to Lilydale in 1882 and the opening of new stations at Glenferrie and Auburn.

Auburn Road was established as a Government Road as early as 1850 extending from Barkers Road to Gardiners Creek. By the 1870s, a small number of timber shops were around the intersection of Auburn and Burwood Roads. With the opening of the new station in 1882, most of the early buildings in Auburn Road were replaced by imposing new brick shop rows in the wake of the development boom that followed over the next decade.

By 1891, almost the whole of Auburn Road between Victoria Street and Burwood Road had been developed for elaborately designed shop rows. Most were two stories, but two notable exceptions were three stories and were designed in similar style by architect, John Beswicke, who also designed the Hawthorn Town Hall. The north end of the Village was defined by the imposing three-story Auburn Hotel, designed by noted hotel architect, William Woolf and constructed in 1888 for publican Robert GW Allan. By 1891, there were approximately 40 shops on Auburn Road, between Burwood Road and Victoria Street.

Meanwhile, Burwood Road was an important thoroughfare out of Melbourne, with a number of factories located along it. Auburn Baptist Church, established by 1866 and extended in 1890, was one of the earliest buildings on Burwood Road. In 1887, Abraham Stoddart’s pharmacy was established on the northwest corner of Auburn Road, which was advertised as the “leading pharmaceutical and dispensing establishment in the district.” Murphy Bros. Grain Merchants established their first store in the district in 1888 before opening a new store in 1906 on a site diagonally opposite Stoddart’s.

Historians conclude that Auburn Village was deliberately developed in a grand manner with highly detailed three-story Victorian shops on Auburn Road reflecting the nearby elaborate residences, with the intention of attracting shoppers from “Camberwell, Box Hill, and beyond”. However, the Depression heavily impacted Auburn Village, and many shops remained empty through the 1890s. During the 1930s, as the Depression hit hard, many of the area’s mansions were deserted, and many Auburn Village shops again stood empty. Consequently, the importance of Auburn Road as a commercial center diminished, and Glenferrie Road became the pre-eminent center in Hawthorn, only rivalled by Burke Road and Camberwell Junction.

It’s interesting to see how Auburn Village has evolved over time, with little new development during the 20th century apart from some infill and redevelopment of certain sites. The electrification of the railway in 1916 was a major exception, resulting in the construction of a new bridge over Auburn Road and an impressive new station complex with shops facing Auburn Road. Today, the village offers a diverse range of businesses catering to both local needs and a wider clientele, including cafes, gift shops, beauty salons, architects, mobile phone dealers, opportunity shops, take-away food, bridal and evening wear, galleries, wood turners, and a pet store. It’s also interesting to note that while the use of many places has changed over time, some places such as the chemist at the northwest corner of Burwood Road, the Murphy Bros. Grain Store, and Chalmers Hardware continue to operate on the same site with a tradition of use that has existed for over a hundred years or more.

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