My suburb has panoramic views: ‘You can see the whole world!’

Doncaster is often thought of as a nice, middle-class suburb, a bit out of the way. When we settled here, it was very English and European, but much has changed. In particular, it is popular with migrants from China and Malaysia. It also has an older demographic now, which perhaps forced several school mergers and closures.

The local shopping strips have evolved from the butcher, the baker, the fruiterer, the shoe shop into cafes and restaurants, with a variety of cuisines: Italian, Greek, Chinese, Thai, Vietnamese, Iranian, Indian, as well as fish and chips, and fusion – a bit of everything. Good coffee is everywhere.

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Of all the places in Melbourne, it is my unlikely suburb of Doncaster that boasts Tram Road. It was the route of Australia’s first electric tram, which in 1889 used what was then new technology to carry tourists about 3.5 kilometres up through paddocks from the market town of Box Hill to a hotel and viewing tower at what later became Shoppingtown. Sadly the tram route failed to be profitable and closed after just seven years, leaving Doncaster with a Tram Road and no trams. After the freeway’s construction, we were told for years to expect a Doncaster railway up the middle, but it never eventuated.

One of Doncaster’s great attractions remains Ruffey Lake Park – a 68-hectare park along its northeast edge, with waterways, wetlands, bushland and open space, playgrounds, and exercise stations. It is the breathing heart of Doncaster and Doncaster East, a wonderful place to just walk and chill out, away from our busy lives. At the end of COVID, as some restrictions eased, the park came alive with family gatherings (socially distanced) in the open air. It remains popular for kids’ parties, barbecues and the like. Not far to the north, Doncaster residents also enjoy Westerfolds Park, over 120 hectares of recreational and environmental parkland where you can picnic, cycle, canoe, jog and walk, along with spotting wildlife and birdwatching.

And in case you were wondering, Doncaster isn’t Donvale, a suburb to the east. There is some occasional confusion. Last year Donvale Bowls Club was the recipient of a million-dollar bequest from a gentleman who was a lifelong member of Doncaster Bowls Club, and had visited Donvale just once. Was it a mistake? A deliberate snub? We will never know – a mystery of the rival Dons worthy of Agatha Christie.

Louise Kloot is a retired researcher and professor of accounting.

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