Eaglemont
Eaglemont is a leafy residential suburb located 10 km north-east of Melbourne's Central Business District, within the City of Banyule local government area. At the 2021 census, Eaglemont recorded a population of 3,960.
Originally part of the Mount Eagle Estate, Eaglemont is situated between Ivanhoe East and Heidelberg. The area holds notable cultural and architectural significance, particularly for its association with the Heidelberg School of Australian Impressionism. In the late 1880s, artists such as Arthur Streeton, Tom Roberts, and Charles Conder painted while living at a camp on the Mount Eagle hillside. Streeton's Golden Summer, Eaglemont was painted here.
In 1915–16, American architects Walter Burley Griffin and Marion Mahony Griffin designed both the Mount Eagle and Glenard Estates using Garden Suburb principles, including curved streets, native planting, and internal parklands. Their urban design remains largely intact and is protected under local heritage overlays.
Eaglemont is within walking distance of private schools, the Yarra River, parks, and four nearby shopping precincts: , Ivanhoe Village, , and the Burgundy Street retail strip in Heidelberg. It also borders Yarra Bend Park and includes access to the Yarra Bend public golf course.
Eaglemont remains tightly held, with few properties up for sale. Its median house prices are among the highest in Melbourne, and recent data shows Eaglemont ranked fourth for median price growth among Melbourne's prestige suburbs with a median above $2 million in the five years to March 2025, rising 24.5 per cent to $2,428,250. The suburb's strong performance has been attributed to its exclusivity, low property turnover, and enduring appeal to affluent families, including many medical professionals drawn to its proximity to Austin Hospital. Homes in Eaglemont are tightly held and often spark fierce competition when listed, adding further upward pressure on prices.
Geography
Eaglemont covers an area of approximately 1.9 km2, and lies at an elevation averaging 53 metres above sea level.Topographically, Eaglemont includes elevated ridges and hilltops, particularly around the Mount Eagle Estate, which afford views over adjacent suburbs and towards the city. Soil and vegetation are typical of Melbourne's inner-northeastern hillside suburbs, with many trees, mature gardens, and lot sizes that allow for substantial greenery.
The suburb is bordered by Heidelberg to the north, Ivanhoe to the west and south-west, Ivanhoe East to the south, and Kew East and Bulleen to the east. Major roads demarcate many of these borders.
Nearby natural features include the Yarra River and the Yarra Flats Park to the south-east, which provide recreation, vegetation corridors, and contribute to the suburb's leafy character.
Eaglemont is part of Banyule City Council's South Precinct and sits between two important local centres: the Ivanhoe Major Activity Centre and the Ivanhoe East Neighbourhood Activity Centre. The suburb benefits from access to regional open spaces, established community infrastructure, and active transport routes connecting to nearby rail, bus, and bicycle networks.
A historic walking trail called the "Eaglemont Historic Homestead Walk" allows residents and visitors to explore the suburb's heritage-listed houses and early architectural styles set within its bushland environment.
Demography
At the 2021 census, Eaglemont recorded a population of 3,960 people. The median age of residents was 46 years, which is higher than the national median of 38, reflecting the suburb's appeal to more established households. Children aged 0–14 years made up 16.4% of the population, while 22.5% were aged 65 years and over.The vast majority of dwellings were separate houses, with 80.4% of homes owner-occupied, underlining the suburb's low density and long-term residential character. The average household size was 2.7 people, and the median weekly household income was $2,866—significantly above the state average.
The majority of residents were Australian-born, with other common countries of birth including England, Italy, China, India, and Malaysia. The most common ancestries were English, Australian, Irish, Scottish, and Italian. English was the only language spoken at home by 78.3% of residents. The most common religious affiliations were No Religion, Catholic, and Anglican.
English was the only language spoken at home by 77.7% of residents. Other languages spoken at home included Italian, Greek, Mandarin, Cantonese, and Arabic.
The suburb is notable for a high proportion of professionals and medical specialists, many of whom are drawn to Eaglemont's proximity to the Austin Hospital and its leafy residential environment. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $3,073, indicative of its status as a high-value real estate area.
History
The name “Eaglemont” is believed to derive from “Mount Eagle,” a Crown Grant property acquired in 1838 by Thomas Walker, originally part of the area that later became Eaglemont.Two properties were built in the area in the 1840s; "Leighton" was built by the Bolden brothers, while "Hartlands" was built by novelist S.J. Browne. "Hartlands" was located on the elevated region known as Mount Eagle and was subdivided in 1853. The area remained agricultural, apart from a large house and gardens, named "Mount Eagle", built in the late 1850s by parliamentarian J.H. Brooke.
During the land boom of the 1880s, the "Mount Eagle" and "Leighton" properties were bought by a syndicate and subdivided. The area was named Mount Eagle Estate. The "Mount Eagle" property failed to sell and remained vacant until 1888 when it was made available to a group of artists. This group became known as the Heidelberg School, and included Tom Roberts, Arthur Streeton, Charles Conder, and Frederick McCubbin.
In 1915 Walter Burley Griffin and Marion Mahony Griffin were commissioned to design a subdivision in the Mount Eagle Estate. The design incorporated curving streets that followed the contours of the land and private parklands, exemplifying a garden suburb layout. In 1916 they designed the nearby Glenard Estate using similar principles. The Griffins designed several houses in the area and later became residents of Eaglemont, living at 23 Glenard Drive in the small Knitlock house 'Pholiota'. They lived alongside the house of Walter's brother-in-law Roy Lippincott at number 21.
The Griffin-planned subdivisions set the stage for the later development of the Ivanhoe Views Estate, a precinct south of Mount Eagle that emerged in the interwar period. Located adjacent to the Eaglemont railway station and shopping centre, the estate is recognised for its garden suburb character, featuring a consistent streetscape of single-storey homes in the English Domestic Revival, Spanish Mission, and Californian Bungalow styles. Ivanhoe Views Estate is now included in the Victorian Heritage Database for its cultural and aesthetic significance, with original low front fences, mature gardens, and intact architectural detailing throughout.
Eaglemont Post Office opened on 14 October 1929, three and a half years after the opening of the railway station in May 1926.
Heritage and architecture
Eaglemont is architecturally significant for its early garden suburb planning, Arts and Crafts design principles, and intact housing stock from the early 20th century.The suburb includes three notable residential subdivisions that reflect different phases in the development of suburban design in Australia: the Mount Eagle Estate, Glenard Estate, and Ivanhoe Views Estate.
Mount Eagle and Glenard Estates
The Mount Eagle and Glenard estates were both planned by architects Walter Burley Griffin and Marion Mahony Griffin. Their design approach featured curved street layouts following the land's topography, integration of communal green spaces, and open front gardens without high fences, in keeping with the garden suburb philosophy.The Mount Eagle Estate includes several Arts and Crafts-style dwellings set among mature gardens. Mount Eagle Road is a key example of the estate's character, noted for its elevated sites, canopy trees, and visual cohesion.
The Glenard Estate, adjacent to Mount Eagle, also incorporates curvilinear streets and native landscaping. Many homes retain features such as Knitlock brickwork, timber porches, and detailing characteristic of the Griffin and Lippincott influence. Glenard Drive is the principal street of the estate. The Griffins themselves lived at 23 Glenard Drive in a small Knitlock house named Pholiota, located next to the home of fellow architect Roy Lippincott.
Ivanhoe Views Estate
South of the Griffin-planned areas lies the Ivanhoe Views Estate, developed primarily during the interwar period. This precinct features detached houses in styles such as English Domestic Revival, Spanish Mission, and Californian Bungalow. Key streets retain low front fences, mature gardens, and consistent architectural detailing including hipped terracotta roofs and clinker brick façades.Charlton Road is a particularly intact example from the estate, recognised for its elevated garden settings, architectural cohesion, and high streetscape integrity. Its location near the estate's high point offers sweeping views and well-preserved examples of the Old English revival style. The Ivanhoe Views Estate is listed on the Victorian Heritage Database for its cultural and aesthetic significance, and for demonstrating the suburban ideals of the interwar period.
Transport
Eaglemont is served by the Hurstbridge railway line, with Eaglemont railway station located on Sherwood Road. The station, which opened on 1 May 1926, is unstaffed and unmodernised. It offers parking and bicycle facilities, but has no toilets, no lifts, and no customer service booth.Eaglemont also has access to several key road corridors. Lower Heidelberg Road runs along its southern boundary, providing access westward to Heidelberg and eastward to Ivanhoe East and Bulleen. Banksia Street and Burgundy Street offer connections to the Eastern Freeway and Bell Street arterial corridors.
The suburb features several walking and cycling routes. The Main Yarra Trail passes through nearby Yarra Flats Park and connects Eaglemont to the city and outer northeastern suburbs via a dedicated shared path. Other informal paths follow the Darebin Creek and parklands, promoting active transport and recreation.
While Eaglemont has no local bus routes connecting the Eaglemont Railway Station, nearby stops on Burke Road, Lower Heidelberg Road, and Burgundy Street provide services linking Heidelberg, Ivanhoe, Doncaster, and surrounding suburbs.