I was warned about our suburb. Then we accidentally moved here

On the map of Melbourne’s suburbs by nickname, my suburb is listed as The Bashin’ and The Sink, right next door to Feral Tree Gully. I’ve never seen a tree go feral; nevertheless, the nicknames for The Basin are funny but don’t really represent the area well. I usually hear birds calling rather than gurgling sinks.

Our move here was accidental. When looking for homes out east, I saw the listing, not knowing much about The Basin and not having any expectations. My husband, who knew the area well, warned me: “If you look at that house, you’ll want to live there.” He was right. At the inspection, we stood out on the house’s balcony, seduced by the view out to the Yarra Valley. We did want to live there. We even forgot to look at the rest of the house properly!

It is still the most scenic place to wake up to every morning. So beautiful that even on Melbourne’s most miserable days, the romantic foggy view, which reminds me of classical Chinese paintings of mountains, makes the cold bearable.

In the foothills of Mount Corhanwarrabul, aka the Dandenong Ranges, The Basin is a peri-urban suburb, 31 kilometres from central Melbourne on its eastern edge. It is flatter on one side, resembling a more typically neat suburban residential area, while the other side is hilly and bushy – forest, paddocks and a little bit of suburbia all rolled into one. It’s the only suburb I’m aware of whose community newspaper has a page-three “bird of the week” – in this case, the column detailing a different local bird species. There’s more than a birdwatcher or two about here!

It is a quiet neighbourhood. The light noticeably changes through the seasons – as we enter winter, I love the golden light through the treetops as the sun sets. It’s a place full of non-pet visitors; birds, wallabies, possums, echidnas and ducks, who regularly come by to say hello.

The Dandenong and Dobsons creeks run through the suburb, an area that has sustained the traditional Wurundjeri owners for many generations. The descriptive name dates back to around 1860, when Ferdinand von Mueller, the first botanist of the Royal Botanic Gardens, described the area as a basin surrounded by hills.

As a local, I am also a city watcher, someone who loves a good suburban safari. Having lived in many different places, such as Glenroy, Richmond, Brunswick, and various suburbs in Sydney, The Basin is, like the best suburbs, a world within a place. With fewer than 5000 residents, it’s a bit of a secret. Most people have never heard of it, but those who have, are awed by the natural beauty. At the foothills of the mountains, it is considered “bush suburbia” and not a township like Olinda and Sassafras further up the mountain.

Rules on the number of dwellings on a block and building heights remain strict in attempts to preserve the natural bush character. Many residents were recently concerned a solar farm at the Salvation Army property would detract from the area’s natural beauty, but the panels have gone in without any trouble. Once people move here, they seem to stick around, though there has been some pressure on the primary school in recent years after the arrival of more new young families.

Among the trees, you’ll find a main shopping strip with a village feel, including three cafes, a greengrocer, bakery, an organic butcher, hairdresser, bookshop, bottle-o and heritage post office. We have our favourite caffeinating spot, Svaks, where I relax by reading the morning paper. With their quirky collection of Elvis paraphernalia, the owners always have time for a chat and make the best croissants.

Opposite is the Basin Triangle – a park with playground and community facilities that hosts the annual Basin Music Festival and occasional public art projects. The Basin strip is popular with cyclists, who make their way up Mountain Highway, a 1:20 grade road, also amusingly adopted as the name of the cafe on the corner.

For a relatively sleepy place, The Basin is well serviced for night activities with a strip of bars. I recommend The Peacock Den in particular. During election time, The Basin is also a place where politicians are so beloved that their heads are often cut out of any campaign posters. Perhaps locals love them so much that they desire their portraits for their pool room.

Each April, a colourful spectacle comes to The Basin when Lord Ganesha, the golden elephant-headed god known as Lord of the People, is carried on a chariot through the streets. It is centred on Victoria’s oldest Hindu temple, the Sri Vakrathunda Vinayagar Hindu Temple, which sits in the middle of The Basin, near the main roundabout. The festival is intended to bring the qualities of intellectual strength, adaptability, efficiency, blessings, good luck and triumph over adversity to our community.

Being on the edge of the Dandenongs, there are numerous places to immerse yourself in the outdoors, such as Doongalla Forest and Wicks Reserve. Just across the border in Boronia is the Liverpool Road Retarding Basin, also a favourite walking spot, especially for dog owners, with a flat gravel walking track around a lake and mountain views. This body of water was created by Melbourne Water in 1972 to collect the excess water off the mountains and limit flooding. It now supports an abundance of local flora and fauna.

I have no regrets about moving to this serene neighbourhood. If you’re missing suburban dross, Boronia is only five minutes away with all the conveniences of supermarkets, shops, medical services and the train station. In The Basin, you can feel so far away, yet so close.

Tammy Wong Hulbert is an artist, curator and academic. An exhibition she is part of, ngarrak-al marram-u / body of the mountain is showing at the Burrinja Cultural Centre until July 13.

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