Chinese culture, towers, white horse statue: How you know you’re from Box Hill
If you remember tossing coins in the fountains at Whitehorse Plaza, shopping at Taits corner store or hanging around the Box Hill Bowl you probably grew up in Box Hill. Check out our list to make sure.
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Predicted to have a more impressive skyline than Canberra or Hobart in a few years, it’s fair to say if you grew up in Box Hill you’ve seen the suburb change dramatically.
Now a bustling transport and foodie hub, the area was once a small town, home to horse-drawn carriages and Australia’s first electric tram.
Belinda Read runs the I grew up in Box Hill Facebook page and said she remembers when the roads were unmade, the area was surrounded by orchards and farms and milk was delivered by a horse and cart.
Her favourite memories include going to the old picture theatre on the corner of Watts St and Whitehorse Rd, which was pulled down in the early 1970s.
“We’d get together with a couple of neighbourhood kids, mum and dad would give us 10c or whatever it was, it wasn’t much money, but it would be enough to catch the bus, get into the pictures and maybe buy a box of Jaffas,” Ms Read said.
She also remembers eating at Hardy’s Hamburgers, a US-style restaurant around before McDonald’s that served hamburgers and thickshakes as well having ice cream at the Dairy Queen on Station St.
“A lot of people have memories of Dairy Queen … I remember the yummy smell, we used to go there as little kids, get an ice cream then go and sit in middle of the median strip and eat it, it was like a special treat.”
Ms Read said Box Hill used to have the vibe of a country town like Ballarat, and you could get everything you needed at the shops, and even pay your gas bill.
“If you wanted a pair of jeans, this was even pre-Doncaster Shoppingtown, you’d go up there, there was shoe shops, menswear and jeans shops,’’ she said.
“Brashs was out in the main street there so you could get records — really it had everything.
“It was a great place to grow up.
“We could run amok, as long as we were home by the time the street lights came on.
Here’s how you know you’re from Box Hill.
YOU HUNG OUT AT THE BOX HILL BOWL
The Box Hill Bowl was a major hangout for kids, according to Ms Read.
“It was a big bowling alley, and we used to all go there,” she said.
“I remember I was about 14 and we were allowed to go to the Box Hill Bowl on a Friday night as long as we were home by a certain time.
“They had pinball there and a little cafe as well.”
YOU REMEMBER WHEN THE STATION WAS ABOVE GROUND
Before the station went underground at Box Hill Central shopping centre, it used to sit above ground in a style similar to Camberwell station, according to Ms Read.
It was an old red brick building and had manual gates to let trains through.
“Running down under the station there used to be a passway that went past a little shoe shop, you would go down the subway-type thing to get into the station,” she said.
“And I remember one of the highlights was coming back (to Box Hill) because my grandparents lived in Richmond, you’d get off the train and run down and grab onto a pole, swing around that and go airborne — the things you do as kids.”
“In hindsight, when they did knock (the station) down and said we’re getting a flash new shopping centre (Box Hill Central) I remember at the time being happy, thinking we’re going to have this lovely new thing but now that I’m older, I think they should have kept (the original station).”
YOU CAUGHT THE BUS TO SHOPPINGTOWN
Many people who lived in Box Hill travelled down the road to do their shopping at Doncaster Shoppingtown. The centre opened in 1969, and shoppers recently shared their favourite memories to mark its 50th anniversary.
Sally-Ann Bentley said: “My nan used to take me, my six siblings and three cousins there in the late ‘60s and ‘70s during school holidays to watch the pantomimes. I remember as a four, five, six-year-old being so excited to spend that time all together”.
YOU’VE WATCHED THE SKYLINE GROW
It’s been hard to keep up with all the development in Box Hill over the years, as the suburb begins to transform into a mini-CBD, with several high-rise buildings and more on the way.
According to Whitehorse Council, Box Hill is designated as a Metropolitan Activity Centre under state policy Plan Melbourne, and is to be the focus of substantial development, growth and investment.
Recent developments include the Deague Group’s $330 million Whitehorse Towers project, which stands at 36 storeys. When it was built in 2017, the 115m development was the tallest building outside the CBD.
Located at 545 Station St, Sky One stands at 36 storeys and features residential apartments and retail and dining spaces.
Three new towers are on the way in the Trio Box Hill development on Whitehorse Rd, the former site of KFC and Spotlight.
A 25-storey, 42,000sq m commercial building in the heart of the town centre, next to Box Hill train station, is part of an ambitious new $683 million redevelopment plan for Box Hill Central unveiled by Vicinity Centres in May.
YOU’VE SPOTTED THE WHITE HORSE STATUE
Do you know how the City of Whitehorse got its name? It comes from a white horse statue which stood from 1895-1933 in front of the city’s first hotel. Today a memorial takes pride of place in the centre of Box Hill on Whitehorse Rd, opposite Box Hill Central, where the hotel once stood.
YOU REMEMBER THE FOUNTAINS AT WHITEHORSE PLAZA
Whitehorse Plaza, now known as Box Hill Central shopping centre, made a splash when it opened in 1974, with a fountain and Australia’s first moving walkways.
On Whitehorse Leader’s Facebook page Vanessa Crivelli shared her memories of the centre.
“Yes, remember behind the fountain Kmart and Coles and a takeaway store that mum used to get us kids a potato cake or hot chips,’ she said.
“Up the escalator there was Isidoro fruit shop, HBA, Lindcraft and a huge toy shop. Opposite this fountain was a walkway with Darrell Lea, toilets and newsagent on the corner, mum worked at Katies clothing.
“All us kids used to throw a coin from the escalator into the fountain. The fountain was turned into a stage during school holidays and we loved watching Daryl Somers perform.”
Sue-Ann Scott remembered a Roger David menswear store with a hairdresser behind the fountain. She said a Venture store was also originally on the top floor.
Belinda Smith said the rubber travelator was a new innovation where you could also take a shopping trolley.
“They were very springy to run on and more fun than an escalator,” she said
YOU’VE EATEN AMAZING FOOD
Box Hill is a foodie’s paradise, with no shortage of amazing Asian cuisine on offer, with favourites including Indochine Vietnamese Restaurant and Tien Dat, the first Vietnamese restaurant to open in Box Hill in 1983. Bubble tea and even cheese tea is also popular. Developer Golden Age has unveiled a $450 million plan to develop a new China Town for Box Hill. According to Whitehorse Council, more than a quarter of Box Hill residents were born in China (28.2 per cent). More than 100,000 people attend Box Hill’s annual celebration to mark Chinese New Year.
YOU TOOK YOUR CHILDREN TO A SHOW AT THE OXFORD THEATRE
The Oxford Hall used to hold live children’s theatre shows, with many sharing their memories on Whitehorse Leader’s Facebook page of attending the performances.
“I took my daughter there for a Christmas pantomime. She is nearly 32,” Luci Haberfield said.
Rebecca Elizabeth Gray said she remembered going to shows several times a year.
“We loved it as kids,” she said.
YOU BOUGHT LOLLIES AT THE TRAWOOL MILK BAR
The old-school milk bar served up treats for more than 50 years before closing last August.
It was the go-to spot for lollies, newspapers and milk.
Owner Lynn Song, who lived at the rear of the milk bar and ran it with her husband, told Whitehorse Leader they were forced to close because they were struggling to make enough money.
YOU’VE ADMIRED BOX HILL TOWN HALL
“Possessing a chaste beauty of appearance of old Grecian architecture, Box Hill’s new Town Hall … is a worth monument to Victoria’s Centenary.”
That was how The Reportersummed up the imposing town hall’s opening in 1935, according to an information history board at the site. Box Hill had been declared a city in 1925, having previously been part of the Shire of Nunawading.
This grand town hall symbolised Box Hill’s development from a small township clustered around a crossroads to a thriving city.
YOU’VE CHEERED ON THE BOX HILL HAWKS
In the year 2000 the Box Hill Mustangs established an alliance with the Hawthorn Football Club to form the Box Hill Hawks. Based at Box Hill City Oval, the Hawks have enjoyed premiership success, winning the VFL flag in 2001, 2013 and 2018. Famous past players include Sam Mitchell, who went on to become a four-time premiership player with Hawthorn.
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