Berwick () is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, south-east of Melbourne's central business district, located within the City of Casey local government area. Berwick recorded a population of 50,298 at the 2021 census.
It was named by an early leaseholder, Robert Gardiner, after his birthplace, Berwick-on-Tweed in Northumberland.
History
The town of Berwick was originally part of the Cardinia Creek run. Subdivision started in 1854 and a store, post office, hotel and other businesses were established. Wheat, barley and potatoes were grown, with a flour mill operating for several years. Dairy farming and cheese making later became the main activities. The Berwick Agricultural Society, originally started in 1848 as the Mornington Farmers' Society, is one of the oldest farmers' societies in Victoria.
The area grew with the construction of a coach road between Melbourne and the Gippsland region, the Post Office opening on 18 September 1858.
A quarry opened in 1859 to supply ballast for the railway line along the same route, which opened in 1877, and a spur line was constructed to Berwick railway station to transport the metal. The site of the quarry is now occupied by Wilson Botanic Park. From 1861 until 1902, Berwick was also the headquarters of the Shire of Berwick, originally formed as the Berwick Roads Board.
Poplar trees lining the High Street and on into Beaconsfield were planted as an Avenue of Honour to commemorate the fallen in the First World War. Originally name plaques were supposed to have been mounted at the foot of each tree but this was never carried out, despite the plaques being produced.
Late in the 20th century Melbourne sprawled eastward to Berwick. The surrounding rural land was subdivided becoming a popular destination for first home buyers with the population exploding with new housing developments from the 1990s to the 2000s. Some of the character of the original township has remained.
The Berwick Inn
The Berwick Inn on the corner of High Street and Lyall Road, was licensed at Berwick in 1857 as the Border Hotel. The original one-storey section is now the bar. The two-storey section was added in 1877 as the railway approached. The western section was built later in the century. The first licensee was Robert Bain who owned the town's first store and post office and donated the land on which the shire hall was later built.
The Border Hotel was an important local centre in the early days. Aside from being the first pub on the townsite it was also a stopping place for coaches en route to Gippsland, as it involved climbing the hill in Berwick the horses were watered and rested then they stopped at Beaconsfield over the hill to rest after the climb and descent. Bain was the first secretary of the Berwick Roads Board and its initial meetings were held at the hotel from 1862 to 1865. The first local police court was held at the hotel in 1865 and it also served as a licensing court.
The Talia Inn was awarded 'Restaurant of the Year' in 2021.
Demographics
In the 2016 Census, there were 47,674 people in Berwick. 65.4% of people were born in Australia. The next most common countries of birth were England 4.6%, India 3.5%, Sri Lanka 3.1%, China 2.0% and New Zealand 1.8%. 73.3% of people only spoke English at home. Other languages spoken at home included Mandarin 3.0%, Sinhalese 2.8%, Hindi 1.0%, Italian 0.9% and Arabic 0.9%. The most common responses for religion were No Religion 29.3%, Catholic 25.8% and Anglican 10.6%.
Berwick's census populations have been 60 (1861), 636 (1891), 887 (1954), 25,461, (2001), 36,420 (2006), 44,779 (2011) and 47,674 (2016).
Education
The town's first school, Berwick Primary, was originally established in an old shepherd's hut near the old Berwick hospital in 1857. It was the first school in the south eastern area and school number 40 in Victoria. School buildings were later built on a parcel of land abutting Lyall Rd, between Peel Street and Brisbane Street. The school operated from this site until 2003 when a new school was built in Fairholme Boulevard. Subsequently, the Peel Street site was redeveloped as Pioneer Park, a community open space. The original school buildings were retained during the redevelopment and now operate as a restaurant. Berwick Primary is the only school in Berwick that is using International Baccalaureate Curriculum.