My suburb has its own unofficial suburb – with a completely different vibe

2 months ago 15

Opinion

December 22, 2025 — 7.00pm

Growing up in Rowville, a place that desperately lacks public transport, there was an obvious non-negotiable for me when it came to moving out of home. The first thing I did was pull out a map and draw a ring around the Metro train lines, highlighting the stations less than an hour from the city.

I then narrowed my search to suburbs that were within a 10-minute drive of those stations, but not too far from where I was raised. And that’s how I discovered Narre Warren South.

My husband had grown up in nearby Endeavour Hills and we’d shopped or gone to the movies at Fountain Gate Shopping Centre in Narre Warren countless times, so the area wasn’t entirely unfamiliar. Narre Warren South seemed like the younger, safer, fresher cousin of Narre Warren, more suburban than industrial, more affordable than where we’d grown up.

My first step was a rental tucked in a quiet enclave between the swamplands of the Hallam Main Drain and the sprawling acre blocks along Shrives Road. About two years later, my husband and I bought our first home just off Pound Road – a modest three-bedroom, one-bathroom house that fit our budget perfectly. We’ve stayed in the area since, raising our young family here.

The name has a Boonwurrung origin, though whether Narre Warren means “small hills”, “red earth” or “no good water” is disputed. The full name of my suburb is a bit of a mouthful, so it is affectionately nicknamed Narre South. It is split down the middle by the not-so-creatively named Narre Warren-Cranbourne Road. On the western side (my side), you’ll find a vibrant mix: original farming families on large blocks hoping to subdivide, recent migrants and young families drawn by affordable housing and green spaces, and renters doing it tough.

The eastern side has a different vibe. Residents around what was Berwick Springs Lake prefer to think of themselves as living in the suburb of Berwick Springs, even though such a place doesn’t officially exist. When the lake was renamed Guru Nanak Lake in 2024 after the founder of Sikhism, many of them were not happy, to put it mildly. Protest signs went up everywhere, while others took it upon themselves to take them down, revealing just how fiercely proud these locals are of their unofficial suburb.

One of the best things about Narre South is the green spaces, wetlands, and walking tracks. The River Gum Valley trail (when it’s not flooded) and the hills of Pound Road are popular with runners and cyclists. During the summer months, the parks come alive. Families gather until late, children fill the playgrounds, and couples stroll with prams at dusk. These public spaces are more than recreational – they’re community hubs.

Of course, not everything is idyllic. Illegal dirt bikes tearing through wetlands and the occasional burned-out stolen car near the dog park remind us of the suburb’s rougher edges.

The Casey Crime Page on Facebook paints a dramatic picture, but the reality is more nuanced – a mix of safety, growth, and grit. A complaint on the page about a car doing burn-outs could be balanced by a group of young teens using gym equipment at the park or a group of immigrant dads playing an unofficial game of cricket in an open space.

The young kids walking the streets after school aren’t “looking for trouble” – they feel safe enough to move around peacefully, as they get themselves home from school because mum and dad are working. Last week, two roughhousing boys bumped into me at the shops, and their distraught apologies of “So sorry, Miss! You dummy, say sorry,” warmed my heart.

That isn’t what seems to make the headlines, though – the more you follow the crime pages, the more your perception of crime in the area seems to grow. But turning off the screens and looking around the area, there’s a lot more to Narre South.

The true heart of Narre South, just up the road from the train station and Westfield Fountain Gate, is Amberly Park Drive. This humble shopping strip is home to a local IGA, Paul Sadler Swimland (where half the suburb’s kids learn to swim), and a string of shops, including a hidden gem, Indian restaurant Arya.

At 3pm on weekdays, the area transforms as students from Narre Warren South P-12 College flood in, buying snacks at the IGA and waiting to catch the bus or be picked up. The P-12 is one of Victoria’s largest and most tightly zoned public schools, but it’s also one of the most diverse, with numerous programs and wellbeing services that a smaller school would struggle to provide.

The local CFA crew is another pillar of the community. I met them under tragic circumstances in 2016 when our original home burned down. Their swift response saved precious belongings – and one of our pets. More recently, they protected the Amberly Park shops after a fire at the Ocean Bites fish and chip shop.

After a decade, a house fire, a rebuild, and three children, we still ask ourselves: will we stay in Narre Warren South forever? The green spaces, train access, and local shops that drew us here remain. Our children have grown up attending the local childcare centre, forming close bonds with educators who are also part of the community.

When my eldest started at the P-12 school, he was the only one from his kinder to attend. Other parents quietly asked if I was happy with the choice. Many opted for private or religious schools, perhaps influenced by the school’s reputation or its diverse student body. Prep induction sessions are held in both English and Dari, reflecting the suburb’s multicultural make-up. While language barriers can make play dates tricky, the kids themselves don’t seem to notice – except for a shared love of soccer over AFL.

I often think back to the communities my husband and I grew up in – where parents knew each other at the school gate, kids rode bikes between homes, and mums volunteered in the canteen. Narre South is different, but not lesser. The CFA, weekly Parkrun, and families gathering at sunset show that community here is alive and well – just in a new form.

So for now, we’re staying put. And we’re looking forward to discovering even more of what Narre Warren South has to offer as our children grow.

Jess Burke is a marketing advisor raising three kids with her husband in Narre Warren South.