The History of Croydon, Victoria, Australia

Croydon is a town in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia situated approximately 28 km east of Melbourne's main business area. It carries a populace of just about 27,000 individuals. The land that became Croydon was initially utilized during the 1840’s by settlers for grazing of farm animals. The main road through the region was named Sawmill road as a result of sawmill nearby. Later it had been changed to Oxford Road and in the 1900’s that it was modified as to what it is known today as Mt Dandenong Road. The region itself was initially known as White Flats since the place was heavily filled by a rough silvery-white type grass. The name of Croydon was presented to it by the Lacey family that originated from Esse, England who named it after the Croydon in the UK that was Mrs. Lacey's home town. Close to the present Main St shopping area is a road named after the Lacey family.

Packages of property in the region were initially mapped in 1868 and also the area was first formally habituated with the location specializing in the farming of sheep, dairy and beef. There have been also some sawmills set up. After that, there were orchards that included cherries, apples, pears, peaches along with plums that flourished. A number of the current street names in and around Croydon now echo that earlier uses of the area.. In 1874 Cobb & Co commenced services through horses and buggies to the region. A rail track to the place was opened up on 1 December 1882 and the rail station was called Warrandyte which was not actually in Warrandyte that was confusing as that area would be a horse and coach ride 10km away. On 1 August 1884 it was redubbed to be referred to as the Croydon train stop. In the mid-1880s Mr James Hewish built his homestead and started a number of other small business ventures that involved a general shop, news agency, butchers store as well as a hotel. He also established several orchard trees. The Croydon Postal Service was opened on 1 December 1883. The nearby Nelson's Hill Post Office launched in 1902 and it was subsequently rebranded Burnt Bridge in 1979. In Mt Dandenong Road in 1908 Croydon Hall was built. It was finally declared and gazetted as being a city in 1912.

In 1920 a Monday market was began in Croydon which included livestock, chickens, birds as well as other small animals. It became a noted landmark in the region and a popular assembly place for locals from adjoining suburbs prior to the site was redeveloped in the 80s. The market was finally closed down in 2012. For local government purposes, Croydon was at first an important part of what was then the Shire of Lillydale, but in 1957 a request was published by authorities for Croydon to go out of the Shire of Lillydale and become its very own regulating enterprise. The City and Shire of Croydon was incorporated in May 1961 and was proclaimed as a City in 1971. Later, it was combined, along with the City of Ringwood being the City of Maroondah in 1994. At this time, the Main Street of Croydon is a thriving area heart that has nearly 200 store.