How Mulgrave was built
Farms until after the war
Mulgrave stayed farmland well into the post-war years. Estates followed, like the one Victorian Places shows at Kambara Drive in 1972.
Brick by design
In 1949 the Shire of Mulgrave allowed only brick, stone, concrete and brick veneer walls in a few areas, and in 1951 it adopted the uniform building regulations. Monash's heritage history says double and triple-fronted brick veneer houses dominated by the early 1960s, and AV Jennings was Waverley's biggest project builder.
Bigger houses further east
Average house size grew as building moved east of Springvale Road in the late 1960s. Today 52.3% of Mulgrave homes have three bedrooms and 40.6% have four or more.
Waverley Park
Mirvac has been turning the former football ground into housing since 2002, keeping parts of the heritage-listed grandstand and oval. Victorian Places notes the area gets more rain than central Melbourne.
Two kinds of Mulgrave roof
| 1950s to 1970s homes | Waverley Park and newer infill | |
|---|---|---|
| Typical issues | Ridge mortar letting go, cracked tiles, tired valleys and gutters | Flashings, gutters and box gutters, and any defects left from the build |
| First call | A roofer, for an inspection or repair | Your builder, in writing, if the home is recent |
| Worth reading | Roof restoration in Melbourne | Roof plumbing in Melbourne |
Thinking of swapping tiles for Colorbond?
The City of Monash says like-for-like repairs don't need a building permit, but replacing tiles with Colorbond isn't like-for-like and does. Swapping old corrugated iron for Colorbond is treated as like-for-like.
On a large Mulgrave house the roof area, the number of hips and valleys, and the permit all add up, so ask for an itemised quote. Our tile to Colorbond guide explains the trade-offs.
Our take for Mulgrave
On an original brick veneer home, a restoration is often the sensible step if the tiles are sound, and it avoids the permit Monash wants for a switch to Colorbond. On a newer Waverley Park home, we'd raise any defect with the builder before calling anyone else.
Want a roofer to take a look?
Tell us the job and your postcode. We match it with a Find My Roofer certified roofer who specialises in that kind of work, and they call you to quote. Your number goes to them alone.


