Upwey offers several distinct reasons to stay: the trails of Glenfern Valley Bushlands, the range of goods at the Upwey Community Market, and art and events at Burrinja Cultural Centre. The area also has a history in which its present-day name developed through several stages. If you’re looking for accommodation in Upwey, you can start by considering whether nature, culture, a visit to the market or the area’s history best suits your reason for travelling.

Walking through Glenfern Valley Bushlands

At Glenfern Valley Bushlands, you can explore the 100 acres on foot, choosing a large circuit or a figure-eight route. Several trails connect, and some are steep. Two things are therefore worth considering when planning: which route you’d like to take and how to account for the inclines. Check current conditions before your visit.

Wildlife in the area includes koalas, numerous bird species and butterflies. For nature lovers, this offers another way to experience Glenfern Valley Bushlands, alongside the question of which route to take.

What’s on offer at the Upwey Community Market

Fresh produce, baked goods and food sit alongside dog treats, plants, knick-knacks and a wide selection of handmade items. The range goes beyond food, bringing together very different categories of goods. The specific selection matters when planning a market visit: it can vary from one market day to the next. If you’re looking for a particular type of product, keep this variability in mind when planning.

Art and events at Burrinja

Burrinja Cultural Centre offers a very different focus: visual art, original theatre, live comedy and live music. The specific exhibitions and performances vary, so check what’s currently on before planning a visit around a particular event. Choosing this cultural stop depends not only on your general interest in art or music, but also on which specific event might appeal to you on a particular date.

How Upwey got its name

Upwey was originally known as “Mast Gully”. The name dates back to several ship masts being felled there in the 1850s. In 1897, the Tullidge sisters bought a homestead and named it after the English village of “Upwey on the River Wey”. When the narrow-gauge railway from Upper Ferntree Gully to Gembrook opened in 1900, a station called Upwey was established along the route; the name was adopted locally. This sequence distinguishes three roles in the area’s history: Mast Gully as its earlier name, the homestead as a property named after the English village, and the station as the place where the name took hold locally. This makes it possible to trace the present-day name through its historical stages rather than attribute it to a single event.

Different priorities, different planning

If you’re weighing up nature, the market and culture for your stay, each involves different planning considerations: in the bushland, the route and steep sections matter; at Burrinja, it’s the specific programme; and at the market, the changing selection of goods. The options differ not only by interest, but also in the details you should check before visiting.

Discover more destinations: Werribee, Walhalla, Panton Hill, Kyabram, Aireys Inlet, Eildon, Kangaroo Flat, Caveat.

For the broader travel overview: Victoria.