Rosstown Railway Heritage Trail Walk (9km)

Rosstown Railway Heritage Trail is a 9 kilometre grade 2 walk in Melbourne’s south, usually taking around three hours. It follows the footprint of the long vanished Rosstown Railway, a private line built in the 1880s by entrepreneur William Murray Ross. His ambitious plan to shape an entire new suburb never reached its mark, and most of the line was eventually absorbed into the expanding street network. What remains today is a curious mix of quiet roads, shared paths and scattered hints of the original route, creating a gentle and engaging urban walk.

Although much of the trail follows suburban streets, the sense of history is still easy to spot. Signs appear at intervals to guide you along the old alignment, and the lone off road multi use path west of Grange Road offers a brief reminder of what the railway once was. The trail works well for walkers and cyclists, and both ends are served by suburban train stations that allow bicycles.

Setting out from Elsternwick, the route slips through the calm edges of Elsternwick Railway Park and into the neighbourhood streets. You pass the former site of Garden Vale Station and weave toward Princes Park, where a wetland was converted into a landfill after the railway closed. Dover Street now sits on the old embankment, created with fill from the Bambra Hill cutting that was later filled again. This stretch leads into the broad open space of Curraweena Park, marking the start of the largest surviving section of railway reserve. A separate walking path runs along the northern edge, with E. E. Gunn Reserve not far ahead. It is a handy rest point with play areas, picnic spots and toilets.

From Ormond, the story of Ross’s grand idea becomes part of the experience. He built a sizeable underpass beneath the Frankston Line, designed for four tracks that never appeared. Today it easily fits both the road and the trail’s shared path. A long run along Oakleigh Road follows before you turn into Koornang Road, tracing the gentle kink in the alignment that once led to Ross’s sugar beet factory. Short breaks in the quiet green pockets of Rosanna Street Reserve lead you into a wide curve on Murrumbeena Crescent. From here you can make a short detour to Hughesdale Station or continue via Freda Street to Galbally Reserve, where the heritage route meets the Djerring Trail and rolls on toward Oakleigh Station. Both Oakleigh and Hughesdale offer plenty of parking if you are beginning at this end.

The trail also links neatly with several other popular shared paths. The Elwood Elster Canal Path leads west toward the Bay Trail, while the Anniversary Outer Circle Trail can be reached from Hughesdale and followed north toward Fairfield. The Djerring Trail threads through Oakleigh, taking you northwest to Caulfield or southeast to Yarraman. Together, these paths turn the Rosstown Railway Heritage Trail into more than a simple point to point walk, giving you a relaxed and interesting way to explore Melbourne’s layered suburban history.