The Maroondah Exchange
This Week Around Maroondah | Tuesday 25 August 2026
What 464 local food businesses reveal about how…
Preview: Also inside: From early township shops to today’s local…, Maroondah has adopted a 10-year bicycle network… and The local coffee map is really a map of how we….
Good morning, afternoon or evening,
This week’s edition looks at what Maroondah’s 464 local food businesses reveal about the way we eat and meet, alongside a full planner, practical local updates and a few places worth noticing before the week gets away.
What's Inside
What's Worth Your Time: Pizza and burger maps, a spreading weed, local planting and a Meals on Wheels volunteer call.
Weekend Planner: Five MX Highlights plus a day-by-day guide from Tuesday to Monday.
Money Matters: Official tools for checking payments and concessions, and a question about rates.
Family Life: How Aquanation's October pool closure may affect local routines.
Eat & Drink: What 464 food businesses reveal about how Maroondah eats and meets.
Home & Property: Where planning stands on the Maroondah Highway and Yarra Road upgrade.
Health & Wellbeing: Two local health pathways for young people and adults weighing up cost.
Discover Maroondah: A 10-year bicycle direction and 50 years of Maroondah Hospital.
Your say: Tell us which local place deserves more attention.
Share or contribute: Forward MX or add a local event or tip.
What's Worth Your Time
Maroondah’s pizza map is a neighbourhood story
The August guide contains 25 operational pizza restaurants or takeaways across 10 suburbs. Croydon has the largest cluster with six, while Croydon South, Kilsyth, Ringwood and Vermont each have three.
Why Croydon holds most of Maroondah’s specialist burger map
The strict August map contains seven operational businesses primarily categorised as hamburger restaurants, all in Croydon, Ringwood or Heathmont. Croydon carries most of this specialist category, while many other venues still serve burgers without making them their primary identity.
Remove this spreading weed before its spring flowers appear
Bulbil Watsonia is found in Maroondah and can crowd out indigenous plants in bushland and backyards. Council says winter's moist soil is a useful time to remove the whole plant, including its underground corm, before flowers and bulbils help it spread. If you spot it in a Council park or reserve, use Council's reporting pathway rather than treating the area yourself.
Local volunteers planted about 25,000 native plants this season
Council's August Nature News says community volunteers put approximately 25,000 plants into the ground across Maroondah during the planting season. The figure shows the scale of the combined local effort rather than the work of one group or reserve. If someone you know would enjoy practical outdoor volunteering, Council's current environmental volunteering page is the place to find a group and check upcoming working-bee details.
Could two hours a week make a difference to a local Meals on Wheels client?
Maroondah Council is looking for volunteer drivers to deliver meals in their own cars and offer clients a friendly check-in. Volunteers choose a weekday and work from 10.30am to 12.30pm; a Working With Children Check and child-safety training are required.
Weekend Planner
Day-By-Day Planner
Tuesday 25th August
Italian Social Morning
Tuesday 25th August, 10:30
North Ringwood Community House, Ringwood North
$2.00 per week
A social morning to chat with other Italian speakers, helping you keep your vocabulary and pronunciation skills sharp. Play card games, listen to Italian music, discuss culture, heritage and food plus more.
Functional Pilates
Tuesday 25th August, 18:15
Yarrunga Community Centre, Croydon Hills
$87 concession | $102 fee
Strengthen your core, improve posture and boost mobility through targeted, low-impact exercises designed to improve real-life movement.
Wednesday 26th August
Macrame - August Workshop
Wednesday 26th August, 10:00
Arrabri Community House, Bayswater North
$45
Macrame workshop.
3d Arts Casual Open Classes
Wednesday 26th August, 18:30
3D Arts Studio, Croydon
$20
You can dance with us. Wednesday evening, 6:30 - 8:00pm open dance class in a variety of styles. Book for one class or book for them ALL. All levels of experience welcome. Week 1 & 3 - ContemporaryWeek 2 - Musical TheatreWeek 4 - Changes each month - check the description for more details.
Sound Bath Meditation | Wed 26/8 | 7pm
Wednesday 26th August, 19:00
Wonga Park Community Cottage, Wonga Park
$39
Come together with like-minded people for a relaxing, soothing, healing sound bath.
Thursday 27th August
Crochet Thursdays T3 2026
Thursday 27th August, 12:30
Central Ringwood Community Centre, Ringwood
$0 - 126
Creative class for beginner and experienced crocheters. Learn how to crochet basic stitches, increase/decrease, decipher symbols and follow patterns. You can create many interesting items such as cushion covers, scarves, bags, hats and even “art to wear” garments.
100 days to go! Campaign Launch!
Thursday 27th August, 19:00
Ringwood City Soccer Club, Ringwood
$30 unwaged | $60 waged/solidarity | $50 donation | $5 raffle | $20 five raffle tickets
Join us as we mark 100 days to go until the election and officially launch our campaign.Come along to celebrate our community, share our vision for Ringwood, and be part of a movement built on care, fairness and action. We’d love to see you there.
Norwood Secondary College - Sister Act
Thursday 27th August, 19:30
Karralyka, Ringwood East
$30 | Full Price
The 2026 Norwood Secondary College Production of Sister Act is reason to REJOICE.
Friday 28th August
WPS 2026 Father's Day Disco
Friday 28th August, 17:00
McAdams Wine Bar, Croydon
$15 | $25
Join us at our Father's Day Disco for Warranwood Primary School Students and their Dad/Grandad/Special Person. There will be food, games, prizes, a photobooth and (of course) a dance floor.
Your DNA Creative Arts Beats - Disco
Friday 28th August, 18:30
Your DNA Theatre, Croydon
$10
Your DNA Digital Music Makers present a quarterly DISCO featuring DJ Magenta Darkblood, DJ Annasaurus, DJB Lo Fi, DJ Dazzlying Dymond and DJ Superrockstar.
Bon Jovi Forever
Friday 28th August, 19:30
Knox Community Arts Centre, Bayswater
Adult $35 | Concession $32 | Group of 6+ $30
Bon Jovi Forever is a tribute to one of the most iconic rock bands of all time, Bon Jovi. Formed in 1983, Bon Jovi skyrocketed to fame with their powerful ballads and arena anthems. Since 1992, Bon Jovi Forever has been paying homage to the band with their authentic and high-energy performances.
Saturday 29th August
Detox Your Home - Reservoir event
Saturday 29th August, 09:00
Darebin Operations Centre, Other
Free
A free chemical drop off event in Reservoir serviced by the Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action (DEECA).
Come And Play At Croydon Library For Ages 0 - 6 Years
Saturday 29th August, 10:30
Croydon Library, Croydon
Free
Drop in and join us for a fun playtime session for ages 0-6 years at Croydon Library. Have fun playing with your little one and meeting other families. Through play children learn about the world, build language skills and develop their imagination and creativity.
Zine making workshop with Nick Ranepura
Saturday 29th August, 13:00
ArtSpace at Realm, Ringwood
$10 per person | $5 concession | $0 hardship
In this hands-on workshop participants will produce their own photographic or art-based zine.
Sunday 30th August
Friends of Ringwood Lake - Planting
Sunday 30th August, 09:30
Ringwood Lake Park, Ringwood East
Free
The Friends of Ringwood Lake are rolling up their sleeves and getting their hands dirty with another planting.
Monday 31st August
Crochet Mondays T3 2026 - Fortnightly
Monday 31st August, 10:00
Central Ringwood Community Centre, Ringwood
$0 - 70
Creative class for beginner and experienced crocheters. Learn how to crochet basic stitches, increase/decrease, decipher symbols and follow patterns. You can create many interesting items such as cushion covers, scarves, bags, hats and even “art to wear” garments.
Reading Buddies at Bayswater
Monday 31st August, 16:00
Bayswater Library, Bayswater
Free
Parents: Would you like to help your children with their home reading? Are you wondering what books your child should read? Reading Buddies are here to help. Parents/caregivers and their children will: - Listen to stories - Read together - Play games all supported by our Reading Buddy.
Money Matters
Not sure which payments or concessions might apply to you?
Two official tools can make the first check easier: Services Australia's Payment Finder estimates selected Centrelink and family payments, while Victoria's calculator lists concessions by card type. The results are a guide rather than an approval, but they may help you or someone you know identify what is worth investigating.
How do you judge value from rates?
Maroondah's average general rate charge is set to rise by 2.75 per cent in 2026/27. The percentage describes the overall increase, while the amount paid by an individual property can vary. What information would help you judge whether your rates represent good value: service costs, project progress, comparisons with other councils or clearer household examples?
Family Life
Aquanation swimmers will need another pool from 1 October
Aquanation's pools, spa, sauna, steam room and waterslide will close for major renewal works from Thursday 1 October, with staged reopenings beginning from 1 February 2027. The gym and group-fitness studios will stay open, while Aquahub and Croydon Memorial Pool are the nominated swimming alternatives; check accessibility and opening details before changing your routine.
Eat & Drink
What 464 local food businesses reveal about how Maroondah eats
The August MX food map contains 464 approved operational food businesses across 15 suburbs. Ringwood and Croydon are the largest hubs, while smaller neighbourhood centres reveal how coffee, takeaway, specialty retail and food production fit into everyday routines.
From early township shops to today’s local butcher counters
Butcher shops were part of Croydon’s Main Street retail mix in the 1880s. The current guide links that documented retail history with 11 operational butchers and one poultry specialist recorded in the approved August food master.
The local coffee map is really a map of how we meet
MX counted 101 operational cafes, coffee shops and coffee roasteries across 14 suburbs in the August snapshot. The large number matters, but so does the neighbourhood role of the smaller places where people meet, pause and start the day.
Home & Property
The Maroondah Highway and Yarra Road upgrade is still in the planning stage
Traffic, engineering, environmental and design work is underway for a possible future upgrade of the Croydon North intersection, with initial planning expected to finish in 2027. Construction has not been approved or funded, and a community feedback summary is expected later in 2026.
Health & Wellbeing
A local health clinic young people can contact without a Medicare card
Each's Ringwood clinic provides confidential healthcare for people aged 12 to 25, covering general health and wellbeing, sexual health, mental health, and alcohol and drug support. A Medicare card is not required, and care is offered at no cost or for a small fee; contact the clinic to confirm eligibility, availability and any charge.
If counselling costs are a barrier, this is a local place to ask
Each offers counselling for adults aged 18 to 65 across Ringwood, Croydon, Ringwood East and other eastern suburbs, with appointments available in person, online or by phone. Fees and eligibility vary, so call the service to ask what may be available and what it would cost before relying on it as an option.
Discover Maroondah
Maroondah now has a 10-year direction for its bicycle network
Council adopted the Maroondah Bicycle Network Plan 2025–2035 on 20 July, setting a long-term direction for local cycling improvements. The plan helps riders and neighbourhoods see what Council is aiming for, but it does not mean every proposed route is funded or about to be built.
Fifty years of Maroondah Hospital, from a public meeting to a major health service
Eastern Health has marked 50 years since Maroondah Hospital opened, tracing the idea from a Ringwood Town Hall meeting through new wards, specialist services, teaching links and major redevelopments. For people whose family history includes the hospital, the timeline offers a useful look at how local care has changed.
What local place deserves more attention?
Is there a Maroondah park, shop, street, building, view or hidden corner that more people should know about? Reply with the place and why it matters to you. We will contact you before using a personal story, quotation or photograph.
Share This With Someone Local
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Thanks for reading,
The Maroondah Exchange