Penshurst, Southern Grampians: house prices, rent and what to check before you buy
Penshurst median house price: $282,500 in the calendar year 2024, from 8 sales (Valuer-General Victoria), down 5.8% on the calendar year 2023. The Oct–Dec 2024 quarter had too few house sales to report a median. Median rent: $175 a week (ABS Census 2021, older than the price figures). Postcode 3289.
What stands out: Its house median is higher than 5% of the 369 regional Victoria suburbs with a reliable house median (Valuer-General Victoria).
Page updated · market data to Dec 2024
- Zoning: mostly Farming zone (FZ), 98% of the land
- Planning change: no rezoning or new overlays recorded since 2017
- School zones: parts of Penshurst are zoned for Dunkeld Consolidated School and Hawkesdale P12 College (+2 more) (primary); Baimbridge College and Hawkesdale P12 College (secondary)
- Getting there: nearest train station about 58.7 km from the suburb centre
- House median
- $282,500
- calendar year 2024 · down 5.8% on calendar year 2023
- Higher than 5% of the 369 regional Victoria suburbs with a reliable house median · 8 sales in the year
- Based on few sales
- Valuer-General Victoria
- Median rent
- $175/wk
- Census 2021 (older)
- Census 2021 median, all rented homes
- Four years older than the price figures; not directly comparable.
- ABS Census 2021
- Gross yield
- 3.2%
- 2021 rent / 2024 price
- Indicative only.
- Calculated by Delora from the two figures above
- Planning risk
- Flood 0% Very lowBushfire 0% Very lowHeritage 1% Very low
- share of suburb land area
- Vicmap Planning
- Getting around
- 58.7 km to nearest station
- 4 zoned primary, 2 secondary schools
- PTV timetable data · Victorian Department of Education school zones
Penshurst is a small community with a median age of 51, less socio-economically advantaged than most areas on the ABS's SEIFA index. Housing here is overwhelmingly standalone houses. The area is still light on cafés, shops and other everyday amenity. It's not served by train or tram.
Ready to look at a specific property here? See the due diligence hub for what to verify before you sign.
Scope: Victoria, Australia. Suburb data here is Victorian (state valuer, rental, planning and school records); regional Victoria comparison group.
In this profile
- Planning and riskZones, overlays, flood and bushfire, and what is planned nearby, with an address check.
- Prices and rentsMedian prices and rents, how they have moved, and sales volume.
- SchoolsThe government school zones that cover the suburb.
- Living hereTransport, commute times, who lives here and the suburbs nearby.
- Before you buyThe checks every purchase needs, common questions and guides.
Risk and planning in Penshurst
Penshurst has relatively light heritage-overlay coverage (about 1%), though it can still apply to individual parcels.
Suburb-wide shares of the land, not a check of any one address.
Flood-related overlays can add building rules and raise insurance cost.
Share of the suburb. Source: Vicmap Planning · Verify this address
If it applies it adds bushfire construction requirements (a BAL rating) and cost.
Share of the suburb. Source: Vicmap Planning · Verify this address
In a designated bushfire prone area a minimum construction standard applies to new homes, based on the bushfire attack level (BAL). (Department of Transport and Planning (Victoria), verified 22 Oct 2026) So building or rebuilding there means working out the home’s BAL and pricing in what meeting it costs.
Share of the suburb. Source: Designated Bushfire Prone Area (DataVic) · Verify this address
Changes to the outside of a building, and demolition, need council approval. 78 named overlay areas (HO447, HO407, HO421 +75 more) — oldest gazetted 2011.
Share of the suburb. Source: Vicmap Planning · Verify this address
Zoning mix and building controls
Land use across the suburb (planning zones)
- Zoning
- Rural / Green
- mostly Farming Zone (FZ) · 98% of the suburb
Planning overlays that can affect building, renovating or removing vegetation somewhere in Penshurst — confirm whether any apply to the specific address.
- Significant Landscape Overlay — controls to protect the area’s landscape character
Planning changes in Penshurst: none recorded since 2017
No zone changes or new planning overlays have been recorded on land in Penshurst since 2017 — its planning rules have stayed put over the period we track. That stability is itself worth knowing.
Source: Vicmap Planning Scheme History (2017–present). How Melbourne’s zoning actually changed over the decade →
- Suburb
Layers on this map, as a table
| Layer | Share of suburb | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Suburb boundary | The whole suburb | ABS SAL 2021 |
Overlay colours reflect how much of the suburb an overlay covers — green under ~8%, amber ~8–20%, red above 20%. Public-acquisition, contamination (EAO) and floodway overlays are listed above under "Worth checking" wherever they apply, because even a small area can include a specific property. Source: Vicmap Planning. What do these terms mean? · How to verify planning controls for an address
Cost and market in Penshurst
Market pulse: is Penshurst busier or quieter than a year ago?
VGV sales to Mar 2026 · ABS approvals to Aug 2026
| Measure | Change | What it's based on |
|---|---|---|
| House prices | Not measured | The Valuer-General published no median for this suburb for the Jan–Mar 2026 quarter, the latest quarter in its release. |
| New homes approved (council) | +34.4% · more | 43 dwellings approved across the council Sep 2025 to Aug 2026, against 32 in the 12 months before. |
What sales volume tells you → Reading rental demand →
Over 5 years the calendar-year median house price went from $165,000 (2019) to $282,500 (2024), +71.2% or about +11.4% a year.
Checking an asking price in Penshurst
A suburb median is the middle sale, not the value of any one home.
- Ask the agent for the Property Price Statement (a listing from before the change may still carry a Statement of Information (Consumer Affairs Victoria, verified 27 Sep 2026)). It gives an indicative price and the three most comparable sales (Consumer Affairs Victoria, verified 30 Jul 2026), and since it replaced the Statement of Information in the 2026 underquoting reform it also lists the bedrooms, bathrooms, floor area and land size of each comparable home (Consumer Affairs Victoria, verified 27 Sep 2026).
- Check those sales really are comparable: a similar standard of home, sold within 2 km in the last 6 months in metropolitan Melbourne, or within 5 km in the last 18 months elsewhere (Consumer Affairs Victoria, verified 30 Jul 2026).
- An advertised price is a guide only, and a home selling above it isn't by itself proof of underquoting (Consumer Affairs Victoria, verified 30 Jul 2026).
What open data can't tell you
Auction clearance rates, days on market, the number of homes for sale and how far sellers drop their price are not published as open government data. They come from private listing and data companies under paid licences, so Delora doesn't show them. For a home you're looking at, ask the agent how long it has been listed, whether it was passed in at auction, and what its first price guide was.
How the market pulse is worked out
Prices compare the latest quarterly median with the same quarter a year earlier, using only quarters with at least 20 sales and no thin-market flag from the Valuer-General. A direction is called only when the quarter before agrees: both changes at least +3% is rising, both at most −3% is falling, both within 3% is about the same, anything else is mixed. Sales compare the latest four quarters with the four before (a change of 10% or more counts as more or fewer). Sales are counted when they settle (Valuer-General Victoria / Land Use Victoria, verified 29 Jul 2026), so these figures trail contracts signed in the last few months.
Rents are the Rental Report's moving-annual median for all homes, from new lettings only (Homes Victoria / Department of Families, Fairness and Housing, verified 29 Jul 2026), compared with the same quarter a year earlier (3% band); new leases use a 10% band. Dwelling approvals are the ABS count for the whole council, not this suburb; an approval is the permit to start building, not a finished home (Australian Bureau of Statistics, verified 27 Sep 2026) (10% band). The reading at the top uses the price direction and sales count of houses, or of units where houses have no comparable figure.
Sources: Victorian Property Sales Report (data.vic), Rental Report (data.vic), ABS Building Approvals (all CC BY 4.0).
| Median house price (2024) | $282,500 |
|---|---|
| Stamp duty | $10,495 |
| Stamp duty if you qualify as a first home buyer | $0 |
| Land Use Victoria transfer and mortgage fees | $894.20 |
| Government costs on top of the price | |
| Owner-occupier | $11,389.20 |
| First home buyer | $894.20 |
Work out your own figure in the stamp duty calculator →
How Penshurst compares
Where Penshurst ranks against other regional Victoria suburbs Delora covers, on the measures buyers ask about — a higher bar isn’t always “better”, it’s just where this suburb sits.
Show recorded crime and amenity-density comparisons
Schools
Parts of Penshurst fall within 4 primary and 2 secondary government school catchments. 2 schools are located within the suburb (1 government, 1 Catholic).
Government schools have address-based catchment zones; Catholic and independent schools set their own enrolment processes.
| Zone | Covers | Boundary | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Primary school zones | |||
| Penshurst Primary School | 100% | — | |
| Secondary school zones | |||
| Hawkesdale P12 College | 92% | — | |
| Baimbridge College | 8% | — | |
Getting around from Penshurst
0 train, 0 tram and 3 bus stop points sit inside the suburb (PTV timetable data).
- Getting around
- 0 train · 0 tram · 3 bus
- nearest train station ~58.7 km · counts are stop points, not stations (a station is often several)
- Train frequency
- every 120 min
- at the nearest station, weekday AM peak
- Tram frequency
- every 4 min
- at the nearest stop, weekday AM peak
- Schools
- 2
- primary & secondary
- Nearest Centrelink
- ~59 km
- outside the suburb
Everyday amenity (OpenStreetMap)
- Cafés & amenity density
- 2 cafés
- Low café & amenity density — likely more car-dependent
- Restaurants
- 0
- places to eat nearby
- Supermarkets
- 0
- grocery stores nearby
- Pharmacies
- 0
- chemists nearby
- Hospitals
- 1
- in the suburb
- Parks
- 2
- green space nearby
- Childcare
- 0
- centres nearby
- GP & medical centres
- 0
- nearby
Who lives in Penshurst
— 677 residents · median age 51 · 77% own their home · SEIFA 2/10
- Population
- 677
- usual residents (Census 2021)
- Owner-occupied
- 77%
- 77% own, 5% private rent, 0% social, 18% other or not stated
- Median age
- 51 yrs
- of residents
- Personal income
- $550/wk
- median, per week
- Household income
- $1,014/wk
- median, per week
- Avg household size
- 2.3 people
- people per home · 16% live alone
- Monthly mortgage
- $825/mo
- median repayment
- Taxpayer income
- $43,653/yr
- median taxable income, per year (ATO)
- Population growth
- no data
- Recorded crime
- 81 per 1,000 residents
- a year, across all of Southern Grampians council, not just Penshurst · around the state average
In Penshurst itself: 11 recorded offences in the year to 2026 (Crime Statistics Agency, matched by suburb name and postcode — a closer figure than the council-wide band above, though still a count, not a rate per resident).
Offence category mix (Southern Grampians council's mix, latest year):
- Property and deception offences37%
- Crimes against the person24%
- Justice procedures offences24%
- Public order and security offences8%
- Drug offences7%
- Other offences0%
Recorded offences by year, Penshurst (down 58% since 2019):
| Year | Offences |
|---|---|
| 2019 | 26 |
| 2020 | 26 |
| 2021 | 17 |
| 2022 | 25 |
| 2023 | 15 |
| 2024 | 56 |
| 2025 | 23 |
| 2026 | 11 |
- Median household incomedown 3%
- Median personal incomeup 7%
- Median weekly rentup 17%
- Median ageyounger by 1 year
How advantaged the area is
Deciles 1–10 vs all Victorian areas — 10 = most advantaged — from the ABS SEIFA index. A demographic measure, not a house-price one. These three don’t always move together — a suburb with lots of renters or students, for example, can score high on education but lower on income and housing costs.
- Overall advantage
- 2/10
- Less advantaged than most
- Economic resources
- 2/10
- income, housing costs & wealth
- Education & occupation
- 5/10
- qualifications & skilled jobs
The homes here
Mix of dwelling types across the suburb (Census 2021)
Who owns and rents here (Census 2021)
More detail on building height and bedroom mix (Census 2021)
Bedroom mix (share of all occupied dwellings):
- Studio or 1 bedroom: 4%
- 2 bedrooms: 16%
- 3 bedrooms: 50%
- 4 or more bedrooms: 28%
Not sure whether a house, townhouse or apartment suits you? Decide what to buy →
Recorded crime is a council-wide rate — every offence police logged over the latest year (theft, property damage, drug and traffic offences and the like, not only violent crime) divided by the council’s residents. A broad area signal, not a figure for this exact street.
All figures are suburb-level indicators, not property-specific — always confirm the exact address on the Section 32. Sources: ABS Census 2021, Valuer-General Victoria, DFFH Rental Report, Crime Statistics Agency Victoria, Vicmap Planning, Victorian Government UDP, Victorian Department of Education (schools & zones, via data.vic, CC BY 4.0), OpenStreetMap.
Suburbs near Penshurst
The 6 closest suburbs with a Delora page, by distance between suburb centres.
Before you buy in Penshurst
Overlay and pipeline checks specific to Penshurst are in the Planning and risk tab. Two checks apply to every purchase.
Easements & covenants
Check Section 3 for easements (e.g. drainage/sewer along a boundary — you usually can’t build over them) and restrictive covenants (single-dwelling, materials, height) that limit your plans.
Owners corporation (if applicable)
Apartments and many townhouses in Penshurst are in an owners corporation. If so, the statement must include its certificate — review annual fees, any special levies, the maintenance fund and insurance.
Already under contract in Penshurst?
Questions about Penshurst
What is the median house price in Penshurst?
The median house price in Penshurst was $282,500 in the calendar year 2024 (Valuer-General Victoria), down 5.8% on a year earlier. The Oct–Dec 2024 quarter had too few house sales to report a median.
What postcode is Penshurst?
Penshurst is in postcode 3289, in the Southern Grampians council area, Victoria.
What is the population of Penshurst?
Penshurst had 677 usual residents at the 2021 Census (ABS), with a median age of 51.
Is Penshurst in a flood zone?
Less than 1% of Penshurst's land is under a flood-related planning overlay (LSIO, SBO or floodway), and less than 1% is under the Bushfire Management Overlay (Vicmap Planning). These are suburb-wide shares: whether an overlay applies to one property depends on the address, so check it on VicPlan and in the Section 32.
What should I check in a Section 32 for Penshurst?
For Penshurst, pay particular attention to heritage overlays (about 1% of the suburb is affected), any flood-related overlay (less than 1% of the land), easements and restrictive covenants on the title, and — for apartments — the owners-corporation certificate with its fees and any special levies.
Show all 3 more questions
Does Penshurst have heritage overlays?
Heritage overlays cover a small share of Penshurst (about 1%) — not common, but still worth a quick check: confirm in the Section 32's planning section whether a Heritage Overlay applies to this specific parcel, since it restricts demolition and external changes.
How is Penshurst zoned?
Most of Penshurst (98% of the land) is in the Farming (FZ), then TRZ2 (1%) (Vicmap Planning). The zone and its schedule set what can be built; check the exact zone for an address on VicPlan.
Which school zones cover Penshurst?
Parts of Penshurst are in the government school zones for primary: Dunkeld Consolidated School, Hawkesdale P12 College, Macarthur Primary School, Penshurst Primary School; secondary: Baimbridge College, Hawkesdale P12 College (Victorian Department of Education school zones). A suburb can span several zones: the exact address decides which applies, so confirm it at findmyschool.vic.gov.au.
Guides for buying in Penshurst
The heritage, flood and bushfire figures in Planning and risk are suburb-wide — they tell you how common an overlay is here, not whether it applies to one specific address. Confirm via VicPlan and an in-person inspection before you rely on them.
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