Rowville is 26 km south-east (approximately 30 minutes drive) from Melbourne's CBD. Rowville is part of the Knox municipality and is well located in respect to both the Monash Freeway and East Link for easy commute. At the 2006 census Rowville had a population of over 34,000. Geographically, Rowville is one of the largest suburbs south-east of Melbourne.

Rowville was the site of the first settlement in the Knox area in 1838, and has been one of the municipality's fastest growing suburbs.

Rowville was named after the Row family who lived at the historic Stamford House property on Stud Road and who, in the late 19th century, conducted a thriving horse breeding operation. The Stamford Park homestead has been restored in recent years by Knox Council.

Rowville has developed rapidly over the 1980s and 1990s, especially in terms of housing and light industrial activities. Culturally, Rowville is still developing, like many of Melbourne's outer suburbs.

Rowville was originally included as part of the area known as Lysterfield in 1874.

Lysterfield was once part of the large "Corhanwarrabul" run, leased by the Reverend James Clow in 1838, which extended from the Dandenong Creek to Cockatoo, and from Narre Warren to Bayswater. It was primarily used for farming.

In 1867, Irish Protestant William Saurin Lyster took up 400 acres of property along the Monbulk Creek which was known as "Narre Worran Grange". In 1874 the area was renamed "Lysterfield", and this important dairy farming area was also a community of educational and cultural backgrounds.