Significant residential subdivision of the area took place in the 1880s and also in the period after the World War I. In 1916, the tram along Lygon Street was electrified, making access much easier.

Brunswick’s first textile factory, Prestige Hosiery, opened in 1922, and the suburb became the location of numerous textile and garment factories. The textile industry has been in substantial decline in the suburb since the 1980s with the liberalisation and elimination of tariff controls by successive Federal Governments.

During the 1990s redevelopment of commercial and industrial property has taken place for medium and high density housing, which has prompted concerns by local residents of inappropriate Development.

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Brunswick East".