Area Profiles

Whittlesea & Plenty Valley Ranges

Whittlesea and the Plenty Valley region can provide the perfect country escape from the daily grind with a great range of easily accessible attractions and activities within 40 minutes of the Melbourne CBD.

The township of Whittlesea lies at the foot of the Great Dividing Range with Kinglake National Park to the East creating a picturesque backdrop of blue green mountain ranges reminiscent of an Arthur Streeton painting.

You’ll easily become absorbed by  the natural beauty of the Plenty Valley and surrounding ranges with a scenic drive, bush walk, bike or horse ride. Relive the early history by visiting heritage and aboriginal sites around the region.

The Plenty River is a dominant feature of the landscape, and begins is journey at the foothills of the Great Dividing Range, winding southward to merge with the Yarra River at Heidelberg. Many of the States outstanding parks are located alongside the Plenty River including Hawkstowe Park, Middle Gorge Park, Nioka Bush Camp in South Morang and the multi recreational Yarrambat Park.

Melbourne’s oldest water catchment area and dam are located just to the south of Whittlesea township and a visit to Yan Yean Reservoir is informative as well as impressive. Walking tracks around the reservoir take you through bushland and wetland. Picnic and barbeque facilities allow you to cater your own lunch. Toorourrong Reservoir is a few kilometres north of Whittlesea and provides a vital link in the water supply for Melbourne’s North Western Suburbs.

To compliment its country setting the township of Whittlesea hosts two major events. The Whittlesea Agricultural Show showcasing the best in Australian Agriculture and the Whittlesea Country Music Festival brings nationally and internationally recognised country music artists to the township for the 3 day festival.

Other recreational pursuits are well catered for with horse and bike riding trails, the impressive Growling Frog Golf Course, Whittlesea Golf Course and Funfields.

Mitchell Shire

The Southern Boundary of Mitchell Shire is situated just over 30kms from the centre of Melbourne with its northern boundary approximately 90km from our capital city.

The Shire is strategically located as the first municipality north of the Melbourne metropolitan boundary on the nationally significant transport links between Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane.

The following township can be found in Mitchell: Beveridge, Broadford, Heathcote Junction, Kilmore, Puckapunyal, Pyalong, Seymour, Tallarook, Tooborac, Wallan and Wandong. 

Wallan - 50km from Melbourne on the Norhern Highway, the town sits at the southern end of the large and diverse Mitchell Shire which extends from the  the northern fringes of Melbourne into the  farming country of  north-central Victoria and the lower Goulburn Valley.

The fastest growing town in the Shire, Wallan is a convenient link between the city and the rural charms of such towns as Kilmore, Broadford & Seymour.The township is set against  the backdrop of the Great Dividing Range.   A short drive north takes you to Hidden Valley, where the late business entrepreneur Robert Holmes a Court's dream equine nursery  has been redeveloped.  Hidden Valley is unlike any estate you seen before. A meticulously planned estate that includes horse riding and walking tracks weaving through 950 diverse residential lots. An residential estate with an abundance of recreational and sporting facilities.  In addition to an equestrian centre, 25m solar heated pool, a brilliant country golf club and an 18 hole championship golf course. Hidden Valley has plans for a retail precinct, child care centre, hotel centre and aged care facility. 

Bigger blocks, open space fresh air and wonderful healthy lifestyle at Hidden Valley.

Wandong – Heathcote Junction is a small township with a population of about 1500. It is located on the Hume Freeway less than 1 hour from Melbourne, situated on the Great Dividing Range and adjacent to the Mount Disappointment State Forest. Formally the township was part of one of Victorias oldest inland shires, the Shire of Kilmore. The township is now located in the Shire of Mitchell.

Wandong – Heathcote Junction offers a village type environment, strong rural characteristics, historical values and undulating landscapes. Many residents relocated to this area, forgoing many of the urban facilities, in order to enjoy the attractive counrty  lifestyle. In fact 63% of residents commute by train or private car to Melbourne and the surrounding suburbs for employment.

Wandong-Heathcote Junction enjoys a temperate climate with a cool winter. Average minimum temperatures in the winter months of June through to August are 6 – 7 degrees Celsius. The summer season is from December through to February when average temperatures are around 25 degrees Celsius. Average rainfall is about 700 – 800 mm. 

Kilmore - 61km north of the CBD Melbourne, is some 370m above sea level. Kilmore has a strong racing fraternity which supports subsidiary industries and there is some pastoral activity within the Mitchell Shire. Some of the major horse racing events include the Kilmore Cup and Kilmore Pacing Cup, Australia's richest provincial harness racing event. The Kilmore Celtic Festival falls in June.  The Kilmore Harness Racing Carnival in October, the Highland Games in November and the Agricultural Show in early December.   

Kilmore boasts being the oldest inland town in Victoria and has a number of historical buildings to view.  At the corner of Powley St and Foote St is the old bluestone Post Office c1861 which is now an antique centre.  Just along the road is the  former bluestone courthouse (1864) and adjacent that are the red brick police barrack c1892.  Bindley House is an imposing two storey blue stone residence which was built c1862 for a local doctor. Lavender Cottage  Craft and Tea Rooms building  c1890, The former Town Hall c1894 with its imposing and decorative facade, enormous Corinthian pilasters.  The Old Kilmore Goal opened in 1859 as a maximum security prison.  In 1891 it became a butter factory and a private residence in 1968 and is now a tourist attraction. St Patricks Catholic Church c1857-62 in Sutherlans St, Victorian Tramway Museum which offer rides through the country side with an extensive display of cable cars and trams dating back to the 1884.  

Byland is located on the big hill which used to be called the Big Hill.  It was remaned Pretty Sally after a woman who ran a sly grog shanty here in the 1840's.  Pyalong is a tiny little hamlet which is located 22km north of Kilmore along the Northern Highway and is set amongst magnificent granite outcrops.
 
Beveridge    A small township located 42 kilometres north of Melbourne along the Hume Highway which is sustained by the surrounding agricultural and pastoral industries.  It is located in the fertile Goulburn Valley which was explored by Hamilton Hume and William Howell in the 1820s.  Although it has little more than 100 inhabitants, Beveridge is guaranteed a permanent place in Australian history because it was the birthplace of legendary bushranger, Ned Kelly, whose improverished father  John, settled in the town at the time when the less affluent pioneers were subject to harassment from the wealthy and influential squattocracy.  The Ned Kelly family home  still stands.

Broadford  is a small town in central Victoria, 88km north of Melbourne CBD.  Broadford lies on the major transport routes between Melbourne & Sydney.  Broadford is built on the banks of Sunday Creek, a tributory of the Goulburn River.  Industry in Broadford includes a Paper Mill and Broadford is home to the  Victorian State Motorcycle sports complex.  Broadford has a Primary School, Secondary College and two kindergardens.  Popular sports in Broadford include Australian Rules Football and the local team, Broadford Football club play in the Heathcote Football league. 

Kinglake Ranges and Flowerdale 

Enjoy spectacular views over Melbourne. Take a picnic to Masons Falls  in Kinglake National Park. Visit a museum or gallery, relax with a coffee, pick up some of the  local craft or produce.  You can pick your own berries, collect spring water, take a stroll in the gardens of one of several plant nurseries, or even stay overnight.

The Kinglake Ranges is part of the Great Dividing range and sits at an altitude of 500 – 780 meters above sea level. The air is fresh and clean, with summer temperatures a few degrees cooler than surrounding areas. With an abundant rainfall the area is lush and green providing an environment that is abundant with wildlife. The deep fertile soils sustain a whole range of horticultural and farming activities such as berries, nuts, potatoes, cut flower production and grazing.

In Winter and spring massive stands of native Eucalypt Forrest and fern gullies are complimented by displays of flowering rhododendron that have become a feature of the area. 

Flowerdale and Strath Creek are both situated on the King Parrot Creek. There are a number of scenic fishing spots that the whole family will enjoy. The natural bushland surrounding the area makes it an ideal place for scenic drives and bushwalking.

Strath Creek hosts the famous Hume and Hovel cricket ground which has a substantial gallery of cricket memorabillia.

There is a magnificent gateway resort facility between Flowerdale and Strath Creek too. Both towns have a good old fashioned pub to quench your thirst and satisfy your appetite.

With many streams, creeks and waterfalls the Kinglake and Flowerdale ranges is a real “oasis” and provides year round rest and recreation for visitors and residents alike.