Population 1,347 (2011 census) Elevation 600 m Local time Tuesday 9:09 PM | Postcode(s) 3763 Mean max temp Mean min temp Postal code 3763 | |
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Weather 22°C, Wind SE at 11 km/h, 56% Humidity | ||
Kinglake is a town in Victoria, Australia, 46 km north-east of Melbourne's Central Business District. Its local government areas are the Shires of Murrindindi and Nillumbik. At the 2011 Census, Kinglake had a population of 1,347.
Contents
- Map of Kinglake VIC 3763 Australia
- Location
- History
- Education
- Sporting teams
- Community groups
- Attractions
- Media
- Bushfires
- 2009 bushfire
- References
Map of Kinglake VIC 3763, Australia
The town was one of the worst affected during the Black Saturday bushfires in 2009.
Location
Kinglake, comprising forest, farmland, a national park and a township, is located 57 km north east of Melbourne, in the Kinglake Ranges, part of the Great Dividing Range. The Kinglake Ranges vary in height from 525 m - 610 m above sea level. Many areas of Kinglake overlook the Melbourne skyline to the south west and the Yarra Valley wineries to the south. Kinglake is generally 3 °C colder than Metropolitan Melbourne, with the summers being very pleasant and heavy frosts and occasional snowfalls during winter.
History
Gold was discovered in 1861 on Mount Slide to the east of the locality at an area which became known as Mountain Rush. A Mountain Rush Post Office opened on 7 May 1862, but closed in January 1863 as the miners moved to other locations.
Kinglake township was established much later and was named after British historian Alexander William Kinglake, whose eight-volume history of the Crimean War had recently been completed.
Kinglake Post Office opened on 14 May 1883. There was also an office at Kinglake East open from 1914 until 1950.
Education
Education options that are available to Kinglake residents include the state secondary schools Whittlesea Secondary College and Yea High School. Private secondary schools are also available via numerous bus services that service the township. Primary schools include Kinglake Primary, Middle Kinglake and Kinglake West Primary.
Sporting teams
The local Australian Rules football club, known as 'The Lakers', plays in Division 2 of the Yarra Valley Mountain District Football League.
There is also a representative Basketball team that plays in the VJBL (Victorian Junior Basketball Leagues), under the Kinglake Basketball Club's guidance. These teams are also known as 'The Lakers'.[1]
Community groups
The Kinglake Ranges have a large number of Community Groups:
Attractions
Kinglake National Park is a popular local attraction and is the closest national park to Melbourne. It has walking tracks for day hikes and camping grounds for overnight stays. Several popular and beautiful picnic areas are available around the perimeter of the national park.
Another pleasant nearby camping and outdoor spot is the Murrindindi Nature Reserve, running between the township of Toolangi and almost all the way to Yea. Recommended means of entrance is via the Melba Highway, 9 km south of Yea. The nature reserve allows the lighting of campfires and contains several waterfalls that can be reached by way of the moderately difficult walking tracks.
Media
The Kinglake Ranges have several points for information and advertising. Three (UGFM 94.5, Mountain Monthly - The Ranges News was established in 1981 and is the community magazine for the Kinglake ranges district) are community run organisations. Local journalist Ashley Geelan also provides coverage of local news to The Local Paper, Yea Chronicle, Fairfax (The Age/3AW), Herald and Weekly Times (Herald Sun & The Weekly Times) and other media outlets.
Bushfires
Kinglake has a long history of bushfires when extreme weather conditions occur. There were severe bushfires at the end of January 2006, into early February 2006, when fires burnt out over 1,500 hectares (3,700 acres). The CFA, DSE Victoria and NSW firefighters managed to bring the fire to a halt. Fires also occurred in the 1982–1983 season (the Ash Wednesday fires) and during the 1960s. The major fires of 1939 also placed the community at risk with a major ignition point being nearby. In 1926 major fires in the area caused significant losses; the Post Office being the only building left standing.
2009 bushfire
Kinglake was one of the main affected towns in the Black Saturday bushfires, with 38 people confirmed dead in Kinglake and Kinglake West, and more than 500 homes destroyed. Local resident and former GTV-9 newsreader Brian Naylor and his wife Moiree were confirmed to be amongst the dead. Not long after news reports had stated that the fire went through the whole town, Deputy Police Commissioner of Victoria Kieran Walshe revealed that six of the victims had been in the same car.
The cause of the Kilmore East-Kinglake bushfire was found by the 2009 Victorian Bushfires Royal Commission to be an ageing power line owned by SP AusNet, an energy distribution company. In December 2014 Victoria's Supreme Court approved an A$494 million settlement of a legal class action against SP AusNet, and Utility Services Group. It has been noted as being "the biggest class action settlement in Australian legal history". The previous highest payout was $200 Million in Kirby v Centro Properties Limited (No 6) [2012] FCA 650 (19 June 2012).