- elevation 580 m (1,903 ft) | - elevation 76 m (249 ft) | |
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Olinda Creek is a major tributary of the Yarra River in Victoria, Australia. Its origins are in the Dandenong Ranges, and it is notable for passing through the settlement of Lilydale (now a suburb of Melbourne) before joining with the Yarra near Coldstream.
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History and Toponomy
When Europeans first entered this area of southern Australia, they moved up the valley of the Olinda Creek (then called Running Creek because it was a perennial stream). The formal naming process began with the survey of Lilydale township by John Hardy in 1859-60. At the same time that he named Lilydale, Hardy renamed the creek ‘Olinda’ after Alice Olinda Hodgkinson, daughter of Deputy Surveyor-General Clement Hodgkinson.
Lillydale Lake
Between 1988 and 1990 a dam was built on the creek just south of Lilydale, creating Lillydale Lake. The lake provides flood mitigation to areas downstream. It incorporates extensive wetlands and is a community recreation facility.