Kallista, Victoria

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Kallista
Melbourne, Victoria

Population:

1032 (2006)^[1]

Postcode:

3791

Area:

2.2 km² (0.8 sq mi)

Property Value:

AUD $351,500 ^[2]

Location:

44 km (27 mi) from Melbourne
6 km (4 mi) from Belgrave

LGA:

Shire of Yarra Ranges

State District:

Monbulk

Federal Division:

Casey, La Trobe

Suburbs around Kallista:
Sherbrooke	Olinda	Monbulk
Dandenong Ranges	Kallista	The Patch
Belgrave	Selby	Menzies Creek

Kallista is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Its Local Government Area is the Shire of Yarra Ranges.

Kallista Village is particularly known for its proximity to Sherbrooke Forest. Walks around Sherbrooke Forest range from easy to somewhat steep. Sherbrooke is well know for its Superb Lyrebird population, which has increased recently with efforts to reduce the feral cat and fox population. Although early in the morning is traditionally known as the best time to see and hear lyrebirds, they can be seen and heard throughout the day. The males' calls are particularly prominent in June.

Grants Picnic Ground, on Monbulk Road near Kallista Village, is very popular with tourists, as large numbers of Sulphur-Crested Cockatoos, Crimson Rosellas, Galahs and Australian King Parrots gather to be fed bird seed by on-lookers. They will usually fly down and sit on hands, arms and (sometimes) heads.

The Dandenong Ranges, which reach a high point of 633 metres above sea-level, consist of volcanic lava. They experience high rainfall as prevailing westerly winds rise when they hit the range and then cool to produce rain. The combination of rainfall and rich volcanic soils renders the soil fertile and the ranges are cloaked in vast tracts of forests and fern gullies, as well as some distinguished and renowned gardens. Potatoes, flowers, bulbs and berry fruits are produced for commercial purposes in the area.

Don Chipp, the founder of the Australian Democrats, lived in Kallista for many years during the 1980s. Another great Australian to reside in Kallista, was Tom Roberts, a famous Australian painter who lived between 1856 and 1931. Tom Roberts was famous for his great painting 'shearing the rams' which he painted in 1890.