| Kinglake Victoria |
|||||||||||||
Main street of Kinglake prior to the bushfire of 7 February 2009. |
|||||||||||||
|
Kinglake
|
|||||||||||||
| Population: | 1482(2006)[1] | ||||||||||||
| Postcode: | 3763 | ||||||||||||
| Elevation: | 550 m (1,804 ft) | ||||||||||||
| Location: |
|
||||||||||||
| LGA: | |||||||||||||
| State District: | Seymour | ||||||||||||
| Federal Division: | McEwen | ||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||
Kinglake is a town in Victoria, Australia situated in the Shire of Murrindindi local government area. At the 2006 Census, Kinglake had a population of 1482. The town was one of the worst affected areas during the Black Saturday bushfires.[2]
Contents |
Kinglake, comprising forest, farmland, a national park and a township, is situated 65 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 sky line 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.
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. [3]
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. [3]
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]
The Kinglake Ranges have a large number of Community Groups
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, 9km 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.
The Kinglake Ranges have several points for information and advertisement. All three are community run organisations. Online is the Kinglake Ranges News website, On Air is the Kinglake Ranges Radio 94.5FM and printed every month is the Mountain Monthly
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.
Kinglake was one of the main affected towns in the Black Saturday bushfires, with 42 people confirmed dead in Kinglake and Kinglake West, and more than 500 homes destroyed. Well-known resident and former GTV-9 newsreader Brian Naylor and his wife Moiree were confirmed to be amongst the dead.[4] 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.[5][6]
|
|||||