| Mount Dandenong Melbourne, Victoria |
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Mount Dandenong from Mooroolbark |
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| Population: | 1276 (2006)[1] | ||||||||||||
| Established: | 1893 | ||||||||||||
| Postcode: | 3767 | ||||||||||||
| Area: | 10.1 km² (3.9 sq mi) | ||||||||||||
| Location: | 35 km (22 mi) from Melbourne | ||||||||||||
| LGA: | Shire of Yarra Ranges | ||||||||||||
| State District: | Monbulk | ||||||||||||
| Federal Division: | Casey, La Trobe | ||||||||||||
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Mount Dandenong is both a mountain and small township/suburb of Greater Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 35 km east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the Shire of Yarra Ranges. At the 2006 Census, Mount Dandenong had a population of 1,276.
The mountain, upon which the suburb is located, was originally known as Corhanwarrabul[2] and is 633 metres tall. The mountain lends its name to the entire range of which it is a part, the Dandenong Ranges.
Light to moderate snowfalls occur on Mount Dandenong a few times most years, mostly frequently between late winter and late spring. The area around Mount Dandenong experienced a highly unusual summer snow fall on Christmas Day 2006.[3]
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Originally the town was to be named Mount Corhanwarrabul, but due to the problems that were foreseen with the spelling and pronunciation of this name, the Surveyor-General's office opted to name it Mount Dandenong. However, today there is still a Mount Corhanwarrabul, which is on the site of Burkes Lookout. The town of Mount Dandenong was settled in 1893, along with a neighbouring town, Olinda. It was around this time that the Government established 10-acre (40,000 m2) farms that would be used to harvest timber.
By around 1900 the town had its own general store and primary school. The Post Office, opened in 1902, was closed and replaced by one at Kalorama in 1991. In 1922 the first motorcars were seen in operation in Mount Dandenong.
In 1938, the 1938 Kyeema Crash occurred eighteen people were killed when the Kyeema, an Australian National Airways DC-2, VH-UYC crashed.
Around 2002 it was proposed that the word "Melbourne" be erected in large letters at the peak of the mountain in the style of the Hollywood sign, visible from the city centre. However this was met with outrage from local residents and was not pursued.
| Climate data for Mount Dandenong | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Average high °C (°F) | 22.1 (71.8) |
22.9 (73.2) |
19.7 (67.5) |
15.4 (59.7) |
11.7 (53.1) |
8.8 (47.8) |
8.2 (46.8) |
9.6 (49.3) |
11.6 (52.9) |
14.8 (58.6) |
17.3 (63.1) |
19.9 (67.8) |
15.2 (59.4) |
| Average low °C (°F) | 11.5 (52.7) |
12.6 (54.7) |
11.3 (52.3) |
9.0 (48.2) |
6.9 (44.4) |
4.4 (39.9) |
3.6 (38.5) |
4.2 (39.6) |
5.0 (41.0) |
6.8 (44.2) |
8.3 (46.9) |
9.8 (49.6) |
7.8 (46.0) |
| Source: BOM[4] | |||||||||||||
At Mount Dandenong are include parks, forests, an arboretum, numerous lookout and many restaurants.
Close to the summit of the mountain sits the SkyHigh Mount Dandenong restaurant, gardens and maze, re-opened in 2005.
On a clear day it is possible to see across the metropolitan area to the You Yangs and Mount Macedon, putting the Melbourne Central Business District and Port Phillip Bay into a broader geographical context.
The peak of the mountain, at 633 m above sea level, is also the site of the television and FM radio signal towers for the greater Melbourne area, which range in height from 72 m to 180 m. These towers are visible from quite a distance and distinguish Mount Dandenong from others in the Dandenong Ranges.
Mount Dandenong Tourist Road, the main road going through Mount Dandenong, is host to many local shops. These include cafes, restaurants and eateries, pubs, day spas, wine and fine food purveyors, a nursery and many shops selling local crafts.[11]
The sanctuary is situated on the East face of Mount Dandenong. It is a unique park with over 93 ceramic sculptures woven into the eucalyptus forest.