| Red Hill Victoria |
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| Population: | 1,152[1] | ||||||||||||
| Postcode: | 3937 | ||||||||||||
| Location: | |||||||||||||
| LGA: | Shire of Mornington Peninsula | ||||||||||||
| State District: | Nepean | ||||||||||||
| Federal Division: | Flinders | ||||||||||||
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Red Hill is a small rural community, located in the hinterland of the Mornington Peninsula, about an hour's drive south of Melbourne, in Victoria, Australia. The Local Government Area is the Shire of Mornington Peninsula. At the 2006 census, Red Hill had a population of 1,152.[1]
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Its name derives from the rich, red clay that has made the area predominantly agricultural from its first European settlement in the mid-nineteenth century. The area now known as Red Hill contains land in three parishes: Kangerong, Wannaeue (only 626 acres) and Balnarring. Kangerong is north of Arthurs Seat Rd and west of Red Hill Rd. Wannaeue is west of Mornington-Flinders Rd. The rest of Red Hill and Red hill South are in Balnarring parish.Main Ridge is not far away and many residents probably supplemented their farm income by working at Alex Shand's steam saw mill. W.H.Blakely made saw blades. The mill would have supplied timber for fruit packing cases. Many from Red Hill would have attended the annual fruitgrowers' show at Somerville's Fruitgrowers Park.Many streets are named after pioneers:Sheehan, McIlroy, Stanley, Bayne, Arkwell, Eaton,Nash, Perry (sic), Callanan,as well as uses (Cherry, Station, Mechanics i.e. Institute, and Lookout Rd). (Sources:parish maps, Flinders and Kangerong rates, Keith Holmes, Thelma Littlejohn, "The Way We Were" re Somerville.) Sheila Skidmore's "Red Hill" is available at Dromana Museum. Eatons Cutting Road was a vital road link with Dromana but it was rough and dangerous. One of the Red Hill Village pioneers, Thiele, lost his life on it. Sheehans Rd was originally the end of White Hill Rd and when a detour was made, it was known as Wiseman's Cutting as it cut through James Wiseman's land.
Red Hill Office opened on 1 August 1871.[2]
The town has an Australian Rules football team competing in the Mornington Peninsula Nepean Football League.
A monthly community market is held from September through May.[3] Patrons can still watch old time games like Pétanque being played and smell the roasting of chestnuts. Other traditional Australian foods such as meat pies and jam donuts are also sold.
Since the 1970s, wineries have been established around Red Hill to take advantage of the microclimates that suits cool climate grapes, and especially pinot noir.[4] Strawberries, cherries and apples are also grown and available seasonally at the farm door.[5]