Flowerdale, Victoria

Flowerdale is a town in Victoria, Australia. It is in the Shire of Murrindindi local government area, 95 kilometres (59 mi) from the state capital, Melbourne. It is in the foothills of the Great Dividing Range, in the upper catchment of the Goulburn River system. At the 2021 Census, Flowerdale had a population of 790.^[1]

Flowerdale Victoria
Flowerdale Hotel
Flowerdale
Coordinates	37°20′41″S 145°17′12″E
Population	790 (2021 census)[1]
Postcode(s)	3717
Location	95 km (59 mi) N of Melbourne 42 km (26 mi) SW of Yea 31 km (19 mi) SE of Broadford
LGA(s)	Shire of Murrindindi Shire of Mitchell
State electorate(s)	Eildon
Federal division(s)	Indi
Localities around Flowerdale: Strath Creek Strath Creek Strath Creek Clonbinane Flowerdale Hazeldene Kinglake West Kinglake Glenburn

Flowerdale Post Office opened on 4 February 1881 and closed in 1974.^[2]

The area was devastated by the Black Saturday bushfires in February 2009, with the loss of many houses. However, the school, hotel and community hall were spared.^[3]

Hazeldene

On 9 April 2014. Flowerdale officially absorbed the adjacent town of Hazeldene, following a decision by the state government to merge the two towns. The council, which had supported the move, cited a community desire for a "unified sense of community identity" following the Black Saturday bushfires, which had caused significant damage in both places.^[4]

Hazeldene had a population of 535 at the 2006 census.^[5] Over 200 houses had been destroyed and over 10 deaths were recorded in Hazeldene during the bushfire.^[6] The General Store and Post Office were spared, but the Jarara Community Centre was destroyed. In its 2009–2010 Budget, Murrindindi Shire Council indicated that the Jarara Community Centre would be rebuilt but, due to the high fire danger associated with its previous site in Silver Creek Road, Council would rebuild it elsewhere within Hazeldene.^[7][8]

Hazeldene General Store

Sport

Golf was played at the course of the Valley View Golf Coaching Centre on Spring Valley Road, Flowerdale,^[9] but the facility closed in about 2012. Tennis and cricket are played at the Spring Valley Recreation Reserve

References

1. Australian Bureau of Statistics (28 June 2022). "Flowerdale (Vic) (State)". 2021 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 5 July 2022.
2. Phoenix Auctions History, Post Office List, retrieved 24 March 2021
3. Baker, Richard (10 February 2009). "Tiny Flowerdale blossoms no longer". The Age. Retrieved 10 February 2009.
4. "One locality for Flowerdale and Hazeldene". Shire of Murrundindi. 9 April 2014. Archived from the original on 14 July 2014. Retrieved 10 June 2014.
5. Australian Bureau of Statistics (25 October 2007). "Hazeldene (L) (Urban Centre/Locality)". 2006 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 8 February 2009.
6. Wotherspoon, Sarah (7 February 2009). "Victoria under siege as fires rage across state". Herald Sun. Archived from the original on 8 February 2009. Retrieved 8 February 2009.
7. Murrindindi Shire Council, 2009–2010 Council Budget, adopted by Council in October 2009.
8. Jarara Community Centre Committee of Management Minutes of Meeting held on 25 May 2009.
9. "Valley View". Golf Select. Retrieved 11 May 2009.