Shire of Nillumbik

The Shire of Nillumbik (/ˈnɪləmbɪk/ NILL-əm-bik) is a local government area in Victoria, Australia. It contains outer northern suburbs of Melbourne and rural localities beyond the urban area. It has an area of 432 square kilometres and at the 2021 census, the Shire had a population of 62,895.^[1] It was formed in 1994^[2] from the merger of parts of the Shires of Eltham, Diamond Valley, Healesville and the City of Whittlesea. The Shire uses the tag-line The Green Wedge Shire. The Nillumbik Council offices are located in Civic Drive, Greensborough.^[3]

Shire of Nillumbik Victoria
Aerial view of Diamond Creek in Shire of Nillumbik
Map of Melbourne showing Shire of Nillumbik
Population	62,895 (2021)[1]
• Density	145.59/km2 (377.1/sq mi)
Established	1994
Area	432 km2 (166.8 sq mi)[1]
Mayor	Cr John Dumaresq
Council seat	Greensborough
Region	Greater Melbourne
State electorate(s)	Bundoora Eildon Eltham Warrandyte Yan Yean
Federal division(s)	Casey Jagajaga McEwen
Website	Shire of Nillumbik
LGAs around Shire of Nillumbik: Whittlesea Murrindindi Murrindindi Whittlesea Shire of Nillumbik Yarra Ranges Banyule Manningham Yarra Ranges

The shire's name is derived from the Parish of Nillumbik, which was named in the 1830s the term nyilum bik meaning "Bad Earth" in the local Aboriginal language Woiwurrung.^[4]

On 13 October 1998, Nillumbik Council was suspended by then Local Government minister Rob Maclellan, with the state government declaring that infighting was affecting the ability of the council to function.^[5]

Nillumbik was rated third of 590 Australian local government areas in the Bankwest Quality of Life Index 2008.^[6]

Council

The current council was elected in October 2024 for a four-year term.^[7]

Ward	Party		Councillors	Notes
Blue Lake		Independent	Grant Brooker
Bunjil		Independent Labor	Naomi Joiner	Deputy Mayor
Edendale		Independent	Kelly Joy
Ellis		Independent	Peter Perkins
Sugarloaf		Independent	Kim Cope
Swipers Gully		Greens	Kate McKay
Wingrove		Independent	John Dumaresq	Mayor

Townships and localities

The 2021 census recorded the shire population at 62,895, up from 61,273 in the 2016 census.^[8]

Population
Locality	2016	2021
Arthurs Creek	496	478
Bend of Islands	295	267
Christmas Hills	355	365
Cottles Bridge	601	609
Diamond Creek	11,733	12,503
Doreen^	21,298	27,122
Eltham	18,314	18,847
Eltham North^	6,805	6,830
Greensborough^	20,821	21,070
Hurstbridge	3,450	3,554
Kangaroo Ground	1,095	1,208
Kinglake^	1,536	1,662
Kinglake West^	1,166	1,305
North Warrandyte	2,956	3,027
Nutfield	152	158
Panton Hill	1,062	1,063
Plenty	2,364	2,575
Research	2,649	2,695
Smiths Gully	369	356
St Andrews	1,226	1,186
Strathewen	178	198
Watsons Creek	51	58
Wattle Glen	1,961	1,911
Yan Yean^	252	246
Yarrambat	1,588	1,602

^ - Territory divided with another LGA

Facilities

Nillumbik's oldest public building is the Eltham courthouse which was restored in 2022.^[9]

Eltham Library and Diamond Valley Library located in Greensborough are operated by Yarra Plenty Regional Library A mobile library service is also operated by Yarra Plenty Regional Library serving the locations of Doreen, Panton Hill, St Andrews, Hurstbridge, North Warrandye, Kangaroo Ground, Diamond Creek and Christmas Hills.^[10]

Nillumbikk U3A provides a wide range of courses open to all retired and semi-retired people^[11]

NillumBUG is a bicycle user group for the Nillumbik Shire.^[12]

Books on the Shire of Nillumbik

Marshall, Marguerite, Nillumbik Now and Then Research, Vic. MPrint Publications, 2008 ISBN 9780646491226

See also

• Shire of Eltham