Chirnside Park, Victoria

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Chirnside Park
Melbourne, Victoria

Population:

9092 (2006)^[1]

Postcode:

3116

Area:

32.1 km² (12.4 sq mi)

Property Value:

AUD $339,000 ^[2]

Location:

36 km (22 mi) from Melbourne
4 km (2 mi) from Lilydale

LGA:

Shire of Yarra Ranges

State District:

Evelyn

Federal Division:

Casey

Suburbs around Chirnside Park:
Bend of Islands	Coldstream	Coldstream
Wonga Park	Chirnside Park	Lilydale
Croydon North	Croydon	Mooroolbark

Chirnside Park is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. It is in the Local Government Area of the Shire of Yarra Ranges. It is on the very periphery of Melbourne, and is the gateway to the world famous wineries of the Yarra Valley.

From 1838 the area formed part of an extensive grazing grant that was developed further by a succession of owners up until the 1920's. The original sub-division of Chirnside Park was, at that time, known as Mooroolbark Park. Around 1000 acres (4 km²) of mainly rich black basaltic soil was grazed and cultivated, watered from two perpetual springs.

In 1921 George Chirnside sold Werribee Park, moving the family's stud herds and the contents of Werribee Mansion to Mooroolbark Park. After George Chirnside's death in 1941, permission to sell the estate was given in 1950 and finalised some years later. Subdivision was approved by the then Shire of Lillydale in 1956 with the residential area, centred on the two storey stone homestead, country club and golf course, named Chirnside Park in 1962 in honour of Thomas Chirnside, who founded the Chirnside empire in 1839.

Amadeo DeVincentiis, an Italian from Abruzzo, also owned great swathes of what is now known as Chirnside Park. However, he sold it for a paltry amount in the 1960s, and within years the fortunate purchasers stood to make thousands. Amadeo attempted to rescind the sale, spending thousands, but failed.

Formally West Lilydale, the surrounding region became known as Chirnside Park in the 1970s. Nominally a suburb, Chirnside Park is a satellite community of Lilydale. Thus the services that cannot be met in the nearby shopping complex are found elsewhere. The residential area is set around the large 18-hole golf course, though its future is in doubt. Further residential development exists to the west and north.

In area, however, most of the 'suburb' still retains a rural flavour, extending well into the Yarra Valley to the north, with commercial wineries, orchards and livestock farming, as well as large area residential estates. The Jack Nicklaus designed The Heritage Golf and Country Club also nestles in the northwest corner of the suburb directly on the Yarra River.