Kinglake, Victoria
Encyclopedia
Kinglake is a town in Victoria
, Australia
situated in the Shire of Murrindindi local government area. At the 2006 Census, Kinglake had a population of 1482. The town was one of the worst affected areas during the Black Saturday bushfires.
sky line to the south west and the Yarra Valley
wineries to the south. Kinglake is generally 3 °C colder than Metropolitan Melbourne with the summers being very pleasant and heavy frosts and occasional snowfalls during winter.
Kinglake township was established much later and was named after British historian Alexander William Kinglake
whose eight volume history of the Crimean War had recently been completed.
Kinglake Post Office opened on 14 May 1883. There was also an office at Kinglake East open from 1914 until 1950.
.
There is also a representative Basketball team that plays in the VJBL (Victorian Junior Basketball Leagues), under the Kinglake Basketball Club's guidance. These teams are also known as 'The Lakers'.http://www.kinglake-basketball.com
is a popular local attraction and is the closest national park to Melbourne. It has walking tracks for day hikes and camping grounds for overnight stays. Several popular and beautiful picnic areas are available around the perimeter of the national park.
Another pleasant nearby camping and outdoor spot is the Murrindindi nature reserve, running between the township of Toolangi and almost all the way to Yea. Recommended means of entrance is via the Melba Highway, 9km South of Yea. The nature reserve allows the lighting of campfires and contains several waterfalls that can be reached by way of the moderately difficult walking tracks.
, DSE Victoria and NSW firefighters managed to bring the fire to a halt. Fires also occurred in the 1982–1983 season (the Ash Wednesday fires
) and during the 1960s. The major fires of 1939 also placed the community at risk with a major ignition point being nearby. In 1926 major fires
in the area caused significant losses; the Post Office being the only building left standing.
newsreader Brian Naylor
and his wife Moiree were confirmed to be amongst the dead. Not long after news reports had stated that the fire went through the whole town, Deputy Police Commissioner of Victoria Kieran Walshe revealed that six of the victims had been in the same car.
Victoria (Australia)
Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
situated in the Shire of Murrindindi local government area. At the 2006 Census, Kinglake had a population of 1482. The town was one of the worst affected areas during the Black Saturday bushfires.
Location
Kinglake, comprising forest, farmland, a national park and a township, is situated 65 km north east of Melbourne in the Kinglake Ranges, part of the Great Dividing Range. The Kinglake Ranges vary in height from 525 m - 610 m above sea level. Many areas of Kinglake overlook the MelbourneMelbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
sky line to the south west and the Yarra Valley
Yarra Valley
The Yarra Valley is the name given to the region surrounding the Yarra River in Victoria, Australia. The river originates approximately 90 kilometres east of the City of Melbourne and flows towards it and out into Port Phillip Bay...
wineries to the south. Kinglake is generally 3 °C colder than Metropolitan Melbourne with the summers being very pleasant and heavy frosts and occasional snowfalls during winter.
History
Gold was discovered in 1861 on Mount Slide to the east of the locality at an area which became known as Mountain Rush. A Mountain Rush Post Office opened on 7 May 1862, but closed in January 1863 as the miners moved to other locations.Kinglake township was established much later and was named after British historian Alexander William Kinglake
Alexander William Kinglake
Alexander William Kinglake was an English travel writer and historian.He was born near Taunton, Somerset and educated at Eton College and Trinity College, Cambridge...
whose eight volume history of the Crimean War had recently been completed.
Kinglake Post Office opened on 14 May 1883. There was also an office at Kinglake East open from 1914 until 1950.
Sporting Teams
The local Australian Rules football club, known as 'The Lakers', plays in Division 2 of the Yarra Valley Mountain District Football LeagueYarra Valley Mountain District Football League
The Yarra Valley Mountain District Football League is an Australian rules football and netball competition based in Victoria to the east and northeast of Melbourne.-History:...
.
There is also a representative Basketball team that plays in the VJBL (Victorian Junior Basketball Leagues), under the Kinglake Basketball Club's guidance. These teams are also known as 'The Lakers'.http://www.kinglake-basketball.com
Attractions
Kinglake National ParkKinglake National Park
Kinglake is a national park in Victoria, Australia, 50 kilometres northeast of Melbourne. The park includes tracks , and camping facilities....
is a popular local attraction and is the closest national park to Melbourne. It has walking tracks for day hikes and camping grounds for overnight stays. Several popular and beautiful picnic areas are available around the perimeter of the national park.
Another pleasant nearby camping and outdoor spot is the Murrindindi nature reserve, running between the township of Toolangi and almost all the way to Yea. Recommended means of entrance is via the Melba Highway, 9km South of Yea. The nature reserve allows the lighting of campfires and contains several waterfalls that can be reached by way of the moderately difficult walking tracks.
Media
The Kinglake Ranges have several points for information and advertisement. All three are community run organisations. Online is the Kinglake Ranges News website, On Air is the Kinglake Ranges Radio 94.5FM and printed every month is the Mountain MonthlyBushfires
Kinglake has a long history of bushfires when extreme weather conditions occur. There were severe bushfires at the end of January 2006 into early February 2006, when fires burnt out over 1500 hectares (3,706.6 acre). The CFACountry Fire Authority
Country Fire Authority, or CFA, is the name of the fire service that provides firefighting and other emergency services to all of the country areas and regional townships within the state of Victoria, Australia, as well as large portions of the outer suburban areas and growth corridors of Melbourne...
, DSE Victoria and NSW firefighters managed to bring the fire to a halt. Fires also occurred in the 1982–1983 season (the Ash Wednesday fires
Ash Wednesday fires
The Ash Wednesday bushfires, known in South Australia as Ash Wednesday II, were a series of bushfires that occurred in south-eastern Australia on 16 February 1983. Within twelve hours, more than 180 fires fanned by winds of up to 110 km per hour caused widespread destruction across the states...
) and during the 1960s. The major fires of 1939 also placed the community at risk with a major ignition point being nearby. In 1926 major fires
1925-26 Victorian bushfire season
During the 1925–26 Victorian bushfire season a series of major bushfires occurred between 26 January and 10 March 1926 in the state of Victoria in Australia...
in the area caused significant losses; the Post Office being the only building left standing.
2009 Bushfire
Kinglake was one of the main affected towns in the Black Saturday bushfires, with 42 people confirmed dead in Kinglake and Kinglake West, and more than 500 homes destroyed. Well-known resident and former GTV-9GTV-9
GTV is a commercial television station in Melbourne, Australia owned by the Nine Network. The station is currently based at a new high-tech, purpose-built studios at 717 Bourke Street, Docklands.-History:...
newsreader Brian Naylor
Brian Naylor (broadcaster)
Brian Naylor was an Australian television presenter, best known for his longstanding stint as chief news presenter at National Nine News Melbourne from 1978 to 1998 and his sign-off line, "May your news be good news, and good-night."His son Matthew was killed in a plane crash at Kinglake, Victoria...
and his wife Moiree were confirmed to be amongst the dead. Not long after news reports had stated that the fire went through the whole town, Deputy Police Commissioner of Victoria Kieran Walshe revealed that six of the victims had been in the same car.