Bonnie Doon, Victoria

Town in Victoria, Australia

37°01′S 145°51′E / 37.017°S 145.850°E / -37.017; 145.850Population666 (2021 census)^[1]Postcode(s)3720Location

168 km (104 mi) NE of Melbourne
22 km (14 mi) NE of Alexandra
21.1 km (13 mi) W of Mansfield

LGA(s)Shire of MansfieldState electorate(s)Eildon Federal division(s)Indi

Bonnie Doon is a town in Victoria, Australia. It is located on the Maroondah Highway, in the Shire of Mansfield. Bonnie Doon is 168 kilometres north-east from Melbourne. At the 2021 census, Bonnie Doon township had a population of 666.^[1]

History

The township was established subsequent to gold discoveries in the area. It was originally named Doon after the town of that name in Ireland. The Post Office opened on 1 October 1866 and was renamed Bonnie Doon in 1891 coinciding with the arrival of the railway.^[2]

Much of the original town of Bonnie Doon was flooded by the construction of Lake Eildon in the 1950s. The township was relocated; some buildings were picked up and moved, whilst others were able to remain in their original site, such as the churches.

Tourism

Lake Eildon makes Bonnie Doon a minor tourist town for water activities, and the surrounds of Bonnie Doon, which has a rail trail, are somewhat popular for weekend holidaymakers. This popularity was satirised in the Australian comedy, The Castle, with popular quotes such as "How's the serenity?" and its catch-phrase song "We're going to Bonnie Doon".

Lake

Lake Eildon and bridge, Bonnie Doon
Lake Eildon near Maroondah Hwy.

References

^ ^a ^b "2021 Census Bonnie Doon". Australian Bureau of Statistics. Retrieved 29 September 2023.
^ Phoenix Auctions History, Post Office List, retrieved 20 January 2021