Bonnie Doon, Victoria
Encyclopedia
Bonnie Doon is a small village in Victoria, Australia
. It is located on the Maroondah Highway
, in the Shire of Mansfield. Bonnie Doon is 115 kilometres north-east from Melbourne
. At the 2006 census
, Bonnie Doon and the surrounding area had a population of 755.
discoveries in the area. It was originally named Doon after the town of that name
in Ireland
.
The Post Office opened on October 1, 1866 and was renamed Bonnie Doon in 1891 coinciding with the arrival of the railway.
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.
, are somewhat popular for weekend holidaymakers. This popularity was satirised in the Australian comedy, The Castle
, with popular quotes such as "ahhh... the serenity" and its catch-phrase song "We're going to Bonnie Doon".
Bonnie Doon previously had an Australian Rules football team competing in the now defunct Benalla & District Football League
.
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...
. It is located on the Maroondah Highway
Maroondah Highway
Maroondah Highway , is a major east-west thoroughfare in the eastern suburbs of Melbourne and a highway servicing the lower alpine region Victoria, Australia.-History:...
, in the Shire of Mansfield. Bonnie Doon is 115 kilometres north-east from Melbourne
Melbourne
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...
. At the 2006 census
Census in Australia
The Australian census is administered once every five years by the Australian Bureau of Statistics. The most recent census was conducted on 9 August 2011; the next will be conducted in 2016. Prior to the introduction of regular censuses in 1961, they had also been run in 1901, 1911, 1921, 1933,...
, Bonnie Doon and the surrounding area had a population of 755.
History
The township was established subsequent to goldGold
Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au and an atomic number of 79. Gold is a dense, soft, shiny, malleable and ductile metal. Pure gold has a bright yellow color and luster traditionally considered attractive, which it maintains without oxidizing in air or water. Chemically, gold is a...
discoveries in the area. It was originally named Doon after the town of that name
Doon, County Limerick
Doon is a village in east County Limerick close to the border of County Tipperary. It is also a parish in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cashel and Emly. The parish of Doon lies in the Baronies of Owenybeg, Coonagh, and Kilnemanagh...
in Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
.
The Post Office opened on October 1, 1866 and was renamed Bonnie Doon in 1891 coinciding with the arrival of the railway.
Much of the original town of Bonnie Doon was flooded by the construction of Lake Eildon
Lake Eildon
Lake Eildon is the impoundment created by Eildon Weir on the Goulburn River in southern Victoria, Australia. At 3,334,158 megalitres when full, it contains six times as much water as Sydney Harbour and is the second largest water storage in Victoria after Dartmouth Dam...
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 trailRail trail
A rail trail is the conversion of a disused railway easement into a multi-use path, typically for walking, cycling and sometimes horse riding. The characteristics of former tracks—flat, long, frequently running through historical areas—are appealing for various development. The term sometimes also...
, are somewhat popular for weekend holidaymakers. This popularity was satirised in the Australian comedy, The Castle
The Castle (film)
The Castle is a 1997 Australian comedy film directed by Rob Sitch. It starred Michael Caton, Anne Tenney, Stephen Curry, Sophie Lee, Eric Bana and Charles 'Bud' Tingwell. The screenwriting team comprised Sitch, Santo Cilauro, Tom Gleisner and Jane Kennedy of Working Dog Productions.The Castle was...
, with popular quotes such as "ahhh... the serenity" and its catch-phrase song "We're going to Bonnie Doon".
Bonnie Doon previously had an Australian Rules football team competing in the now defunct Benalla & District Football League
Benalla & District Football League
The Benalla & District Football League was an Australian rules football competition based in the Benalla region of Victoria, Australia.The Victorian Country Football League shut the competition down at the end of the 2009 season...
.