Rockbank is a township and rural locality in 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...

, Victoria

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, 29 km west from Melbourne's central business district

Melbourne city centre

Melbourne City Centre is an area of Melbourne in Victoria, Australia. It is not to be confused with the larger local government area of the City of Melbourne...

. Its Local Government Area is the Shire of Melton

Shire of Melton

The Shire of Melton is a Local Government Area in Victoria, Australia, located in the outer western suburbs of Melbourne. The Shire comprises several settled urban areas, the main one being the township of Melton, which lies at the western end of the Shire...

. At the 2006 Census, Rockbank had a population of 1,337.

Rockbank Post Office opened on 1 January 1862.

The area lies east of the township of Melton

Melton, Victoria

Melton is an outer-suburban city of Melbourne Victoria, Australia located 35 km east from Melbourne's central business district. It is the administrative centre for the Shire of Melton Local Government Area. At the 2006 Census, the Shire of Melton had a population of 35,490...

 and west of the suburb of Deer Park

Deer Park, Victoria

Deer Park is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 17 km west from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Brimbank...

. The land contains many large volcanic

Volcano

2. Bedrock3. Conduit 4. Base5. Sill6. Dike7. Layers of ash emitted by the volcano8. Flank| 9. Layers of lava emitted by the volcano10. Throat11. Parasitic cone12. Lava flow13. Vent14. Crater15...

 rocks making it poor for cultivating crops. The rocks have been used to build walls between paddocks - characteristic of the area west of Melbourne. Mount Cotterell is the highest land point in the vicinity.

The railway station is on the Melton line. Rockbank is also served by the Route bus that runs along Western Highway, linking Melton and Sunshine

Sunshine, Victoria

Sunshine is a suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia lying 11 to 13 km west of the CBD. Its Local Government Area is the City of Brimbank. At the 2006 Census, Sunshine had a population of 8,070.-History:...

.

The rich, red volcanic soil in the area has helped build the reputation of local wineries. Rockbank is also the host to Victoria's Annual Olive

Olive

The olive , Olea europaea), is a species of a small tree in the family Oleaceae, native to the coastal areas of the eastern Mediterranean Basin as well as northern Iran at the south end of the Caspian Sea.Its fruit, also called the olive, is of major agricultural importance in the...

 Festival. The earlier agricultural activities date back to the pastoral exploits of William Cross Yuille

William Cross Yuille

William Cross Yuille was an Australian pastoralist who helped establish the horse racing industry in Victoria, Australia...

 on the plains.

The town has an Australian rules football

Australian rules football

Australian rules football, officially known as Australian football, also called football, Aussie rules or footy is a sport played between two teams of 22 players on either...

 team competing in the Riddell District Football League

Riddell District Football League

The Riddell District Football League is an Australian rules football league affiliated with Football Victoria.The league covers towns in the Macedon Ranges Victoria and an area from Rockbank in the south to Broadford in the north....

.