Bonnie Doon, Victoria Explained

Type:town
Bonnie Doon
State:vic
Coordinates:-37.0167°N 196°W
Pushpin Label Position:right
Lga:Shire of Mansfield
Use Lga Map:yes
Postcode:3720
Pop:666
Stategov:Eildon
Fedgov:Indi
Dist1:22
Dir1:W
Location1:Mansfield
Dist2:36
Dir2:NE
Location2:Alexandra
Dist3:40.5
Dir3:N
Location4:Melbourne
Dist4:168
Dir4:NE
Location3:Eildon

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 of Melbourne via the Melba Highway. 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.

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".

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: 2021 Census Bonnie Doon . Australian Bureau of Statistics . 29 September 2023.