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]

Bonnie Doon
Victoria
The old town site of Bonnie Doon, prior to the construction of Lake Eildon
Bonnie Doon is located in Shire of Mansfield
Bonnie Doon
Bonnie Doon
Coordinates37°01′S 145°51′E / 37.017°S 145.850°E / -37.017; 145.850
Population666 (2021 census)[1]
Postcode(s)3720
Location
LGA(s)Shire of Mansfield
State electorate(s)Eildon
Federal division(s)Indi

History edit

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 edit

 
Aerial photo

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".

 
Bon Crescent

Lake edit

References edit

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

External links edit