Whittlesea

Whittlesea is located 40 km north of Melbourne in the Plenty Valley. It was originally called Plenty but the name was changed in 1864 to Whittlesea. Being close as it is to Melbourne, it does not come under the Urban Growth Boundaries outlined until 2030. It will continue to remain as a separate town to Melbourne and not become a suburb.

The area is made up of a number of small towns with Whittlesea being the largest city in the area. The surrounding towns are located throughout the valley and offer a wide choice of local markets, local growers, attractions and historical buildings.

This is a fast growing area of Victoria and the area of Kinglake was devastated by bushfires recently with many lives lost and houses lost. The area is starting to recover its past beauty and the Plenty Valley area is very scenic with some great views.

The area is multicultural with families from all over the world and a diverse range of restaurants and activities can be found here. Around 70% of the area is a rural community with the remaining 30% being urban areas.

The area has many primary and secondary schools located in each township with public, private and religious schools to choose from.

There are many parks in the area to take advantage of for picnics and walks and play equipment for the children.

The area is served by 2 local papers the Whittlesea Leader and the Northern weekly.