Vorlage:Redirect Vorlage:Infobox Australian Place
Kinglake is a town in Victoria, Australia. It is in the Shire of Murrindindi local government area. At the 2006 Census, Kinglake had a population of 1482.
Location
Kinglake, comprising forest, farmland, a national park and a township, is situated 65km north east of Melbourne in the Kinglake Ranges, part of the Great Dividing Range. The Kinglake Ranges vary in height from 525m - 610m above sea level. Many areas of Kinglake overlook the Melbourne sky line to the south west and the Yarra Valley wineries to the south. Kinglake is generally 3°C colder than Metropolitan Melbourne with the summers being very pleasant and heavy frosts and occasional snowfalls during winter.
History
Kinglake Post Office opened on May 14, 1883. There was also an office at Kinglake East open from 1914 until 1950. [1]
Sporting Teams
The local Australian Rules football club, known as 'The Lakers', plays in Division 2 of the Yarra Valley Mountain District Football League.
There is also a representative Basketball team that plays in the VJBL (Victorian Junior Basketball Leagues), under the Kinglake Basketball Club's guidance. These teams are also known as 'The Lakers'.[1]
Attractions
Kinglake National Park is a popular local attraction and is the closest national park to Melbourne. It has walking tracks for day hikes and camping grounds for overnight stays. Several popular and beautiful picnic areas are available around the perimeter of the national park.
Another pleasant nearby camping and outdoor spot is the Murrindindi nature reserve, running between the township of Toolangi and almost all the way to Yea. Recommended means of entrance is via the Melba Highway, 9km South of Yea. The nature reserve allows the lighting of campfires and contains several waterfalls that can be reached by way of the moderately difficult walking tracks.
Bushfires
Kinglake has a long history with bushfires when extreme weather conditions exist. Severe bushfires occurred during the end of January 2006 up until early February 2006, when the fires burnt over 1500ha in the few days they were going and the towns of Kinglake East and Kinglake Central were placed on extreme alert. The CFA, DSE Victoria and NSW firefighters managed to bring the fire to a halt. Previous occasions were in 1982 / 1983 season (Ash Wednesday fires) and during the 1960s. The major fires of 1939 also placed the community at risk with a major ignition point being nearby. 1926 saw major fires in the area with huge community losses with the Post Office being the only building left standing.Vorlage:Fact
2009 bushfire
Kinglake was one of the main affected towns in the February 7 Victorian bushfires in 2009, with 12 people confirmed dead in Kinglake and Kinglake West. Deputy police commissioner Kieran Walshe has stated that he believed the victims were all in the same car.[2] News reports have said that the fire has swept through the whole town.[3]
References
External links
Vorlage:Towns in Murrindindi Shire
- ↑ Vorlage:Citation
- ↑ Fourteen people dead, 100 homes destroyed in Victorian fires. Weekly Times Now, abgerufen am 8. Februar 2009.
- ↑ Scores feared dead in Victorian blazes. Australian Broadcasting Corporation, abgerufen am 8. Februar 2009.