Christmas Hills, Victoria
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Christmas Hills Victoria |
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| Population | 344 (2011 census) | ||||||||||||
| Established | 1884 | ||||||||||||
| Postcode(s) | 3775 | ||||||||||||
| Elevation | 152 m (499 ft) | ||||||||||||
| Location | 44 km (27 mi) from Melbourne | ||||||||||||
| LGA(s) | Shire of Nillumbik | ||||||||||||
| State electorate(s) | Eildon | ||||||||||||
| Federal Division(s) | McEwen | ||||||||||||
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| Sugarloaf Reservoir | |
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The reservoir at just under half capacity
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| Location | Christmas Hills, Victoria |
| Coordinates | 37°40′30″S 145°17′33″E / 37.67500°S 145.29250°E |
| Lake type | reservoir |
| Primary inflows | Maroondah Aqueduct, Yarra River |
| Basin countries | Australia |
| Surface area | 4.4 km2 (1.7 sq mi) |
Christmas Hills is a town in Victoria, Australia, 35 km north-east of Melbourne's Central Business District in the local government area of the Shire of Nillumbik. At the 2011 Census, Christmas Hills had a population of 344.
Christmas Hills is located between Kangaroo Ground and Yarra Glen, along Eltham-Yarra Glen Road (State Route C726), north of the Yarra River, in the Dandenong Ranges. In 1904, the Australian Handbook described Christmas Hills as "an excellent health resort".
The locality is very hilly, with One Tree Hill in the northwest rising to 372 m above sea level, and is home to several reserves, including One Tree Hill Reserve and Sugarloaf Reservoir Park, opened in 1980 and managed by Melbourne Water.
Christmas Hills owes its name to an emancipated convict and shepherd, David Christmas, who became lost on a 640-acre (2.6 km2) grazing lease in the area in 1842, and was found after days of wandering at a rise which was subsequently named after him. The area was considered to have poor quality soil, although nearby settlers earned an income from chopping firewood in the sclerophyll forests.
Gold was discovered at One Tree Hill in 1859, fuelling a brief goldrush. Quartz reef operations ended in 1864, and alluvial mining continued until 1908.
The area grew considerably in the 1870s; at one point the town had two hotels, two schools, a post office and a Mechanics' Institute.
The Post Office opened on 10 December 1874 as Christmas Hill, was renamed in 1913, and closed in 1974.
In 1884, a primary school was built, and by 1912, when the railway from Heidelberg to Hurstbridge was built, the area had a population of 146 and had become a tourist destination, popular with Melburnians seeking "clean air and an invigorating climate".
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