Healesville

Healesville Victoria
The Grand Hotel at Healesville
Healesville
Coordinates	37°39′22″S 145°30′50″E / 37.65611°S 145.51389°E / -37.65611; 145.51389Coordinates: 37°39′22″S 145°30′50″E / 37.65611°S 145.51389°E / -37.65611; 145.51389
Population	6,839 (2011 census)
Established	1864
Postcode(s)	3777
Elevation	199 m (653 ft)
Location	52 km (32 mi) from Melbourne 22 km (14 mi) from Lilydale
LGA(s)	Shire of Yarra Ranges
State electorate(s)	Eildon
Federal Division(s)	Casey
Mean max temp Mean min temp Annual rainfall 19.2 °C 67 °F 8 °C 46 °F 1,020.1 mm 40.2 in
Localities around Healesville: Chum Creek Toolangi Narbethong Dixons Creek Tarrawarra Healesville McMahons Creek Coldstream Gruyere Badger Creek Woori Yallock Don Valley

Healesville is a town in Victoria, Australia, 52 km north-east from Melbourne's central business district. Its local government area is the Shire of Yarra Ranges. At the 2011 Census, Healesville had a population of 6,839.

Healesville is situated on the Watts River, a tributary of the Yarra River.

The creation of a railway to the more distant Gippsland and Yarra Valley goldfields in the 1860s resulted in a settlement forming on the Watts River and its survey as a town in 1864. It was named after Richard Heales, the Premier of Victoria from 1860–1861. The post office opened on 1 May 1865. The town became a setting off point for the Woods Point Goldfield with the construction of the Yarra Track in the 1870s.

Healesville is well known for the Healesville Sanctuary, a nature park with hundreds of native Australian animals displayed in a semi-open natural setting and an active platypus breeding program.

The Yarra Valley Railway operates from Healesville Station on every Sunday, most public holidays and Wednesday to Sunday during school holidays.

Schools in Healesville include the Healesville Primary School, St Brigid's Catholic primary school, the rural Chum Creek Primary School, Badger Creek Primary School, Healesville High School and Worawa Aboriginal College, an Aboriginal school whose former students include noted Australian Rules Footballer David Wirrpanda. Much of what is now Healesville lies on the ancestral land of the Wurundjeri people. The Coranderrk mission station, set up in 1863, is located just south of the main township.