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Mount Dandenong

(3767, 35 km E, Yarra Ranges Shire)

Both a township and a geographical feature in the Dandenong Ranges, Mount Dandenong (633 m) was linked as early as 1847 with the area that is now Mooroolbark by a tramway used for transporting sheep. It was opened up for settlement in 1892 as part of the Village Settlement scheme. Some 75 families each leased 10 acres (4 ha) of virgin bush on the plateau below the summit, but their orchards had been abandoned by 1920. With its restaurants and panoramic views, the William Ricketts Sanctuary, and picnic spots and lookouts through the Dandenong Ranges National Park, Mount Dandenong is a popular tourist destination.

Peter Baddeley