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Page Last Updated:
Thursday, 10 July 2003 |
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Home>About the Shire of Nillumbik>Areas and townships of the Shire of Nillumbik>Diamond Creek
| Once known as Nillumbik, the township received its name from surveyor Edward Bage in 1867. However in 1842, the creek which runs through it was officially known as Diamond Rivulet, which (mythology has it) was named for a bullock which drowned in the creek. The former Shire of Diamond Valley used a bullock as its symbol and the local primary school continues to do so.
The hill to the east of the town is scattered with old gold mines and tunnels. Gold was first discovered on the top of this hill in 1862 and the main shaft sunk ultimately to 300 metres (1000 feet). The Union Mine at the foot of the hill joined the shaft at the 122 metre (400 feet) level. A fire in 1915 brought mining to a halt, and despite one attempt in 1950, the mines remain closed.
Near the Challenger Street Reserve once stood the Union Mine and Nillumbik Farm Cottage. The Cottage (of which little remains) is possibly the oldest building in the district. The farm, home to Henry Arthur, may have provided hospitality to TH Nutt who surveyed and named the township Nillumbik in 1839, perhaps on the suggestion of Arthur.
Ellis Cottage is probably the earliest stone building in the area, it dates from around 1865. Its builder, William Ellis, purchased '107 acres for 107 pounds' at Nillumbik in 1850, which he developed during the 1870s as a model farm with orchards, dairy cattle and vegetable growing. Ellis Cottage now houses the Nillumbik Historical Society collection and is open on the first Sunday of each month.
The Diamond Creek bridge was opened in April 1898 and was built of iron. It remains today although a second carriageway has since been constructed.
Between 1870 and 1900 orchards spread along the Diamond Valley, and the prosperity of the fruit growing industry generated the small townships of Plenty, Doreen, Arthurs Creek and Strathewen.
The era between the 1920s and 1950s was one of stagnation for the area following the demise of gold mining and orcharding. The area was slow to develop as a suburb of Melbourne despite having an electric train service. In fact, the town was without electricity to homes until the mid 1920s.
This slowness of development did however preserve the rural charm and character of the town which has, since the 1960s, attracted people trying to escape the 'rat race' and suburbia of Melbourne.
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