Flowerdale, Victoria

{{Use Australian English|date=August 2019}} {{Use dmy dates|date=May 2017}} {{Infobox Australian place | type = town | name = Flowerdale | state = vic | image = FlowerdaleHotel1.JPG | caption = Flowerdale Hotel | image_alt = | use_lga_map = yes | relief = | coordinates = {{coord|37|20|41|S|145|17|12|E|display=inline,title}} | pushpin_map_caption = | pushpin_label_position = | map_alt = | pop = 790 | pop_year = {{CensusAU|2021}} | pop_footnotes = <ref name=census>{{Census 2021 AUS|id=SAL20932|name=Flowerdale (Vic) (State)|accessdate=5 July 2022|quick=on}}</ref> | poprank = | density = | density_footnotes = | established = | established_footnotes = | abolished = | gazetted = | postcode = 3717 | elevation = | elevation_footnotes = | area = | area_footnotes = | timezone = | utc = | timezone-dst = | utc-dst = | dist1 = 95 | dir1 = N | location1 = [[Melbourne]] | dist2 = 42 | dir2 = SW | location2 = [[Yea, Victoria|Yea]] | dist3 = 31 | dir3 = SE | location3 = [[Broadford, Victoria|Broadford]] | lga = Shire of Murrindindi | lga2 = Shire of Mitchell | seat = | region = | county = | division = | stategov = [[Electoral district of Eildon|Eildon]] | fedgov = [[Division of Indi|Indi]] | visitation_num = | visitation_year = | visitation_footnotes = | managing_authorities = | url = | maxtemp = | maxtemp_footnotes = | mintemp = | mintemp_footnotes = | rainfall = | rainfall_footnotes = | near-n = [[Strath Creek, Victoria|Strath Creek]] | near-ne = [[Strath Creek, Victoria|Strath Creek]] | near-e = [[Hazeldene, Victoria|Hazeldene]] | near-se = [[Glenburn, Victoria|Glenburn]] | near-s = [[Kinglake, Victoria|Kinglake]] | near-sw = [[Kinglake West, Victoria|Kinglake West]] | near-w = [[Clonbinane, Victoria|Clonbinane]] | near-nw = [[Strath Creek, Victoria|Strath Creek]] | near = | footnotes = }} '''Flowerdale''' is a village in [[Victoria (Australia)|Victoria]], [[Australia]]. It is in the [[Shire of Murrindindi]] [[Local government in Australia|local government area]], {{convert|95|km|mi|0}} from the state capital, [[Melbourne]]. It is in the foothills of the [[Great Dividing Range]], in the upper catchment of the [[Goulburn River (Victoria)|Goulburn River]] system. At the [[2021 Australian census|2021 Census]], Flowerdale had a population of 790.<ref name=census>{{Census 2021 AUS|id=SAL20932|name=Flowerdale (Vic) (State)|accessdate=5 July 2022|quick=on}}</ref>

Flowerdale Post Office opened on 4 February 1881 and closed in 1974. Subsequently reopened at Hazeldene General Store and has operated there from around 2000 ongoing though April 2025<ref name = "Post Office">{{Citation | last = Phoenix Auctions History | title = Post Office List | url = http://www.phoenixauctions.com.au/cgi-bin/wsPhoenix.sh/Viewpocdwrapper.p?SortBy=VIC&filter=*Flowerdale* | access-date = 24 March 2021}}</ref>

The area was devastated by the [[Black Saturday bushfires]] in February 2009, with the loss of many houses. However, the school, hotel and community hall were spared.<ref name="The Age">{{cite news|url=http://www.theage.com.au/national/tiny-flowerdale-blossoms-no-longer-20090209-82dg.html |title=Tiny Flowerdale blossoms no longer |last=Baker| first=Richard |date=10 February 2009 |work=The Age |access-date=10 February 2009}}</ref>

==Hazeldene== On 9 April 2014. Flowerdale officially absorbed the adjacent locality of Hazeldene, following a decision by the state government to merge the two places. The council, which had supported the move, cited a community desire for a "unified sense of community identity" following the [[Black Saturday bushfires]], which had caused significant damage in both places.<ref name="merger">{{cite web | url=http://www.murrindindi.vic.gov.au/Your_Council/News_and_Public_Notices/One_locality_for_Flowerdale_and_Hazeldene | title=One locality for Flowerdale and Hazeldene | publisher=Shire of Murrundindi | date=9 April 2014 | access-date=10 June 2014 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140714163233/http://www.murrindindi.vic.gov.au/Your_Council/News_and_Public_Notices/One_locality_for_Flowerdale_and_Hazeldene | archive-date=14 July 2014 | url-status=dead }}</ref>

Hazeldene had a population of 535 at the [[Census in Australia#2006|2006 census]].<ref name="ABS">{{Census 2006 AUS|id=UCL220900|name=Hazeldene (L) (Urban Centre/Locality)|accessdate=8 February 2009|quick=on}}</ref> Over 200 houses had been destroyed and over 10 deaths were recorded in Hazeldene area during the bushfire.<ref name="UnderSiege">{{cite news |url=http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,25022560-2862,00.html |title=Victoria under siege as fires rage across state |last=Wotherspoon |first=Sarah |date=7 February 2009 |work=[[Herald Sun]] |access-date=8 February 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090208110233/http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,25022560-2862,00.html |archive-date=8 February 2009}}</ref> The General Store and Post Office were spared, but the Jarara Community Centre was destroyed. In its 2009–2010 Budget, Murrindindi Shire Council indicated that the Jarara Community Centre would be rebuilt but, due to the high fire danger associated with its previous site in Silver Creek Road, Council would rebuild it elsewhere within the Hazeldene/Flowerdale area.<ref>Murrindindi Shire Council, 2009–2010 Council Budget, adopted by Council in October 2009.</ref><ref>Jarara Community Centre Committee of Management Minutes of Meeting held on 25 May 2009.</ref> A new Flowerdale Community House was built and opened around 2015 on the Jarara site.

[[File:HazeldeneGeneralStore.JPG|thumb|Hazeldene General Store]]

==Sport== Golf was played at the course of the Valley View Golf Coaching Centre on Spring Valley Road, Flowerdale,<ref name="golf">{{Cite web |title=Valley View| publisher=Golf Select |url=http://www.golfselect.com.au/armchair/courseView.aspx?course_id=1731 |access-date=11 May 2009}}</ref> but the facility closed in about 2012. Tennis and cricket are played at the Spring Valley Recreation Reserve

==References== {{Reflist}}

[[Category:Towns in Victoria (state)]] [[Category:Shire of Murrindindi]] [[Category:Shire of Mitchell]]