Montrose

Montrose is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 33 km east of Melbourne's central business district.

Montrose is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 33 km east of Melbourne's central business district. Its local government area is the Shire of Yarra Ranges. At the 2016 census, Montrose had a population of 6,761. Montrose varies in altitude from about 91 m to 324 m above sea level. Montrose covers an area of 11 square kilometres (2,700 acres).Montrose is situated at the picturesque foothills of Mount Dandenong. Close to the Yarra Ranges, the Dandenong Ranges and the wineries of the Yarra Valley, it is a gateway to many tourist destinations, offering a variety of bed and breakfast accommodation for visitors. Montrose also offers a range of fine dining options and a selection of tea houses including a large fine chocolate shop.

Local sporting clubs, churches and schools surround the town centre, which hosts a craft market. The Montrose Market is held monthly.

European settlers initially referred to the area of Montrose as South Mooroolbark, and used the land for farming during the late 1800s. The town was also informally called Double Pitts after the double-handed saw pit method used in the local timber industry. The settlement was renamed to Montrose in 1892 by local landowner James Walker, whose son had a store on Colchester Road, Kilsyth named Rose Mont. A post office was opened in December 1898, and closed in July 1994. During the late 1800s and early 1900s, Montrose was used extensively for orchards, partly due to its high rainfall. In 1911 the population of Montrose was only 133, however residential development increased in the 1920s providing accommodation for tourists and permanent residents.The Montrose Public Hall was funded by the local community and opened in July 1914, on the eve of World War I. A monument for World War I was constructed in 1921, which also became a memorial for World War II in 1947. The population of Montrose boomed after World War II, resulting in many more young families. An infant health centre was opened in 1949. A bushfire in 1961 destroyed 23 houses. By the 1970s Montrose had become part of the sprawl of suburbs extending into the Dandenongs.