Emerald is a town in the
Greater Melbourne
Melbourne ( , ; Boonwurrung/ or ) is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second most-populous city in Australia, after Sydney. The city's name generally refers to a metropolitan area also known ...
area of
Victoria,
Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...
, south-east of Melbourne's
Central Business District
A central business district (CBD) is the Commerce, commercial and business center of a city. It contains commercial space and offices, and in larger cities will often be described as a financial district. Geographically, it often coincides wit ...
, located within the Shires of
Cardinia and
Yarra Ranges local government area
A local government area (LGA) is an administrative division of a country that a local government is responsible for. The size of an LGA varies by country but it is generally a subdivision of a federated state, state, province, division (politica ...
s. Emerald recorded a population of 5,890 at the
2021 census.
[
Emerald also includes Cardinia Reservoir, Melbourne's second largest reservoir.
]
History
The Emerald Post Office opened on 22 December 1899.
Attractions
Puffing Billy and Emerald Lake
Emerald is known for the Emerald Lake (Lake Treganowan). The lake offers barbecue facilities, children's playgrounds, a pool, paddle boats, walking tracks, fishing, Environment Centre, model railway, café, and a railway station on the Puffing Billy Railway
The Puffing Billy Railway is a Narrow gauge railway, narrow gauge heritage railway in the southern foothills of the Dandenong Ranges in Melbourne, Australia. The railway was one of the five narrow gauge lines of the Victorian Railways, narr ...
.
The Puffing Billy Railway is a heritage
Heritage may refer to:
History and society
* A heritage asset A heritage asset is an item which has value because of its contribution to a nation's society, knowledge and/or culture. Such items are usually physical assets, but some countries also ...
steam-operated railway, opened in 1900, which runs between Belgrave and Gembrook, recreating the 1920s heyday of this narrow-gauge line. It has three stations within Emerald: at Emerald
Emerald is a gemstone and a variety of the mineral beryl (Be3Al2(SiO3)6) colored green by trace amounts of chromium or sometimes vanadium.Hurlbut, Cornelius S. Jr., and Kammerling, Robert C. (1991). ''Gemology'', John Wiley & Sons, New York ...
itself, Nobelius and Lakeside, with Nobelius being a "stops-if-required" station. There is also Nobelius Siding, located at the former Nobelius Nurseries Packing Shed, between Emerald and Nobelius stations. It is only used for functions, or the regular "Dinner Train".
Other attractions
The areas around Emerald are excellent for finding chanterelle
Chanterelle is the common name of several species of fungi in the genera ''Cantharellus'', ''Craterellus'', ''Gomphus (fungus), Gomphus'', and ''Polyozellus''. They are orange, yellow or white, meaty and funnel-shaped. On the lower surface, mos ...
s and other edible mushrooms, and are a popular destination for mushroom hunters each autumn.
There is also an Emerald and District museum set in the Nobelius Heritage Park. It adjoins Emerald Lake Park.
Events
For many years, Emerald had an annual Carols by Candlelight
Carols by Candlelight is an annual Australian Christmas tradition that was popularised in Melbourne in 1938. The tradition has since spread around the world. It involves people gathering, usually outdoors in a park, to sing carols by candlel ...
at Worrell Reserve. However, it ceased to run in 2009 due to insurance issues. It moved instead to a smaller version at Saint Mark's Church.
In 2025, Emerald Lake hosts a regular parkrun
Parkrun (stylised as parkrun) is a collection of 5K run, events for runners, walkers and volunteers that take place every Saturday morning at more than 2,000 locations in 23 countries across five continents.
Parkrun was founded by Paul Sinto ...
around Lake Nobelius and alongside the Puffing Billy Railway.
Emerald FunFest
FunFest is a day-long family street party event which kicks off the PAVE Festival which runs annually for 7–10 days in April. On FunFest day there are road closures on the northern part of Kilvington Drive, all of Puffing Billy Place and the western part of Heroes Avenue, with stalls, music, dance and free entertainment. The FunFest was preceded for many years by the Emerald WinterFest which was held annually in July.
Puffing Billy Running Festival
Th
Puffing Billy Running Festival
is an annual event held between Belgrave and Emerald Lake. The event includes a kids dash, fun run, classic, and a half marathon, which has been held in the third quarter of the year since 2023.
The "Classic" is the latest incarnation of the Great Train Race (GTR) in which participants attempt to beat Puffing Billy to the finish line and is organised by volunteers of th
Puffing Billy Preservation Society
The 25th Great Train Race in 2006 had 2,403 participants. Participants of the GTR may win prizes; the first male and female runners of the GTR held on 6 May 2007 received a return flight to Antarctica as well as a unique Great Train Race trophy.
PAVE Arts Festival
The PAVE Festival is the largest festival in the Dandenong Ranges and Cardinia Shire, running over 7–10 days and incorporating all forms of the Arts. PAVE stands for " Performing And Visual arts
The visual arts are art forms such as painting, drawing, printmaking, sculpture, ceramics (art), ceramics, photography, video, image, filmmaking, design, crafts, and architecture. Many artistic disciplines such as performing arts, conceptual a ...
in Emerald", which is an annual mid-April festival, started in 2006. The festival includes a number of activities taking place at different locations around Emerald over a number of days. Such activities include the Emerald Arts Society art exhibition at the Environment Centre at Emerald Lake, a burlesque dance and circus performance, the popular "Women in Song" featuring four female singer songwriters, live comedy, a photography exhibition, an exhibition and demonstration of local art courses and lessons, The Emerald FunFest, Literary events such as Poet's Breakfast, Yarn Event and Golden Cow Literary night, Voice concert, classical performance by Dandenong Ranges Orchestra, storytelling, open gardens, a historic tour of Emerald and live music. The 2011 festival featured Joe Camilleri and the Black Sorrows, The Ska Vendors and Kerri Simpson, Lloyd Spiegel, Lily and King.
Cardinia Reservoir
Cardinia Reservoir
A reservoir (; ) is an enlarged lake behind a dam, usually built to water storage, store fresh water, often doubling for hydroelectric power generation.
Reservoirs are created by controlling a watercourse that drains an existing body of wa ...
is situated entirely in Emerald, Victoria. It is south of the main township and the southern border of the suburb follows the Reservoir Boundary. It is the second largest reservoir in Melbourne's water supply.
Cardinia Reservoir Park
On the southern side of the reservoir there is a large park run by Parks Victoria
Parks Victoria is a government agency of the state of Victoria, Australia.
Parks Victoria was established in December 1996 as a statutory authority, reporting to the Victorian Minister for Environment. The ''Parks Victoria Act 2018'' updates ...
. Facilities include barbecues and toilets and is open every day of the year. The park is home to many species of wildlife including kangaroos, wombats and possums. It is even possible to walk across one of the dam walls at the park. Despite being predominately located in the suburb of Emerald, the entrance to the park is approximately 10 minutes drive out of Emerald in Narre Warren East.
Cardinia Reservoir is the designated place to hold water when the desalination
Desalination is a process that removes mineral components from saline water. More generally, desalination is the removal of salts and minerals from a substance. One example is Soil salinity control, soil desalination. This is important for agric ...
plant is operating from a pipe from Wonthaggi.
Education
Emerald has a Kindergarten and a Pre School, Emerald Primary School (with roughly 400 students) which serves the local area and a secondary school, Emerald Secondary College which serves the Southern Dandenong Ranges
The Dandenong Ranges (commonly just the Dandenongs) are a set of low mountain ranges in Victoria, Australia, approximately east of the state capital Melbourne. A minor branch of the Great Dividing Range, the Dandenongs consist mostly of rol ...
region. Emerald has its own library
A library is a collection of Book, books, and possibly other Document, materials and Media (communication), media, that is accessible for use by its members and members of allied institutions. Libraries provide physical (hard copies) or electron ...
at Worrell Reserve as part of the Casey Cardinia Library Corporation.
The Emerald Community House runs adult education, pre-accredited ACFE training courses and hobby courses. There are also childcare programs, out of school hours care and children's extension programs and disability services. The University of the Third Age
The University of the Third Age (U3A), is an international movement whose aims are the education and stimulation of mainly retired members of the community — those in their third 'age' of life.
There is no universally accepted model for the U ...
is located in U3A House, 402 Main Street.
Emergency services
Emerald has a part-time police station
A police station is a facility operated by police or a similar law enforcement agency that serves to accommodate police officers and other law enforcement personnel. The role served by a police station varies by agency, type, and jurisdiction, ...
, a full-time ambulance station as well as a volunteer Country Fire Authority
The Country Fire Authority (CFA) is a Volunteer fire department, volunteer fire service responsible for fire suppression, rescues, and response to other accidents and hazards across most of the state of Victoria (Australia), Victoria, Australia ...
brigade. Th
Emerald Fire Brigade
is located on Emerald-Monbulk Road near the roundabout of Belgrave-Gembrook Road, and attends approximately 190 emergency incidents per year.
The Emerald Volunteer State Emergency Service
The State Emergency Service (SES) is the name used by a number of separate civil defence organisations in Australia that provide assistance during and after major incidents. Specifically, the services deal with floods, storms and tsunamis, b ...
Unit is located at 277–287 Belgrave-Gembrook Road. It attends several hundred storm and wind damage incidents every year and also attends 20–30 road accidents a year for rescue
Rescue comprises responsive operations that usually involve the saving of life, removal from danger, liberation from restraint, or the urgent treatment of injury, injuries after an incident. It may be facilitated by a range of tools and equipm ...
purposes using such tools as the jaws of life.
Demographics
Emerald's population as of the 2006 Census was 6,135 (a decrease of 9 from the 2001 census), (3,050 male, 3,085 female), 4,662 people were aged 15 years and over (2,280 male, 2,382 female) and 460 were aged 65 years and over (200 male, 260 female).
According to the 2001 Census, 17 people identified themselves as Indigenous persons (comprises Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander).
5,461 are Australian Citizens, while 4,770 people were identified as having been born in Australia. 1,365 were born overseas. 5,608 people speak English alone.
Sport and recreation
The town has an Australian Rules
Australian football, also called Australian rules football or Aussie rules, or more simply football or footy, is a contact sport played between two teams of 18 players on an Australian rules football playing field, oval field, often a modified ...
football team competing in the Yarra Valley Mountain District Football League
The AFL Yarra Ranges was an Australian rules football and netball organisation based in the Yarra Valley and Dandenong Ranges within Victoria (Australia), Victoria. The organisation operated the Yarra Ranges Senior Football league and the Yarra ...
and a basketball team competing in the Knox Amateur Basketball Association.
Emerald also consists of a tennis club and a netball club.
Emerald is also home to Kreationz Cheerleading and Dance School where the local children and young adults compete statewide and nationally. Kreationz also perform for the locals at local fates, markets and events.
'Emerald City School of Dance' have dance classes for children and adults. Classes are held at the Emerald Community House.
Emerald Cricket Club celebrated its 125-year anniversary in 2018.
Media
Local media
Emerald receives standard Melbourne Television and radio broadcasts. However Emerald also has its own local radio station 3MDR, located in the Emerald Hall. 3MDR broadcasts are aimed at the Dandenong Ranges region with volunteer staff and announcers.
The two local newspapers are the ''Ranges Trader Mail'' and the ''Free Press Leader''. However neither paper is actually published in Emerald.
The monthly ''Signpost'' magazine is also published in Emerald.
Television dramas set in Emerald
'' Solo One'' is a TV series screened in 1976 set in Emerald, about a local (fictional) policeman dealing with crime in Emerald.
Filming of ''A Country Practice
''A Country Practice'' is an Australian television soap opera/serial which was broadcast on the Seven Network from 18 November 1981 until 22 November 1993, and subsequently on Network Ten from 13 April 1994 to 5 November 1994. Altogether, 14 ...
'' in the fictional town of Wandin Valley was moved to Emerald when the show moved to Network Ten
Network 10 (commonly known as the 10 Network, Channel 10 or simply 10) is an Australian commercial television network. It is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Paramount Global's Paramount Networks UK & Australia, UK & Australia division and is o ...
for one series in 1994.
Filming for the ABC
ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script.
ABC or abc may also refer to:
Arts, entertainment and media Broadcasting
* Aliw Broadcasting Corporation, Philippine broadcast company
* American Broadcasting Company, a commercial American ...
children's drama ''Come Midnight Monday'' was effected in and around Emerald, Belgrave & Cockatoo
A cockatoo is any of the 21 species of parrots belonging to the family Cacatuidae, the only family in the superfamily Cacatuoidea. Along with the Psittacoidea ( true parrots) and the Strigopoidea (large New Zealand parrots), they make up t ...
, depicting the fictional country town of Widgery.
Notable people
* Vanessa Amorosi (b. 1981), singer-songwriter
* Alison Evans, novelist and writer
*Alfred Gregory
Alfred Gregory FBIPP, FRPS (Hon) (12 February 1913 – 9 February 2010) was a British mountaineer, explorer and professional photographer. A member of the 1953 British Mount Everest Expedition that made the first ascent of Mount Everest, he ...
(1913–2010), mountaineer, explorer and photographer
* Matthew Lobbe (b. 1989), Australian rules football player
* Kade Simpson (b. 1984), Australian rules football player
*Red Symons
Redmond Symons (born 13 June 1949) is an Australian musician and television and radio personality. He was the lead guitarist in the band Skyhooks, the snide judge of 'Red Faces' (a segment of the long-running variety show '' Hey Hey It's Satur ...
(b. 1949), musician and media personality
See also
* Shire of Pakenham
The Shire of Pakenham was a local government area about southeast of Melbourne, the state capital of Victoria, Australia. The shire covered an area of , and existed from 1862 until 1994.
History
The Berwick Road District was incorporated on ...
— Parts of Emerald were previously within this former local government area.
* Shire of Sherbrooke
The Shire of Sherbrooke was a local government area about east of Melbourne, the state capital of Victoria, Australia. The shire covered an area of , and existed from 1963 until 1994. Its largest population centre was the town of Belgrave.
H ...
— Parts of Emerald were previously within this former local government area.
References
External links
Australian Places - Emerald
Eastern Dandenong Ranges
Emerald Volunteer Fire Brigade - Protecting Your Community
{{Shire of Yarra Ranges suburbs
Suburbs of the Shire of Cardinia
Suburbs of Yarra Ranges