Diamond Creek is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 23 km north-east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the Shire of Nillumbik. At the 2006 Census, Diamond Creek had a population of 10,287.

History

It is named after the Diamond Creek watercourse, a tributary of the Yarra River which flows through the area in a generally southward direction. The name relates to a story of a farmer whose prized bull (although some stories refer to it as female), named 'Diamond'. When the bull was drowned in the creek, it briefly rose and there was a diamond shape on its head.

Early white settlers in the Diamond Creek area are thought to have been timber getters and paling splitters. The township was established near the site of the Caledonia gold run, discovered in 1841. The Diamond Reef was found in 1863, and the township of Diamond Creek was subsequently developed, the Post Office opening on February 7, 1863.In 1864 a Methodist church, and a school were established. The township was surveyed between 1886 and 1887. The name Nillumbik was given to the area around the town, which lasted until the turn of the century. After the gold rush, the area was used for orchards and small scale farming. The railway line from Eltham to Hurstbridge was opened in 1912, including a station at Diamond Creek.

In the postwar years, population increased dramatically in Diamond Creek and its neighbouring areas. The Diamond Valley Shire was created out of the northern part of the Shire of Heidelberg in 1964. Further population growth occurred throughout the 1970s.

The early twentieth century saw a decline in the orchard industry, as orchards in Melbourne's eastern townships such as Doncaster and Nunawading, fell into favour due to better marketing. Diamond Creek remained relatively untouched during the boom in recreational travel that followed the popularity of the motor car.

Geography

The Diamond Creek shopping centre and railway station are situated on the banks of Diamond Creek, and the Hurstbridge railway line follows the course of Diamond Creek northwards from Eltham to its terminus at Hurstbridge.

Schools

Schools in Diamond Creek include Plenty Valley Montessori School, Sacred Heart Primary School, Diamond Creek Primary School, Diamond Creek East Primary School and Diamond Valley College.

Community

The Diamond Creek Community Centre is jointly administered by the Shire of Nillumbik and the YMCA and provides a venue for basketball, gymnasium and group fitness classes, child care, community classes and public and private functions. The Community Centre served as an evacuation point, providing emergency accommodation, first aid and government relief to local residents affected by the February 2009 Victorian bushfires.

A prominent building in Diamond Creek is St John's Anglican church situated at the top of Main Road.

Diamond Creek has a football team playing in the Northern Football League.

The Rotary Club of Diamond Creek organise the annual Diamond Creek Town Fair, a community event held in September. It commences with a parade which features local schools, child care centres and community groups. The fair offers food, crafts and fairground attractions, rides, wood chopping, local community stallholders, and entertainment. It traditionally concludes with an evening torchlight parade by the local CFA units and a fireworks display.

Diamond Creek is home to a Donkey Shelter which provides accommodation and care for neglected donkeys from all around the state of Victoria.

Diamond Creek Little Athletics Club is one of the eight clubs competing weekly at the Diamond Valley Little Athletics Centre at Willinda Park, Greensborough.

Diamond Creek also has a busy CFA urban fire brigade, which attends to over 230 emergency calls annually. The brigade was established in 1942. In 2005, a new emergency services centre was built on the main Hurstbridge Rd, which includes CFA, ambulance (MAS) and Police facilities. The Diamond Creek CFA brigade has approximately 60 members, one pumper, two tankers and a Nissan Patrol, as well as an extensive collection of modern, advanced firefighting equipment and training facilitates