# Shire of Nillumbik

The Shire of Nillumbik (/ˈnɪləmbɪk/ NILL-əm-bik) is a local government area in Victoria, Australia. It contains outer northern suburbs of Melbourne and rural localities beyond the urban area. It has an area of 432 square kilometres and at the 2021 census, the Shire had a population of 62,895. It was formed in 1994 from the merger of parts of the Shires of Eltham, Diamond Valley, Healesville and the City of Whittlesea. The Shire uses the tag-line The Green Wedge Shire. The Nillumbik Council offices are located in Civic Drive, Greensborough.
The shire's name is derived from the Parish of Nillumbik, which was named in the 1830s the term nyilum bik meaning "Bad Earth" in the local Aboriginal language Woiwurrung.
On 13 October 1998, Nillumbik Council was suspended by then Local Government minister Rob Maclellan, with the state government declaring that infighting was affecting the ability of the council to function.
Nillumbik was rated third of 590 Australian local government areas in the BankWest Quality of Life Index 2008.

## Council

The current council was elected in October 2024 for a four-year term.
| Ward | Party | Councillors | Notes |
| Blue Lake | Independent | Grant Brooker | |
| Bunjil | Independent Labor | Naomi Joiner | Deputy Mayor |
| Edendale | Independent | Kelly Joy | |
| Ellis | Independent | Peter Perkins | |
| Sugarloaf | Independent | Kim Cope | |
| Swipers Gully | Greens | Kate McKay | |
| Wingrove | Independent | John Dumaresq | Mayor |

## Townships and localities

The 2021 census recorded the shire population at 62,895, up from 61,273 in the 2016 census.
Population :
| Locality | 2016 | 2021 |
| Arthurs Creek | 496 | 478 |
| Bend of Islands | 295 | 267 |
| Christmas Hills | 355 | 365 |
| Cottles Bridge | 601 | 609 |
| Diamond Creek | 11,733 | 12,503 |
| Doreen^ | 21,298 | 27,122 |
| Eltham | 18,314 | 18,847 |
| Eltham North^ | 6,805 | 6,830 |
| Greensborough^ | 20,821 | 21,070 |
| Hurstbridge | 3,450 | 3,554 |
| Kangaroo Ground | 1,095 | 1,208 |
| Kinglake^ | 1,536 | 1,662 |
| Kinglake West^ | 1,166 | 1,305 |
| North Warrandyte | 2,956 | 3,027 |
| Nutfield | 152 | 158 |
| Panton Hill | 1,062 | 1,063 |
| Plenty | 2,364 | 2,575 |
| Research | 2,649 | 2,695 |
| Smiths Gully | 369 | 356 |
| St Andrews | 1,226 | 1,186 |
| Strathewen | 178 | 198 |
| Watsons Creek | 51 | 58 |
| Wattle Glen | 1,961 | 1,911 |
| Yan Yean^ | 252 | 246 |
| Yarrambat | 1,588 | 1,602 |
^ - Territory divided with another LGA

## Facilities

Nillumbik's oldest public building is the Eltham courthouse which was restored in 2022.
Eltham Library and Diamond Valley Library located in Greensborough are operated by Yarra Plenty Regional Library A mobile library service is also operated by Yarra Plenty Regional Library serving the locations of Doreen, Panton Hill, St Andrews, Hurstbridge, North Warrandye, Kangaroo Ground, Diamond Creek and Christmas Hills.
Nillumbikk U3A provides a wide range of courses open to all retired and semi-retired people
NillumBUG is a bicycle user group for the Nillumbik Shire.

## Books on the Shire of Nillumbik

Marshall, Marguerite, Nillumbik Now and Then Research, Vic. MPrint Publications, 2008 ISBN 9780646491226