Greendale

Greendale is a rural/residential area 65 km north-west of Melbourne, northwards of the Western Freeway between Bacchus Marsh and Ballan. It is believed that the name is descriptive of the area, and Dale Creek flows through the village.

A Greendale township was surveyed in 1859. In 1869 the primary school was opened, and in 1877 an Anglican church was opened. The remains of the church are in a paddock opposite the Greendale Hotel. A Catholic church was also recorded in the Australian handbook in 1903:

A fire brigade was formed in 1902.

Rural/residential subdivisions occurred during the 1980s and by 2000 several hundred people lived there. (The Greendale postcode area, which included Myrniong, had 978 in 1996). The hotel (1876) has continued to operate, along with its general store, but the school closed in 1954.

In 2005 Paramount Pictures filmed the children's literature classic Charlotte's Web in Greendale with production drawing on local builders, gardeners and materials suppliers as well as casting for extras. The Greendale sheep farm Morrocdong with its oaks and poplars was considered a location that closely resembled the American town of Maine with its striking autumnal colours. The owners of the property fought to keep a number of American-style barns constructed for the filming on their property despite some local opposition.

The census population of Greendale and nearby environs was: