Kangaroo Ground, Victoria
| Kangaroo Ground Victoria | |||||||||||||||
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| Population | 1,208 (2021 census) | ||||||||||||||
| Postcode(s) | 3097 | ||||||||||||||
| Location |
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| LGA(s) | Shire of Nillumbik | ||||||||||||||
| State electorate(s) | Eildon | ||||||||||||||
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Kangaroo Ground is a town in Victoria, Australia, 26 km north-east of Melbourne's Central Business District, located within the Shire of Nillumbik local government area. Kangaroo Ground recorded a population of 1,208 at the 2021 census.
There are two sources for the origin of the name. The name arises from the extraordinary richness of the locality with kangaroo grass before it was settled. It is a descriptive term, apparently coined by William Ryrie but first formally recorded in February 1838 by Robert Hoddle in his diary: "Crossed a creek nearly dry and entered some forest land distant from Melbourne called Kangaroo Grounds.... It abounds in kangaroos, hence its name."