Median house price
—
No data available
VIC · Southern Grampians Council
Melville Forest, 3315
Est. population · Jun 2025
62
Growth (1 yr)
0.0%
Growth (5 yr)
0.0%
Median age
36
Median income
$1,187/wk
Employment rate
77.1%
Languages at home
Mostly English at home
2021 Census · usual residence
- National parks
Suburb profile
Melville Forest is a quieter smaller community in Southern Grampians Council, where peace, space and a country-town pace still dominate. It is a long way from Melbourne, so life orients around regional towns and local hubs rather than the metro area. Families and commuters make up much of the community, with plenty of young families in the mix.
Weekends tend to revolve around local favourites: a café, a market run, a walk through town. Everyday basics may be close by, but bigger shopping and services typically require a trip to a nearby centre. Local green pockets are modest, with bigger outdoor outings usually found in neighbouring areas.
Day-to-day life is more car-oriented here than in denser, more walkable pockets. Property sits in a premium price band and is harder to enter for many buyers.
At a glance
Melville Forest snapshot
A quick read of housing, growth, livability, and risk
Median rent
—
No data available
Population (ERP)
62
0.0% annual growth
Dwelling vacancy
20.0%
Census unoccupied dwellings
How it compares
Relative standing using percentiles, ranks, and national deciles
Safety
11th
percentile in state (higher = safer)
Pop. growth
25th
percentile in VIC
Advantage (IRSAD)
10/10
national SEIFA decile
Population growth
Recent ERP change over 1 and 5 years
Housing mix
Dwelling types from the 2021 Census
Risks & flags
Quick scan — open a section below for full context
Living here
Population
Estimated resident population
62(June 2025)
0.0% annual · 0.0% over 5 years · 25th percentile in VIC
Growth figures & methodology
- Annual growth
- 0.0%
- 5-year growth
- 0.0%
- Change in 1 year
- 0
- Change in 5 years
- 0
- Growth rank in VIC
- 25th percentile
ABS Estimated Resident Population allocated to this suburb from SA2-level data. Not an official ABS suburb count.
Methodology
Figures are allocated from ABS Estimated Resident Population at Statistical Area Level 2 (SA2), using 2021 Census share within overlapping SA2 regions. Where Census data is unavailable, area overlap is used instead.
The dashed chart line is a simple growth-trend estimate to June 2030 (~50), extrapolated at -0.2% average annual growth since 2011. It is illustrative only — not an official ABS forecast.
2021 Census figures
2021 Census
- Population
- 63
- Median age
- 36
- Median household income / week
- $1,187
- Dwelling vacancy
- 20%
- Unoccupied private dwellings
- 5 of 25
- Median monthly mortgage
- $797
- Employment rate
- 77.1%
- Dwelling mix (houses / semi / flats)
- 22 / 0 / 0
Contributes to desirability score · Community (5%)
Employment, household income and age diversity (2021 Census)
Data sources & freshness
- 2021 Census — General Community Profile — Australian Bureau of Statistics · Updated
The 2026 Census runs in August 2026; suburb-level updates are expected from mid-2027.
- Estimated Resident Population — Australian Bureau of Statistics · 2025 · Updated · SA2 ERP allocated to suburb boundaries
Community & culture
No 2021 Census cultural diversity data for this suburb yet.
Data sources & freshness
- 2021 Census — General Community Profile — Australian Bureau of Statistics · Updated
The 2026 Census runs in August 2026; suburb-level updates are expected from mid-2027.
Crime & safety
Reported offences are unchanged compared with the previous period.
Offence counts & rates
- Total offences (2026)
- 1
- Against the person
- 0
- Against property
- 1
- Rate per 1,000 residents
- 16.1
- State safety percentile
- 11th (lower crime is better)
- No change (daily rate)
- 0%
Most common offence types
- B49 Other Theft1
Contributes to desirability score · Safety (18%)
Crime rate and year-on-year trend
Data sources & freshness
- Recorded offences by suburb/town — Crime Statistics Agency (Victoria) · 2025 · Updated
Family & Lifestyle
Amenities
No OpenStreetMap amenities mapped for this suburb yet.
Contributes to desirability score · Lifestyle (15%)
Food, shopping, recreation and sport (OpenStreetMap)
Data sources & freshness
- Local amenity insights — Suburb Guide (derived) · current · Updated
- OpenStreetMap amenities — OpenStreetMap contributors · current · Updated
Parks & reserves
1 parks and public open space in this suburb
- Gritjurk Bushland ReserveNature reserve
Data sources & freshness
- Parks & reserves — State government + ABS LGA boundaries · current · Updated
Health access
- Nearest hospital
- Coleraine District Health Service (19.3 km)
- Nearest hospital type
- Hospital
- Nearest hospital emergency
- Emergency department
Contributes to desirability score · Accessibility (15%)
Hospitals and GP clinics
Data sources & freshness
- Hospitals & clinics — OpenStreetMap + state health datasets · current · Updated
NDIS participation
- NDIS participants (31 March 2026)
- 1
- Participants per 1,000 residents
- 16.1
Active NDIS participants allocated from NDIA Statistical Area Level 2 (SA2, ASGS 2016) counts to this suburb boundary. Not an official suburb-level NDIS figure · as at 31 March 2026.
For NDIS spend and service-demand exploration by SA2 or postcode, see the Care Sector Demand Map.
Data sources & freshness
- NDIS participants by SA2 — National Disability Insurance Agency · 2026-Q1 · Updated · Quarterly SA2 counts allocated to suburb boundaries
Weather
Typical conditions by season for suburbs in the same ~44 km climate area. Rainfall totals are summed from monthly WorldClim layers; rainy-day counts are approximate.
Summer (Dec–Feb)
- Usual max / min
- 24° / 11°
- Rainfall
- 112 mm · ~14 rainy days
Autumn (Mar–May)
- Usual max / min
- 20° / 9°
- Rainfall
- 164 mm · ~20 rainy days
Winter (Jun–Aug)
- Usual max / min
- 14° / 6°
- Rainfall
- 251 mm · ~31 rainy days
Spring (Sep–Nov)
- Usual max / min
- 18° / 8°
- Rainfall
- 212 mm · ~26 rainy days
Contributes to desirability score · Lifestyle (15%)
Temperature and humidity comfort
Data sources & freshness
- Seasonal climate normals — WorldClim 2.1 · Updated
Future & Planning
Hazards
- Bushfire planning zone
- Overlay applies
Bushfire overlay checked at suburb centroid via Victorian Bushfire Management Overlay mapping.
Contributes to desirability score · Safety (18%)
Bushfire hazard overlays
Data sources & freshness
- Hazard planning overlays — State government hazard layers · current · Updated
Politics & representation
- Federal electorate
- Wannon
- Member of Parliament
- Dan TEHAN (Liberal)
- Results from
- 2025 federal election
- Electorate enrolment (2025)
- 121,788
- Turnout (2025)
- 94.0%
- Swing since 2022 (2025)
- -2.3 pp toward Coalition
Two-party preferred (2025)
Coalition 60.9%Labor 39.1%
Estimated suburb voting profile
Estimated from 8 nearby ordinary polling places (up to 41.9 km away).
Coalition 68.2%Labor 31.9%
7.2 percentage points more Coalition-leaning than the electorate
Estimated swing since 2022: +31.9 pp toward Labor
Nearest polling places
- CavendishLabor 29.6% · Coalition 70.5% TPP (2025)16.0 km away
- ColeraineLabor 31.8% · Coalition 68.2% TPP (2025)20.8 km away
- BalmoralLabor 33.7% · Coalition 66.3% TPP (2025)26.3 km away
- Hamilton NorthLabor 36.5% · Coalition 63.5% TPP (2025)30.9 km away
- HamiltonLabor 34.8% · Coalition 65.2% TPP (2025)31.7 km away
Federal electorate from AEC federal division boundaries (2025 redistribution). Division-level results are official AEC figures from the latest general election, with by-election updates where applicable. The estimated suburb profile blends up to eight nearest ordinary polling booths in the same electorate using inverse-distance weighting from the suburb centroid — an approximation, not official AEC data. Nearest polling places are shown for reference.
Data sources & freshness
- Federal election results — Australian Electoral Commission · Updated · 2025 election with by-election overlays
Socio-economic
- IRSAD decile (2021)
- 10/10
- IRSD decile (2021)
- 9/10
ABS Socio-Economic Indexes for Areas (SEIFA), 2021 release — the latest available, derived from the 2021 Census. Deciles rank suburbs nationally from 1 (lowest) to 10 (highest).
What do IRSAD and IRSD measure?
IRSAD — Index of Relative Socio-economic Advantage and Disadvantage. Combines indicators of advantage (e.g. high income, skilled occupations) and disadvantage. Higher decile = more advantaged relative to other Australian areas.
IRSD — Index of Relative Socio-economic Disadvantage. Focuses on disadvantage only (e.g. low income, unemployment, limited education). Higher decile = less disadvantage nationally.
A new SEIFA edition typically follows each census; the ABS has not announced a release date beyond 2021.
Contributes to desirability score · Community (5%)
Socio-economic advantage (IRSAD decile)
Data sources & freshness
- SEIFA 2021 (IRSAD / IRSD) — Australian Bureau of Statistics · Updated
More in Southern Grampians Council
Other suburbs in the same local government area.