Red Hill, Victoria

Red Hill is a small rural community, located in the hinterland of the Mornington Peninsula, about an hour's drive south of Melbourne, in Victoria, Australia. Its local government area is the Shire of Mornington Peninsula. At the, Red Hill had a population of 731.HistoryIts name derives from the rich, red clay that has made the area predominantly agricultural from its first European settlement in the mid-nineteenth century. The area now known as Red Hill contains land in three parishes: Kangerong, Wannaeue (only 626 acres) and Balnarring. Kangerong is north of Arthurs Seat Rd and west of Red Hill Rd. Wannaeue is west of Mornington-Flinders Rd. The rest of Red Hill and Red hill South are in Balnarring parish.Many Red Hill streets are named after pioneers: Sheehan, McIlroy, Stanley, Bayne, Arkwell, Eaton, Nash, Perry (sic) and Callanan.Red Hill Post Office opened on 1 August 1871. A railway also operated here between 1921 and 1959 and was known as the Red Hill railway line.TodayThe town has an Australian Rules football team competing in the Mornington Peninsula Nepean Football League.A monthly community market is held from September through May. Patrons can still watch old time games like Pétanque being played and smell the roasting of chestnuts. Other traditional Australian foods such as meat pies and jam donuts are also sold.Since the 1970s, wineries have been established around Red Hill to take advantage of the microclimates that suits cool climate grapes, and especially pinot noir. Strawberries, cherries and apples are also grown and available seasonally at the farm door.