The Patch, Victoria

The Patch Melbourne, Victoria
Population	796 (2006)
Postcode(s)	3792
Elevation	301 m (988 ft)
Location	45 km (28 mi) from Melbourne 7 km (4 mi) from Belgrave
LGA(s)	Shire of Yarra Ranges
State electorate(s)	Monbulk
Federal division(s)	Casey
Suburbs around The Patch: Olinda Monbulk Monbulk Kallista The Patch Monbulk Selby Menzies Creek Emerald

The Patch is a mainly rural locality, 45 km east-south-east of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, adjacent to the eastern Sherbrooke Forest. Its Local Government Area is the Shire of Yarra Ranges.

In the 1860s a timber-cutter felled a stand of black-butts for palings, and the cleared area ten years later was found to be a grassed patch of land. It was named The Patch. A part of Monbulk has come under the locality now considered to be The Patch.

The Patch is a very small suburb and is consists only of houses, a Town Hall, a school, several commercial nurseries and a general store. Most of the suburb is classified "Rural Residential".

Farming selections became available in the 1890s, many coming under berry production. A post office was opened in 1897. Berry growing supplied the Monbulk jam factory as well as metropolitan markets. The Anglican church was built in 1934, the community hall in the 1950s and the primary school in 1983-4. The hall is near the post office (which is also the general store) and the school. The Patch contains area previously known as Coonan and Fairy Dell. Its census population in 1933 was 88 and in 1947 it was 195. It remains a small township and scenic area.

Don Chipp retired to the The Patch and his children from his second marriage attended The Patch Primary School. The current principal of 3 years is Brendin Hundle-Wilson. The current population of The Patch is approximately 1,000.