Caldermeade

Caldermeade is a rural locality about 5 km from the north-eastern shore of Western Port Bay, and between Koo Wee Rup and Lang Lang. It was named after the Caldermeade pastoral property (1856) established by Archibald McMillan (1789-1863). McMillan acquired the property as part of the Yallock pastoral run in 1856. He was an important person in the district and Mac's lane (named after his family) was the name of the railway station (1890) before its renaming as Caldermeade.

The McMillans were an assiduous farming family, and a series of drainage works changed the swamp-prone property to good cattle breeding and fattening paddocks. The opening of the railway line put the area within easy reach of markets. Twenty-five years later part of the Caldermeade property (1280 hectares) was sold for closer settlement and in 1921 the balance was sold for soldier-settlement farms. Fifty-five farms were created, and a school was opened in 1925. Dairying was the main occupation, and stream improvements along the Lang Lang River further reduced flooding.

Caldermeade has been an intensive grazing and dairying area with a population of nearly 300 people (1933). The subsequent farm consolidations probably halved that figure. Caldermeade dairy farm and cafe is open for visits.

The post office closed in 1967, the school closed in 1983 and the railway line has not carried traffic since 1993. Caldermeade was identifed in 2011 as one of the localities in Victoria which future rising sea levels could inundate. Floodwater surrounded Caldermeade during the 2012 floods, threatening many homes.

Caldermeade's census populations have been:

^{*includes Monomeith and Yannathan}