Goonawarra

Goonawarra is a residential locality on the eastern outskirts of Sunbury, 23 km north-west of central Melbourne. It was named after the Goonawarra vineyard (c1858-1900s) which was re-established in 1982. The vineyard and bluestone winery are on the eastern bank of Jacksons Creek, adjoining the Goonawarra golf course.  

In 1973 Housing Commission, Victoria, was empowered to purchase residential development sites at several satellite townships around Melbourne. One of those was an area of 460 hectares east of Sunbury. It was later found by a Board of Enquiry that the Commission had paid excessive land prices to middle men. The enquiry delayed the development of Goonawarra, and in 1982 the Urban Land Authority assumed responsibility for it. The Authority’s responsibilities included recoupment of the Government’s over-expenditure on the land by the sale of individual house lots.

Goonawarra has a golf course, a small local shopping centre and a primary school (1987) which had 295 pupils in 2014.