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History

Wyndham has been Wyndham, then Werribee, then Wyndham again. Here is how the place came to be, and why residents use both names.

Verified 6 sources

  1. 1862

    The Wyndham Road District is proclaimed

    The district was first named Wyndham, after Sir Henry Wyndham, a veteran of Waterloo. The name was suggested by a local inn owner, Elliott Armstrong.

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  2. 1860s to 1890

    The Chirnside family and the grazing runs

    Thomas Chirnside recognised the grazing value of the plain and its closeness to Melbourne markets. By 1863 he controlled more than 28,300 hectares. His brother Andrew joined him in 1875 and the holdings reached about 37,600 hectares. For three decades Werribee Park was a second centre of gravity alongside the township.

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  3. 1864

    A shire council replaces the road district

    The Wyndham Road District became the Shire of Wyndham on 11 March 1864.

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  4. 1878

    Werribee Park Mansion is completed

    The mansion was finished by 1878, about three kilometres south of the township. In 1892 the Melbourne and Metropolitan Board of Works bought 3,580 hectares for the metropolitan sewage farm, which is the origin of the township of Cocoroc and of today's Western Treatment Plant. The Catholic Church later bought the mansion for Corpus Christi seminary, which ran until 1973, after which it was sold to the State Government.

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  5. 1884

    The town is renamed Werribee

    Werribee was already the name of the river. The word is understood to come from an Aboriginal word meaning spine, or backbone, describing the river's strong curve across the treeless plain. This etymology is widely reported rather than settled, and we have not yet been able to confirm it with the Registered Aboriginal Parties.

    This account is widely reported rather than settled. We have flagged it so you can weigh it accordingly.

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  6. 1909

    The Shire of Wyndham becomes the Shire of Werribee

    The shire was renamed on 15 December 1909. There was no name change in 1983, despite that date appearing in some accounts.

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  7. 1987

    Werribee is proclaimed a City

    The City of Werribee was proclaimed on 20 March 1987.

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  8. 1994

    The name returns to Wyndham

    During the Victorian council restructuring the municipality's name reverted to Wyndham on 15 December 1994, after 85 years as Werribee. This is why residents use both names, and why Werribee is a suburb while Wyndham is the municipality.

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  9. 2011 to today

    The growth corridor

    Wyndham recorded 292,011 residents at the 2021 Census and an estimated 347,830 by June 2025. A majority of residents were born overseas, and Indian is the municipality's largest single ancestry at 17.4 per cent, ahead of English and Australian. More than half of households use a language other than English at home. The growth-corridor story is in large part a recent migration story.

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  10. Before 1835

    Bunurong and Wadawurrung Country

    The Bunurong and Wadawurrung Peoples are the Traditional Owners of the lands and waterways of Wyndham, and have cared for Country for tens of thousands of years. Both are part of the broader Kulin Nation, each with its own language and traditions. The Werribee River is the boundary between the two Registered Aboriginal Parties: the Bunurong Land Council Aboriginal Corporation speaks for Country east of the river, and the Wadawurrung Traditional Owners Aboriginal Corporation for Country west of it. A Welcome to Country can only be given by Traditional Owners. An Acknowledgement of Country can be given by anyone.

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Sources

  1. 1. Werribee — Victorian Places (Monash University and University of Queensland)Checked 7 October 2026 · all rights reserved, linked not reproduced
  2. 2. City of Wyndham — WikipediaChecked 7 October 2026 · CC-BY-SA-4.0
  3. 3. Wyndham 2021 Census All persons QuickStats (LGA27260) — Australian Bureau of StatisticsChecked 7 October 2026 · CC-BY-4.0
  4. 4. Aboriginal culture and history — Wyndham City CouncilChecked 7 October 2026 · all rights reserved, linked not reproduced
  5. 5. Proudly on Bunurong and Wadawurrung Country — Wyndham City CouncilChecked 7 October 2026 · all rights reserved, linked not reproduced
  6. 6. Wadawurrung Traditional Owners Aboriginal Corporation — Wadawurrung Traditional Owners Aboriginal CorporationChecked 7 October 2026 · all rights reserved, linked not reproduced