Serpentine
Postcode: 3517
Serpentine is a town in north west Victoria, Australia. Located on the Loddon Valley Highway, the town is 201 kilometres north west of the state capital, Melbourne and 51 kilometres north west of the regional centre, Bendigo. Serpentine is in the Loddon Shire Local government area and had a population of 321 at the 2001 census.
The town is named for Serpentine Creek, a tributary of the Loddon River. The creek in turn was named for explorer Thomas Mitchell’s description of the River Red Gum trees lining the rivers and creeks of the area.
Selectors began to take up allotments in 1862 and the townsite was established in 1863. It eventually became the seat of the then East Loddon Shire. Today, Serpentine is a producer of grain and cattle and a popular place for anglers.
The Burke and Wills expedition is alleged to passed the townsite in 1860 while attempting to reach the Gulf of Carpentaria.