VIC · Southern Grampians Council
Penshurst, 3289
Current weather
7.4°CMainly clear
90% humidity · 31.8 km/h wind · 11.3° / 6° today · 4.3 mm rain
Updated
Desirability score
- Green suburb
- National parks
- Heritage area
- Education hub
- High desirability
Suburb profile
Penshurst is a quieter smaller community in Southern Grampians, where peace, space and a country-town pace still dominate. Set in the wider countryside, it offers distance from the capital and a strong sense of place. Generous greenery runs through the area, from street trees to tucked-away reserves.
Retirees and empty-nesters are well represented here, with families and grandchildren still a visible part of community life. Life here is grounded in local routine rather than big-city choice, and that is part of the charm. Green space is a real strength, with parks and playgrounds woven through the suburb.
Housing remains accessible compared with many parts of the state. The streetscape feels settled and established, with older homes giving the area a familiar, lived-in look.
The desirability score is below average, weighed down by weaker local dining and lifestyle amenities and community and employment against similar regional towns, even with safety and parks and green space holding up better. Limited access to some essential local services also trimmed the result.
Population
- Population
- 677
- Median age
- 51
- Median household income / week
- $1,014
- Dwelling vacancy
- 18.1%
- Unoccupied private dwellings
- 60 of 331
- Median monthly mortgage
- $825
- Employment rate
- 45.9%
- Dwelling mix (houses / semi / flats)
- 22 / 0 / 0
Contributes to desirability score · Community (5%)
Employment, household income and age diversity (2021 Census)
Data sources & freshness
- 2021 Census — General Community Profile — Australian Bureau of Statistics · Period: 2021 · Updated on site · 2021 Census release
The 2026 Census runs in August 2026; suburb-level updates are expected from mid-2027.
Crime & safety
- Total offences (2026)
- 11
- Against the person
- 2
- Against property
- 5
- Rate per 1,000 residents
- 16.2
- Person-crime prevalence
- About 1 in 338 residents
- State safety percentile
- 9.8th (lower crime is better)
- Decrease (daily rate)
- -52.2%
Reported offences decreased compared with the previous period.
Reported offences by period
Most common offence types
- A211 Fv Serious Assault1
- A231 Fv Common Assault1
- B21 Criminal Damage2
- B53 Obtain Benefit By Deception2
- E21 Breach Family Violence Order3
Contributes to desirability score · Safety (18%)
Crime rate and year-on-year trend
Data sources & freshness
- Recorded offences by suburb/town — Crime Statistics Agency (Victoria) · Period: 2025 · Updated on site · Year ending March release
Schools & preschools
- Schools & preschools
- 2
- Median school ICSEA (2 schools)
- 975
- Penshurst Primary SchoolPrimary
- St Joseph's SchoolPrimary
Contributes to desirability score · Education (15%)
School and preschool counts, median school ICSEA
Data sources & freshness
- ACARA school locations — Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority · Period: 2025 · Updated on site · Annual ACARA release
- School ICSEA scores — Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority · Period: 2025 · Updated on site · Annual ACARA release
Public transport
3 public transport stops in this suburb
- Penshurst Memorial Hall/Martin St
- Post Office/Hamilton Hwy
- Post Office/Hamilton Hwy
Contributes to desirability score · Accessibility (15%)
Public transport stop coverage
Data sources & freshness
- GTFS public transport stops — State transport authority open-data feeds · Period: current · Updated on site · GTFS static feed
Amenities
No OpenStreetMap amenities mapped for this suburb yet.
Contributes to desirability score · Lifestyle (15%)
Food, shopping, recreation and sport (OpenStreetMap)
Data sources & freshness
- OpenStreetMap amenities — OpenStreetMap contributors · Period: current · Updated on site · Weekly refresh
Parks & reserves
3 parks and public open space in this suburb
- Penshurst Park and Recreation ReservePark
- Penshurst Recreation ReservePark
- Yatmerone Swamp Wildlife Reserve (no hunting)Nature reserve
Data sources & freshness
- Parks & reserves — State government + ABS LGA boundaries · Period: current · Updated on site
Health access
- Hospitals & GP clinics
- 1
- Emergency department
- On site
- Western District Health Service - Penshursthospital
Contributes to desirability score · Accessibility (15%)
Hospitals and GP clinics
Data sources & freshness
- Hospitals & clinics — OpenStreetMap + state health datasets · Period: current · Updated on site
Socio-economic (SEIFA)
- IRSAD decile (2021)
- 2/10
- IRSD decile (2021)
- 2/10
SEIFA indexes from ABS 2021. Decile 10 = most advantaged / least disadvantaged in Australia.
Contributes to desirability score · Community (5%)
Socio-economic advantage (IRSAD decile)
Data sources & freshness
- SEIFA 2021 (IRSAD / IRSD) — Australian Bureau of Statistics · Period: 2021 · Updated on site · 2021 SEIFA release
Heritage
6 state heritage places
- BURGER COTTAGESNH2125
- HERRNHUT UTOPIAN COMMUNENH2107
- HERRNHUT UTOPIAN COMMUNENH2107
- HERRNHUT UTOPIAN COMMUNENH2107
- KOLOR HOMESTEADNH0541
- KOLOR WOOLSHEDNH0324
Data sources & freshness
- State heritage register — State heritage authority · Period: current · Updated on site
Childcare
1 childcare service from OpenStreetMap
- Penshurst Preschoolkindergarten
Contributes to desirability score · Education (15%)
Childcare centre count
Data sources & freshness
- Childcare services — OpenStreetMap · Period: current · Updated on site
Hazards
- Bushfire planning zone
- No overlay at centroid
Bushfire overlay checked at suburb centroid via Victorian Bushfire Management Overlay mapping.
Contributes to desirability score · Safety (18%)
Bushfire hazard overlays
Data sources & freshness
- Hazard planning overlays — State government hazard layers · Period: current · Updated on site
Green cover
- Parks & woodland (OSM)
- 26
- Parks (OSM)
- 2
OpenStreetMap parks and natural woodland features mapped within the suburb boundary.
Contributes to desirability score · Environment (10%)
Parks and green cover (OpenStreetMap)
Data sources & freshness
- OpenStreetMap green cover features — OpenStreetMap contributors · Period: current · Updated on site · Weekly refresh
Desirability Index
- Desirability score
- 35.4/100 — Below average
- National rank
- 4177th in Australia
- State rank
- 790th in VIC
- Peer rank
- #149 among Country & regional · Mature suburbs
- Cohort rank
- #350 among Country & regional suburbs
- Data confidence
- 85%
Data sources & freshness
- Suburb Guide desirability index — Suburb Guide (derived score) · Period: current · Updated on site · Derived from source metrics
Recent changes
- A211 Fv Serious Assaultcrime1
- A231 Fv Common Assaultcrime1
- B21 Criminal Damagecrime2
- B53 Obtain Benefit By Deceptioncrime2
- E21 Breach Family Violence Ordercrime3
- Penshurst Preschoolchildcarekindergarten
- BURGER COTTAGESheritageNH2125
- HERRNHUT UTOPIAN COMMUNEheritageNH2107
- HERRNHUT UTOPIAN COMMUNEheritageNH2107
- HERRNHUT UTOPIAN COMMUNEheritageNH2107
Data sources & freshness
- Childcare services — OpenStreetMap · Updated on site
- Recorded offences by suburb/town — Crime Statistics Agency (Victoria) · Updated on site · Year ending March release
- State heritage register — State heritage authority · Updated on site
More in Southern Grampians Council
Other suburbs in the same local government area.
Comparable suburbs
Similar population and socio-economic profile in other parts of Victoria.