Werribee, Victoria

Werribee Melbourne, Victoria
Werribee Park
Werribee
Coordinates	37°54′00″S 144°39′50″E / 37.900°S 144.664°E / -37.900; 144.664
Population	50,027 (2021 census)[1]
• Density	2,102/km2 (5,444/sq mi)
Postcode(s)	3030
Elevation	26 m (85 ft)
Area	23.8 km2 (9.2 sq mi)
Location	32 km (20 mi) from Melbourne 45 km (28 mi) from Geelong
LGA(s)	City of Wyndham
State electorate(s)	Werribee
Federal division(s)	Lalor
Suburbs around Werribee: Wyndham Vale Tarneit Hoppers Crossing Mambourin Werribee Point Cook Cocoroc Werribee South Werribee South

Werribee is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 32 km (20 mi) south-west of Melbourne's Central Business District, located within the local government area of the City of Wyndham. Werribee recorded a population of 50,027 at the 2021 census.^[1]

Werribee was established as an agricultural settlement in the 1850s, originally named Wyndham and later renamed Werribee (derived from the Aboriginal name meaning "backbone" or "spine") in 1904. The suburb is situated on its namesake the Werribee River, approximately halfway between Melbourne and Geelong, on the Princes Highway. It is the administrative centre of the City of Wyndham local government area and is the City's most populous centre. Werribee is part of the Greater Melbourne metropolitan area and is included in the capital's population statistical division.^[2]

Since the 1990s, the suburb has experienced rapid suburban growth into surrounding greenfield land, becoming a commuter town in the Melbourne–Geelong growth corridor. Due to this urban sprawl, Wyndham and its suburbs have merged into the Melbourne conurbation. In recent years, Werribee has undergone development which has seen the growth of high-rise buildings within the city centre.

The suburb is best known for its major tourist attractions, which include the former estate of wealthy pastoralist Thomas Chirnside, known as Werribee Park, the Victoria State Rose Garden, the Werribee Park National Equestrian Centre, and the Werribee Open Range Zoo.