The City of Whittlesea is a local government area located in the outer northern suburbs of Melbourne, the state capital of Victoria, Australia.

The city covers an area of 490 square kilometres (189.2 sq mi), and in June 2023, it had an estimated population of 245,029[1] and is one of Victoria's fastest growing Municipalities.

What became the City of Whittlesea had its origins in two separate roads districts (an early, single-purpose form of local government).

[citation needed] The population grew rapidly as urbanisation reached the southern edge of the shire.

In 1979 an internal redistribution took place creating the four ridings based on population and on 30 March 1988 it was proclaimed by the Governor of Victoria as a City, effective from 15 April of that year.

[5] On 15 December 1994, massive local government reform once again affected Whittlesea's boundaries, although unlike most, the City survived largely intact.

The City of Whittlesea is a culturally diverse community with the 2021 Census recording that 41.9% of residents were born overseas.

[7] Whittlesea 2040 is a long term vision for the City and guides the Council's work and future partnerships with the community and others.

Legend has it that Thomastown was named after a local settler called Thomas who started a popular market garden in 1848.

The first primary school in South Morang was built in 1877 and the suburb has two major parks, Hawkstowe and Plenty Gorge Parklands.

When Mernda was named in 1913 the township consisted of a school, a Methodist church, a store and a railway station.