It is located in the Mansfield Shire local government area, 174 kilometres (108 mi) north east of the state capital Melbourne.

[2] The Maroondah Highway passes near the town on route to the lower alpine region of Victoria.

Maindample was part of a 140,000 acre pastoral run taken up by overlanders and squattors James Watson and Alexander Hunter in 1840 acting as agents for a group of Scottish aristocrat investors.

[3][4][5] Watson and Hunter ran into financial difficulties in the economic depression that began in 1840 and were insolvent by March 1843.

When offered for sale in November 1846, Maindample station consisted of 27,000 acres, 3 huts and was stocked with “4,759 sheep (more or less) ... eight working bullocks, a dray, one horse and a “Rob Roy” saddle and bridle.” The new owners, taking possession in January 1847, were William Highett and Thomas Willis.

[11] Kelson’s Royal Hotel offered “first-class restaurant meals at all hours,” and had a Cobb and Co booking office.

It was reported in the press at the time that, “He visited Maindample and spoke very contemptuously of the place as not being worth the trouble of sticking up.”[15] There was a blacksmith by 1872, located next to Mac’s Hotel.

[21] The first meeting of the Maindample Racing Club was held at Mansfield in fine weather in front of a large crowd in May 1891.

[28] The Bridge Inn Hotel, a popular stop over for travellers to the Victorian ski fields, burned down in 2010.

Businesses in or near modern Maindample include a plant nursery and a helicopter hire firm.