Yarra Valley’s very own Monopoly board just dropped on 5 November featuring beloved local businesses, iconic tourist attractions and hidden local gems.
Monopoly Yarra Valley Edition was launched on a cloudy Wednesday at CherryHill Orchards in Coldstream, where Mr Monopoly himself turned up on a tractor and strode down a red carpet to reveal the squares on the life-sized board.
The crowd cheered on as locations like the Redwood Forest, Mount Lilydale Mercy College and Yarra Valley ECOSS were revealed one by one.
Winning Moves Monopoly brand manager Michael Counsell said the team behind the board attempted to capture everything people in the region might have an interest in.
“When we create these editions we think of tourists and locals alike.
“So not only are we trying to highlight those businesses to the locals for a product that’s going to sit in their homes for 20 plus years, we’re trying to bring foot traffic to those businesses as well,” Mr Counsell said.
Players will trade Mayfair and Park Lane for Yarra Valley Wineries and Redwood Forest and other places such as Truffle Valley, Blue Lotus Water Garden and 3MDR also got a feature.
Leaders from the Mount Lilydale Mercy College attended the launch and shared their excitement for the new board.
“It’s just such an honour that our school gets to be represented on such a household valued item,” one student said.
Another student said they were “very proud” to be included on the board.
It was a surprise trip for the students as they hadn’t been told beforehand about the event.
“We weren’t sure what we were doing and they revealed it to us and it’s amazing and very unexpected, it’s a privilege to be included in the Yarra Valley’s top sites.”
“Everyone will know Mount Lilydale’s on the Monopoly board, so we’re excited to tell our friends and parents.”
Mr Counsell said it was fantastic to see smiles on the Mount Lilydale Mercy College students’ faces.
“It’s not every day that Monopoly will come to a small region and produce an official edition for that town so this is a fantastic opportunity for us to highlight what makes local areas fantastic.”
The Monopoly Yarra Valley Edition board took 12 months of engaging with local stakeholders to create.
Mr Counsell said he hoped the board has done a fair job at representing the Yarra Valley region.
“We’re very much dictated by the court of public opinion and I’d hope that you would agree that the edition that we’ve come up with is a fantastic representation of what locals would consider the Yarra Valley.
“We’re definitely not Yarra Valley experts but by the end of the project we’d like to consider ourselves pretty knowledgeable on the area.”
Monbulk Creek Trestle Bridge and Warburton Swing Bridge take up the two utilities squares while four travel squares feature the townships of Coldstream, Yarra Glen, Warburton and Healesville.
By representing local traders, the board is expected to bring a boost to businesses in the area.
But Mr Counsell said the Monopoly Yarra Valley Edition would also instill a sense of local pride in generations to come.
“I’m sure everyone in Australia can name a few of the London Monopoly squares Mayfair, Piccadilly, Old Camp Road.
“What I’d like to see for the next 10, 15, 20 years in the Yarra Valley is those memories that we all have of that London Monopoly being replaced with new generations coming through with Cherry Hill, with the Dandenong Ranges, those are the iconic places of their town and of their Monopoly.”
The new Monopoly Yarra Valley Edition will be available at Big W, JB Hifi, QBD, The Gamesmen, and Gameology.
