South Morang is a suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 21 km north-east of Melbourne's central business district, located within the City of Whittlesea local government area. South Morang recorded a population of 24,989 at the 2021 census. Originally known as Morang South, South Morang grew from a country area on the outskirts of Melbourne in the late 1990s/early 2000s to a suburban area with new estates being developed. History Before the arrival of European explorers and farmers, the area now called South Morang was inhabited by the Wurundjeri balug and Wurundjeri Willam clans. South Morang was originally known as 'Morang South' until Morang itself was renamed by the locals to Yan Yean South in 1893 - as it is the suburb lying directly below Yan Yean. ‘Morang’ is an ancient aboriginal word meaning ‘sky’ or ‘cloud’. In 1824, William Hovell and Hamilton Hume were the first Europeans to set foot in what is now the City of Whittlesea when they were going from Sydney to Port Philip Bay. On 14 December 1824, they wrote in their journals: ''Having passed through the first plain... myself and Mr Hume ascended a high but single hill. In front of which we saw a very gratifying sight. This was a very extensive plain extending from west to south-east for several miles, with patches of forest which appear to separate one plain from another. But the whole appeared in front, say south, to be level, but in parts in the plains some hills arose of a conical shape, with only here and there a few trees upon them. And all the soil of best quality. The description showed that the land was good for farming, and it was settled by John Batman's pastoral group in the 1830s. Robert Hoddle surveyed the land in 1837. The land failed to sell at first and was opened to pastoral leases. It was leased by William Forlonge in 1846. By 1840, the area was owned by rich landowners. By the 1850s, the area was used for farming. Much evidence of the farming, such as dry stone walls, can still be seen today. In 1852, William Ford Cleeland bought 256 hectares and subdivided and sold the land, doubling his money. Individual land holdings have decreased in size over time. Morang South Post Office opened on 24 November 1873. The post office has now moved to Westfield Plenty Valley. The railway