By Callum Ludwig
Residents of the Yarra and Dandenong Ranges are invited to have their say on what will feature on a custom edition of the family-favourite board game Monopoly set to launch later in 2025.
Locals are invited to comment or email which locations, landmarks and iconic figures should feature on the board.
Monopoly Manager Jaime-Lee de Niet from Winning Moves Australia, which will manufacture the Yarra Valley and Dandenong Ranges edition of the popular board game under license from toy and game company Hasbro, said definitely to send in must-see locations, businesses and attractions.
“The Yarra Valley has so much to offer, there are only 22 property squares so we do have to limit what we put on there, however, we’re open to every suggestion from little to massive,” she said.
“It’s such a big area so we want to make sure that the edition is featuring all of those areas and by the locals, community, tourists suggesting or putting forward their little piece from their area. it all comes together like a jigsaw puzzle,”
“The board is broken down into different categories, from our natural attractions to our experiences or family days out to the most iconic parts of the Yarra Valley, we’re always open for both and for businesses, we would have a look and make sure that they are fit for the board before committing to that as well.”
Residents can provide their ideas by commenting on the announcement from 13 January on the ‘Winning Moves Australia’ Facebook page or by emailing them to info@winningmoves.com.au. Comments on the post have already suggested locations such as Healesville Sanctuary, Sky High Mt Dandenong, Lillydale Lake, Puffing Billy Railway and the Redwood Forest among many more.
Ms de Niet said all suggestions will need to be in by the end of February.
“We then go into a design phase, which will be available for purchasing in October and that’s when we’ll be back in town to launch the edition with Mr Monopoly as well,” she said.
“With our community editions, everybody has an emotional attachment to their community so they want to see things that they’ve seen or known or grown up living around,”
“They are actually our most popular editions because of that connection and the family history of the place, so it’s been really exciting over the last few days of being here in Yarra Valley, it’s absolutely beautiful with the rolling hills and everything to see so I’m really excited to create it.”
Winning Moves has created themed editions for the following Australian locations:
Adelaide, Bendigo, Cairns, Canberra, Gold Coast, Gympie, Hobart, Melbourne, Mildura, Newcastle, Parramatta, Sydney, Townsville, Wagga Wagga and Wollongong.
