Silverleaves
Town
Silverleaves
Coordinates: 38°27′11″S 145°15′53″E / 38.45306°S 145.26472°E / -38.45306; 145.26472
Country	Australia
State	Victoria
LGA	Bass Coast Shire
Location	149 km (93 mi) SE of Melbourne 50 km (31 mi) W of Wonthaggi 3 km (1.9 mi) W of Cowes
Government
• State electorate	Bass
• Federal division	Monash
Population
• Total	211 (2016 census)
Postcode	3922

Silverleaves is a small town on Phillip Island, situated east of Cowes. At the 2016 census, Silverleaves had a population of 211.^[2] The name “Silverleaves” is believed to derive from the silvery-grey leaves of the Coast Banksia trees abundant in the dunes and foreshore in the area.^[3][4]

In 1950, the area, then basically scrubby, unfarmed sand dunes east of Cowes, was subdivided into housing allotments for holiday homes .^[5] About 250 lots were created between 1955 and 1962 as part of the Silverleaves Estate.^[6] The subdivision was marketed to families from Melbourne and elsewhere as a peaceful seaside holiday retreat. Unlike some neighbouring townships, Silverleaves was not a farming village or fishing port, and grew specifically as a holiday hamlet. Many buyers built simple fibro cottages or beach shacks among the banksias and tea-trees. In the late 1950s and 1960s, Silverleaves had a reputation as a tranquil hideaway “off the beaten track”, compared to busier Cowes.