Dean is a rural township 8 km south-east of Creswick and 95 km north-west of Melbourne. It is east of the Creswick State Forest and is situated in a basin formed by the Bullarook and Adekate Creeks. It is thought that Dean was named after Robert Dean, an early European settler, or after the Dean Hotel. Dean's soil is good for various agricultural uses. Potatoes are grown under spray irrigation. There is a reticulated supply from the Dean reservoir. The township has a general store, recreation reserve, public hall, and tennis court, but no longer a hotel. Dean is located 19km from Ballarat.
