Cranbourne, Victoria
| Cranbourne Melbourne, Victoria | |||||||||||||||
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| Population | 13612 (2001 census) | ||||||||||||||
| • Density | Lua error: Unable to convert population "13612 (2001 census)" to a number. | ||||||||||||||
| Postcode(s) | 3977 | ||||||||||||||
| Area | 9.6 km2 (3.7 sq mi) | ||||||||||||||
| Location | |||||||||||||||
| LGA(s) | City of Casey | ||||||||||||||
| State electorate(s) | Cranbourne | ||||||||||||||
| Federal division(s) | Holt | ||||||||||||||
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Cranbourne, is a suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia approximately 49 kilometres south-east of the CBD (via the M1 and the South Gippsland Highway) and is situated at an elevation of 50 metres above sea-level. Its Local Government Area is the City of Casey.
The Cranbourne area consists of the following suburbs/districts: Cranbourne, Cranbourne North, Cranbourne East, Cranbourne South, Cranbourne West, and Junction Village. Some suburbs that surround Cranbourne are Narre Warren, Devon Meadows, and Clyde.
History
Cranbourne was formerly a town in its own right and was the site of the old Shire of Cranbourne offices. The council building is still in existence, on the corner of South Gippsland Highway and Sladen Street.
Prior to European settlement the area is thought to have been occupied by the Boonwurrung Aborigines. The first white settlers, the Ruffy brothers, arrived in 1836. They later opened the Cranbourne Inn.
The area was greatly opened up by settlers from the 1860s. Progress in developing the land around Cranbourne was hampered by the Koo Wee Rup swampland. However William Lyall (who bought land in the swamp area) assisted in coordinating the draining of the swamp to make it usable as farmland.
In 1850's a number of meteorites were unearthed in the area. The largest, at 3.5 tonnes, was then considered the world's largest.
Cranbourne was proclaimed a town in 1861 and the Shire of Cranbourne was proclaimed in 1868. In 1994 the Shire was proclaimed a City but later in the same year most of the City was amalgamated with the City of Berwick to form the City of Casey.
The population of Cranbourne was 1,800 in 1976, rising to 14,005 in 1986 and 18,886 in 1991. Cranbourne currently has an estimated population of at least 39,000. With the recent census, it was estimated the population to be 46,000 and ever growing.
Places
In the south of Cranbourne is the Royal Botanic Gardens, Cranbourne, and the Cranbourne Racecourse & Recreation Reserve. Cranbourne also contains the Cranbourne Golf Club, the Amstel Golf Club, the Ranfurlie Golf Club and a swimming pool.
The Cranbourne Complex is located off Berwick-Cranbourne Road, and features a wide variety of community facilities, including The Shed (an indoor skating facility), the Cranbourne Indoor Sports Centre (basketball, netball, and indoor soccer), the Cranbourne Branch of the Casey-Cardinia Library Corporation, The Factory: Centre for the Performing Arts (performing arts rehearsal centre), Caseyville (traffic school) and Bowland (a ten-pin bowling complex). The new Cranbourne Multicultural Community Centre is set to open in early 2007, while tenders have been issued for the new Cranbourne Aquatic and Recreation Centre.
Further out of Cranbourne on the Berwick-Cranbourne Road is the new Casey Fields Complex.
Schools
Schools in the Cranbourne area include St. Peters Catholic Co-Ed College, St. Agathas Catholic School, St. Theresa's Catholic Primary School, Cranbourne Secondary College, Lyndhurst Secondary College, Casey Grammer School (Formally known as Cranbourne Christian College), Cranbourne Primary School, Cranbourne South Primary School, Cranbourne Park Primary School, Cranbourne West Primary School, Rangebank Primary School, Courtenay Gardens Primary School, and Cranbourne Specialist School. Chisholm Institute of TAFE also has a campus in Cranbourne, to the city's east. To cater for the growth in Cranbourne several primary schools have been proposed.
Shopping
Cranbourne has two major shopping precincts. In the north on the corner of Thompsons Road and the South Gippsland Highway is the Thompson Parkway Shopping Centre (anchored by Safeway) and Great Southern Homemaker Centre complex. This complex has largely developed around the Bunnings Warehouse.
In the centre of town is the Cranbourne High Street and Centro Cranbourne, anchored by Coles and Safeway supermarkets and Kmart and Harris Scarfe department stores.
Smaller shopping centres include the Sandhurst Shopping Centre (anchored by Coles Supermarket) in Cranbourne West, and the planned Hunt Club Shopping Centre development.
Churches
Cranbourne is home to several Christian churches. These include the Cranbourne Salvation ArmyWebsite, the Anglican Regional Church Cranbourne, Cranbourne Regional Uniting Church, Crossover [Cranbourne Assembly of God], Scots Presbyterian Church, St Agathas Catholic Church, Life Community Church and TurningPoint Family Church. Cranbourne North has Hope Christian Centre.
Sports facilities and clubs
Australian Football/Cricket
There are 8 Australian football/cricket ovals available at J&P Camm Reserve (2 ovals), the Donnelly Recreation Reserve (2 ovals), the Clyde Recreation Reserve (1 oval), the Lawson Poole Reserve (1 oval), the Junction Village Reserve (1 oval) and the Glover Recreation Reserve (1 oval). Seven of the eight ovals each have a synthetic centre cricket wicket, whilst the E.G. Allen Oval at the Cranbourne Racecourse & Recreation Reserve has the only turf centre wicket within the Cranbourne Area.
Rugby
There are 2 rugby fields at the Lawson Poole Reserve (1 field) and the Clyde Recreation Reserve (1 field).
Football
There are currently 3 football fields available on the Cranbourne Racecourse & Recreation Reserve.
Athletics
There is an athletics track (grass) at Lawson Poole Reserve.
Basketball and Netball
There are 6 basketball courts available at the Terry Vickerman Centre at the Casey Indoor Leisure Complex (shared netball). There is a netball court the Glover Recreation Reserve (1 outdoor court).
Tennis
There are 20 tennis courts available at Cranbourne Tennis Club, Cranbourne Racecourse & Recreation Reserve (6 porous); the Clyde Tennis Club, Clyde Recreation Reserve (4 plexipave); the Devon Meadows Tennis Club, Glover Recreation Reserve (4 porous, 2 asphalt); and the Cranbourne South Tennis Club, Morning Mist Recreation Reserve (2 artificial grass; 2 plexipave). There are an additional 8 courts (sand-filled artificial grass) available inside the Terry Vickerman Centre at the Casey Indoor Leisure Complex.
Aerobics/Fitness/Gymnasium
The Cranbourne Indoor Pool, Beach House Fitness and Cranbourne Fitness Centre offer health & fitness facilities.
Golf
There are 3 golf courses privately owned and managed:
- Amstel Golf Club (public course).
- Rainfurlie Golf Club (members course).
- Cranbourne Golf Club (public course).
Amstel Golf Club also has a mini-golf facility, which as of mid-2006 appears to have been abandoned and left to become derelict.
Gymnastics
A club-based gymnastics program is available at the Cranbourne Park Primary School.
Horse Riding and Racing
Club-based horse riding is available at the Morning Mist Recreation Reserve. There are other privately owned and managed facilities, such as the Briars Equestrian Centre in Clyde. Both Cranbourne greyhound and harness racing clubs are on Grant Street.
Lawn Bowls
Two lawn bowls club facilities are available at the Cranbourne Bowls Club (Cranbourne Racecourse & Recreation Reserve) and the Cranbourne RSL Bowls Club.
Shooting
Shooting facilities are available at the Cranbourne Dandenong Pistol Club (Cranbourne Racecourse & Recreation Reserve). The Cranbourne RSL Gun Club (Thompsons Road, Cranbourne North) was demolished in late 2006 and relocated to Beaconsfield, Victoria. The Thompsons Road site is now used by the Victorian Deer Association.
Skating/BMX
There are skating and BMX facilities available at the following locations:
- Merinda Park (outdoor skate park).
- The Shed (indoor skate park). The Shed is managed and fully supervised by the Salvation Army. Website
Swimming
The Cranbourne Indoor Pool offers public swimming facilities.
Events
The MRA Cranbourne GP Run is held each year on the Saturday of the Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix.
Cranbourne races are an established event on the racing calendar. Greyhound and harness racing are also held.
Public transport
The terminus of the Cranbourne railway line is at Cranbourne railway station. The Cranbourne line is part of the South Gippsland Railway, which is currently disused between Cranbourne and the start of the private South Gippsland Tourist Railway in Nyora. The restoration and reopening of the disused line was proposed by the Victorian Government in 2001, at which time the government described the line as being in a state of significant disrepair[2].
References
- ^ Cranbourne, accessed 27 November 2006
- ^ "Government announces return of rail services to South Gippsland". Victorian Government. 2001-05-11. Retrieved 2007-07-30.
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