Frankston, Victoria

Frankston Melbourne, Victoria
View of the Frankston CBD from Olivers Hill.
Population	34,457 (2006)
• Density
Established	1854
Postcode(s)	3199
Area	20.8 km2 (8.0 sq mi)
Location	41 km (25 mi) from Melbourne 21 km (13 mi) from Dandenong
LGA(s)	City of Frankston
State electorate(s)	Frankston
Federal division(s)	Dunkley
Suburbs around Frankston: Seaford Frankston North Port Phillip Bay Frankston Langwarrin Frankston South Baxter

Frankston is a seaside suburb of Melbourne, in the state of Victoria, Australia. It is located on Port Phillip Bay, 41km south-east of the Melbourne CBD. Frankston is main suburb in the Local Government Area known as the City of Frankston, as well as the northern-most suburb on the Mornington Peninsula.

Localities within the suburb of Frankston, which share the same postcode (3199), include: Karingal, Olivers Hill, Frankston Heights, Frankston East, Mount Erin and Long Island.

Due to its geographical location, the suburb is often referred to as "The Gateway to the Peninsula". Colloquially, Frankston is referred to as "Franga" or "Funkytown".

History

Prior to European discovery, the Frankston area was populated by Indigenous Australians known as the Kulin people. Specifically, inhabitants in the Frankston area were from the Bunurong language group, of the Mayone-bulluk clan. Europeans first set foot in Frankston as early as January 30, 1803, thirty two years before the founding of Melbourne (the first major European stettlement in the then Port Phillip District). A plaque near the mouth of Kananook Creek marks the location of where Captain Charles Grimes and his party went ashore searching for freshwater, and met with around 30 local inhabitants.

After the settlement of Melbourne in 1835, James Davey took up a large land holding in 1846, which extended from Olivers Hill to (what is now his namesake) Daveys Bay. Olivers Hill was named after local fisherman, James Oliver, who built a cottage atop the hill from where he kept an eye out for fish in the waters below. The first official land sales in the area were held in 1853, and Frank Liardet (the eldest son of prominent settler, hotelier and descendant of French nobility, Wilburham Liardet), established the "Ballam Ballam" estate in 1854. The estate was the earliest officially recorded settlement in Frankston, and was located to the east of Port Phillip Bay, in what is now known as the locality of Karingal. Liardet's original homestead "Ballam Park" remains today, and is now heritage-listed.

Frankston's early development was hampered by poor soils, distance from Melbourne, and the existence of a major swamp occupying much of the area between Mordialloc and Seaford. Thomas McComb, who arrived in Frankston in 1852, also purchased much land in the area (over what is now the Frankston CBD) and did much to develop the local fishing industry. A pier was completed in 1857 and, between the 1850s and the arrival of the Melbourne railway in 1880s, the area developed as a small fishing community.

The former historical jamboree grandstand at Frankston Park football oval

An Anglican church and school were built in 1855, with the first Frankston post office opening in 1857 and a pottery established in 1859. During the 1860s, there were estimated to be around 30 people living in Frankston, with about 200 others living in the surrounding area. In 1874, a state school was built in Frankston as well as a Mechanics' Institute and free library in 1880. The first savings bank opened in 1881, and two brickworks factories and a cordial manufacturer were operating by the 1880s.

The Melbourne railway came on August 1, 1882, which saw Frankston develop into a popular seaside resort. Its lure as a holiday destination increased particularly after the electrification of the railway service on August 27, 1922, which reduced average journey times from 90 to 62 minutes. Between these years, the area developed into a regional centre for the Mornington Peninsula and a playground for Melbourne's affluent.

Frankston was the site of the first Australian Scout Jamboree in 1935. It was the only jamboree in Australia to be attended by the founder of the Scouting movement, Sir Robert Baden-Powell. Several streets in the locality of Frankston South are named after the event (Baden Powell Drive being the most prominent). The original grandstand used for the jamboree remained a historic landmark at Frankston Park for 72 years, until it was destroyed by fire on February 12, 2008.

The population of Frankston boomed during and after World War II, increasing from 12,000 in 1947 to 82,000 by 1982 (referring to the old town zoning system when Frankston and its surrounds were all part of the former "Shire of Frankston and Hastings"). This was due to the establishment of small government housing estates in the area, to house the families of Australian Defence Force personnel stationed at the nearby Balcombe Army Camp in Mount Martha and the Flinders Naval Depot near Hastings.

In 1959, the Hollywood film, On the Beach, starring Gregory Peck and Ava Gardner, was partly filmed in Frankston, at its railway station and in the surrounding area. The original novel of On the Beach was written by polular novelist, Nevil Shute, who lived in Frankston's south-east, in what is now the City of Frankston suburb of Langwarrin.

On September 2, 2004, Frankston was nominated for the Bursary Award in the Livcom - International Awards for Liveable Communities. In October 2004 it received a Bronze Award for "management of environment and enhancement of quality of life". It won this award for "C Category Cities" (cities with populations between 75,001 - 200,000).

On March 24, 2007, Frankston won two awards in Keep Australia Beautiful Victoria's (KABV) clean beach challenge. It won the award for "Friendliest Beach in Victoria", and also the "Natural Heritage Award" for the maintenance of - and providing of facilities at - Frankston Beach. On June 2 2008, Frankston was named Victoria's most sustainable city in the Keep Australia Beautiful Victoria's (KABV) Sustainable Cities Awards.

Name Conjecture

The origins of the name "Frankston" has been subject to some conjecture. Local folklore suggests that the town was named after a publican called Frank Stone, who ran a hotel at the corner of the then Point Nepean Road (now the Nepean Highway) and Hastings Road (now Davey Street). However, there is no evidence that such a person existed. Two more credible possibilities are that the town was named after Frank Liardet or after Charles Franks, an early settler of Melbourne who was killed by Aborigines.

However, according to Frankston historian and author, Michael Jones, Frankston is named after General Sir Thomas Franks, a British army officer who fought in the Second Sikh War. This theory is strengthened by the fact a number of other towns in the area, such as Cranbourne, Hastings, Lyndhurst, Mornington and Pakenham, are named after British statesmen and generals (respectively, Viscount Cranbourne, Warren Hastings, the Earl of Mornington, Lord Lyndhurst and Lord Pakenham). Jones suggests that Andrew Clarke, the Surveyor-General of the Port Phillip District from 1853-1858, named all these towns.

i live in frankston and i think it is a beautiful place. with the sunsets and beaches i would reccomend this as a great place to live

Geography

View of Olivers Hill from the Frankston Boardwalk

Granite rock formation in the Sweetwater Creek Nature Reserve

Beauty Park was converted from a swamp in the early 20th Century

Landmark Bridge over Kananook Creek at the Frankston Waterfront, with views to Melbourne

The suburb of Frankston (not to be confused with the multi-suburb Local Government Area known as the City of Frankston, to which the suburb of Frankston is a part of) covers a wide geographic area in comparison with other suburbs of Melbourne. It also emcompasses localities (not to be confused with being independent suburbs) which include: Karingal, Olivers Hill, Frankston Heights, Frankston East, Mount Erin and Long Island.

The suburb is bounded to the west by Port Phillip Bay; the north by Skye Road and Overton Road (bordering the City of Frankston suburbs of Frankston North and Seaford); the east by McClelland Drive and the Moorooduc Highway (bordering the City of Frankston suburb of Langwarrin); and the south by Humphries Road, Robinsons Road and Golflinks Road (bordering the Shire of Mornington Peninsula suburbs of Mount Eliza and Baxter).

Topography

Frankston is at the southern end of a stretch of beaches that run from Beaumaris south to near Olivers Hill, unbroken except by Patterson River, Mordialloc Creek and Kananook Creek. Kananook Creek also runs close to the shores of Port Phillip Bay, creating a long "island" effect (though the area is not technically an island, as the creek does not flow into the bay at any point, other than near Frankston Beach).

The central and northern areas of the suburb are generally flat, but the suburb rises gradually towards the east, then rises sharply at Olivers Hill in the south of the suburb. Also at Olivers Hill, where Sweetwater Creek meets Port Phillip Bay, the beaches give way to weathered bluffs of sandstone and siltstone, with the odd sandy cove at Daveys Bay and again at Canadian Bay.

The southern uplands are at the northern end of an uplift area in a Horst-Graben structure that extends down the Mornington Peninsula. Similar plutonic intrusive uplifts occur on the Mornington Peninsula at Mount Martha and Arthurs Seat. The fault zones are currently inactive, though minor tremors have historically been experienced.

Environment

Frankston is generally a leafy suburb, with some natural heritage elements. A number of large informal nature reserves exist in the suburb including: Bunarong Park, Casuarina Reserve, Paratea Flora and Fauna Reserve and Sweetwater Creek Nature Reserve. All reserves have formal walking paths and contain a broard range of Australian native flora and fauna, with hundreds of species indigenous to the Frankston area, including over 20 species of orchid. Large formally-designed parks in the area include: Beauty Park (converted from a swamp in the early 20th century) and the George Pentland Botanical Gardens (converted from a golf course in the mid 20th Century).

The Frankston foreshore area has also retained much of its natural element. Consecutive Frankston City Council's have sought to protect the native flora and sand dunes along the beaches. An extensive raised timber walking path called the "Frankston Boardwalk" winds through this section of the foreshore in order to protect the area, whilst also allowing it to be enjoyed by visitors. Only a small section of the foreshore remains developed, near the mouth of Kananook Creek and the 500 m Frankston Peir, called "Frankston Waterfront". The waterfront features extensive landscaping, a themed playground, car parking, a restaurant with bay views and a million dollar Visitor Information Centre

Climate

Frankston has a temperate climate almost identical to that of Melbourne, however, is usually around 2 °C cooler than Melbourne city. In many cases, Frankston is one of the first areas of Melbourne to feel the effect of the Cool Change weather pattern that occurs during the summer season.

At one of the widest points of Port Phillip Bay, Frankston's seaside residents have an unobstructed view of oncoming westerly weather patterns. On rare days of severe storms with galeforce westerly winds, Frankston briefly becomes one of the few places on the Port Phillip Bay with wave swell of size that allows surfing.

The ability to see the You Yangs (a series of granite peaks situated on the adjacent western side of the bay, near Geelong) with the naked eye from the shoreline gives Frankston residents a innate test of visibility and air quality. While visible most of the year in the past, Melbourne's increasing air pollution has severely reduced the days they can be clearly made out.

Community

Demographics

According to the 2006 Australian Census, 69% of Frankston residents are born in Australia, with the most common overseas places of birth being: England (7.2%), New Zealand (2.5%), Scotland (1.5%), Germany (0.8%) and India (0.7%). The most common religions in Frankston are Catholic (22%), Anglican (18.7%), Uniting Church (4%), Presbyterian and Reformed (3.4%), and 25.5% of Frankston residents claim not to be religious.

An aging population in the suburb of Frankston is balanced by several new housing developments in neighbouring suburbs within the City of Frankston. The median age in the suburb of Frankston is 38, with 22.8% of the population over the age of 55, and 17.4% of the population under the age of 14.

Subdivisions

The dominant suburban nature of the area means it is not as diverse as residential areas closer to the Melbourne CBD, and the area has little multi-storey development. However, due to its position as a gateway to the Mornington Peninsula, Frankston has been designated a "Transit City" in accordance with the Victorian Government's Melbourne 2030 urban integration policy, which will increase focus on multi-story residential development in the CBD.

House prices in Frankston have risen over the years, particularly due to its seaside location, however the suburb still remains one of metropolitan Melbourne's most affordable. During the 12 months to 31 March, 2006, median house prices in Frankston were AU$256,000 and median unit prices were AU$190,000. Most areas of Frankston consist of "traditional" quarter-acre blocks (colloquially known as the Australian Dream). Some apartments / flats are centred in areas close to the CBD.

The locality of Olivers Hill boasts imposing bay and city views, and is home to the most expensive real estate property in the entire City of Frankston. It also overlooks Frankston Beach and the Frankston Waterfront. Known locally as "The Hill", some properties have been sold for in excess of AU$2 million, when the 2005 median price for a house in Frankston was only AU$228,000 according to The Age newspaper.

According to the 2006 Australian Census, 30.4% of residents own their property; 30.4% are purchasing their property; and 31.4% are renting their property. Of all residents, 75.9% live in a house; 14.4% live in an apartment / flat or unit; and 8.6% live in a semi-detached house, terrace house or townhouse.

Community Initiatives

The "Frankston 2025 Community Vision" is community initiative where Frankston residents were asked where they envision the City of Frankston to be by the year 2025. Public meetings, workshops and surveys were staged over 12 months from September 2006, and the initiative was officially endorsed by the Frankston City Council in October 2007. The then mayor, Councillor Glenn Aitkin, officially adopted the vision on November 24, 2007.

A not-for-profit community supermarket located at 16 Young Street, Frankston was established by the Bayside Dream Centre to provide groceries and other essential items to disadvantaged people within the community at affordable prices. The service is available to all people, not only concession card holders.

Economy

Frankston is generally a residential suburb, however, it also contains large retail and some light industrial elements. As of 2003, the City of Frankston is once again establishing itself as a tourism destination. The Frankston City Council adopted the City's first tourism marketing strategy in 2003, which has focus on the Frankston Beach and the waterfront precinct, retail core and surrounding heritage sites, which are all located within the suburb of Frankston.

The suburb has a number of retail centres across its localities, and is one of the few areas outside of Melbourne to contain competing cinema operators. The Frankston CBD (between Nepean Highway and the Frankston Railway Station) is the retail core, containing a major regional shopping complex, as well as street shopping, restaurants, bars / pubs and nightclubs.

Bayside Shopping Centre is the largest shopping complex on the Mornington Peninsula and is located in the Frankston CBD. It features major department stores such as: Myer, Target and Kmart; speciality superstores such as: Toys "R" Us and Rebel Sport; two supermarket chains: Coles and Safeway; and over 200 smaller speciality stores and food outlets, located over three interlocking malls. The centre also contains a small entertainment precinct with restaurants, bars and a 12 screen Australian Multiplex Cinema complex.

The second largest shopping complex is Centro Karingal, located in the locality of Karingal, around 5kms from the Frankston CBD. It features two Safeway supermarkets, a Big W department store and 120 speciality stores. Like its CBD counterpart, the centre also contains an entertainment precinct, called "StarZone Karingal", with restaurants, a pub and a 12 screen Village Cinema complex. StarZone Karingal is also home to one of the three V max "super screens" in Australia.

For a residential suburb, Frankston boasts a sizable restaurant, bar / pub and nightclub scene. As of 2008, there are 14 bars / pubs and nightclubs listed in the Frankston CBD alone (mainly centering around the Nepean Highway and near the shopping complex) and a varied restaurant selection, including: Italian, Greek, French, Japanese, Chinese, Vietnamese, Indian and Fijian cuisine, to name a few. A number of Frankston's restaurants have been listed in The Age's prestigious Good Food Guide, and the suburb remains one of the few left in Australia to sport a pub on each corner of an intersection (Nepean Highway and Davey Street).

Major automotive dealerships, including: Holden, Ford, Chrysler (also retailing Dodge and Jeep), Toyota, Nissan, Mitsubishi, Subaru, Suzuki and Hyundai (also retailing Kia), operate along Dandenong Road, in the suburb's north-west, as well as a light industrial area mostly involving the automotive repair industry. The area also spills over into the neighbouring suburb of Seaford, and centres around Hartnett Drive. The Seaford industrial area also contains some bulk retail and cash-and-carry outlets.

Education

The suburb of Frankston supports early childhood, primary, secondary, TAFE (vocational) and tertiary education. A number of government and private primary and secondary schools operate in the area, as well as the Frankston Campus of the Chisholm Institute (TAFE) and the Peninsula Campus of Monash University.

There are 12 primary schools in the suburb, eight of which are government schools and four are private. Three of the private primary schools are Catholic-aligned and the fourth is the junior campus of the independent K-12 Woodleigh School (the senior campus is in the neighbouring suburb of Baxter). There are four secondary schools in the suburb, three government schools which are: Frankston High School, Karingal Park Secondary College and Mount Erin College, and the fourth is the private Catholic-aligned John Paul College.

Frankston High School is considered one of the most elite government schools in the state of Victoria. Admittance to Frankston High School is based on residing in the designated "zone" of the school. Real estate agents often market properties in the area around Frankston South as in the "FHS Zone" to lure families wishing to send their children to the school.

The Peninsula Campus of Monash University has a teaching and research focus on health, human development and wellbeing, and is affiliated with the nearby Frankston Hospital. The campus was originally the Frankston Teacher's College, founded in 1959, before becoming affiliated with Monash University in 1990. The campus occupies the former "Struan" Estate, with its former stately house now the administration building of the university.

Infrastructure

Health

Four hospitals operate in the suburb of Frankston and service the greater area of the City of Frankston and the Mornington Peninsula. The major regional hospital, Frankston Hospital (which is part of the Peninsula Health network), and the Frankston Private Hospital are both located close to the Frankston CBD. The St. John of God Rehabilitation Hospital and the Peninsula Private Hospital are located further east in the locality of Karingal. A large concentration of medical-based businesses are located close to Frankston Hospital. According to the 2006 Australian Census, 4% of the Frankston population is employed in the hospital industry, making it the most common industry of employment for Frankston residents.

Transport

Frankston Railway Station on Young Street

As Frankston is the southern-most suburb of metropolitan Melbourne and also the "Gateway to the Peninsula", it is well serviced by both road and rail. The suburb is connected to the rest of Melbourne and the Mornington Peninsula by the Nepean Highway and Moorooduc Highway / Frankston Freeway (the latter which connects to the EastLink Tollway). The suburb is also connected directly to the Melbourne CBD via the Frankston Railway Line.

Metropolitan bus services run throughout the City of Frankston's suburbs and also connect it to the neighbouring cities of Dandenong and Casey. Regional bus services connect the south-west Mornington Peninsula, and the south-east is connected via the Stony Point Railway Line. The main transport terminus for the suburb is Young Street, on the edge of the Frankston CBD.

Eastlink is a A$2.5 billion tollway that opened on June 29, 2008, and connects Frankston with its north-east neighbours: Dandenong, Ringwood and Nunawading. Prior to, and after its opening, residents believed that EastLink would create further traffic congestion on the already congested Frankston Freeway (where EastLink terminates), and the intersection of the Frankston Freeway, McMahons Road and Cranbourne Road. Calls by Frankston City Council and local Federal MP, Bruce Billson, have been made for the State to contsruct the Frankston Bypass, in order to divert traffic congestion.

Culture

Arts and Heritage

The suburb has a number of theatre venues, a number of council operated and private art galleries, as well as many public art pieces (mainly around the Frankston CBD). Major theatre venues in Frankston include: the Frankston Arts Centre (along with its Cube37 art space) and the George Jenkins Theatre (part of Monash University's Peninsula Campus). The suburb is also home to a number of award-winning amateur music and theatre societies, including: the Frankston Symphony Orchestra, Frankston City Band, Mornington Peninsula Chorale, Peninsula Light Operatic Society (PLOS), Panorama Theatre Company, Frankston Theatre Group and the People's Playhouse. The suburb is also home to the internationally-acclaimed Australian Welsh Male Choir.

The Frankston Arts Centre overlooks the Frankston CBD, and houses a 800 seat theatre and also an art gallery. The centre plays host to a number of major performances, including regular shows by the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra and Victorian Opera, and is a tour venue for the Melbourne International Film Festival, Opera Australia as well as a number of national theatre companies. Next to the arts centre (Davey Street entrance) is Cube37, an intimate performance venue and exhibition space. 'The Cube', as it is locally known, also encompasses a state-of-the-art glass studio frontage for multimedia exhibitions at night.

"Power of Community" by Deborah Halpern in Beauty Park

A public art program, adopted by Frankston City Council, has been in place since the turn on the century. Recent major public art additions in the suburb include: "Sentinal", a five metre tall abstract wooden sculpture of a native sea eagle located on Young Street, by sculptor Bruce Armstrong; "Power of Community" located in Beauty Park, by famed mosaic artist Deborah Halpern; and "Sightlines" along Frankston Peir by Louise Laverack, which consists of 22 modular components (poles) decorated with nautical flag-themed weather vanes, with light panels embedded in the poles which reflect the movement of the waves below.

A self-drive tour, known as the "Frankston Cultural Drive" (signposted as Route 12), showcases the Frankston area's cultural and natural heritage. The tour takes in parks, gardens, galleries and historic homesteads as well as showcasing a large collection of contemporary sculpture. It includes local landmarks such as: the Frankston Arts Centre, George Pentland Botanic Gardens and the heritage-listed homestead "Ballam Park" (which are all in the suburb of Frankston), as well as the McClelland Gallery + Sculpture Park, "Cruden Farm" and the Nation Trust property "Mullberry Hill" (which are all in neighbouring Langwarrin). An audio CD is also available from the Frankston City Council which details information about each attraction.

Festivals and Events

Christmas balloon float in the 2007 I Love Frankston Parade

The annual Frankston Sea Festival is a weekend long celebration of Frankston's seaside heritage, held at the end of summer on the Frankston Waterfront. The festival features a large food and wine fair, live entertainment, rides and the popular amateur swim/run event, the Frankston Bay Classic (a 7km swim and 14km run, with prize money awarded to the winners of each leg of the event). Sand Sculpting Australia, who stages a sand sculpture exhibition, relocated their host city to Frankston in 2008. The exhibition, which is held over three months at the start of each year, now coincides with - and is now a feature of - the Frankston Sea Festival weekend.

The Christmas Festival of Lights is a popular annual Christmas event and one of the biggest on the Frankston community calender. The 2007 event attracted 25,000 people to the Frankston CBD to watch the lighting of the 100 year old Norfolk pine tree, fireworks display and engage in community festivals. The festival also includes the "I Love Frankston" Parade (inaugurated in 2007 by, the then mayor, Councillor Glenn Aitken). The annual parade consists of community groups, sporting clubs, schools and local business marching through the streets of Frankston in a show of civic pride, culminating at the Christmas Festival of Lights.

Sports and Leisure

Several sporting fields and small stadiums exist in the suburb. Most notably, the historic Frankston Park (home of the VFL's Frankston Dolphins) and the Frankston Basketball Stadium (home of the ABA's Frankston Blues). There are three golf courses in Frankston, the 1912-established Frankston Golf Course, Centenary Park Golf Course and the Peninsula Country Club (with two more in the greater City of Frankston). Also, the City of Frankston Bowling Club (lawn bowls) once hosted the World Bowls Tournament, in 1980.

The suburb of Frankston also supports a number of community level clubs for football, cricket, golf, basketball, netball, soccer and tennis, as well as a baseball club, hockey club, badminton club, athletics club and a croquet club. The beach area supports a yacht club, a surf lifesaving club and the state's oldest Australian Volunteer Coast Guard flotilla. Frankston also boasts one of the largest public skate parks in all of Australia.

Australian rules football is popular in the suburb, and is played at both a regional and state level. The Frankston Bombers, Karingal Bulls and Frankston Y.C.W. Stonecats play in the regional MPNFL (in the Peninsula and Nepean Divisions respectively). The state club in the suburb is the Frankston Dolphins, which plays in the VFL. In previous years, Frankston was the recruiting zone for professional AFL clubs, Hawthorn Hawks, and later St. Kilda Saints, and many star players from each team were recruited from Frankston (see: Frankston people).

The St. Kilda Saints AFL club has signed a deal with the City of Frankston to relocate their training base to the Frankston Park oval. The deal includes a AU$10 million development of a high-tech facility to be completed by 2010, based on the facilities of the UK's Chelsea and Aston Villa soccer clubs.

Indoor and outdoor beach volleyball is also becoming increasingly popular in the suburb of Frankston. 2008 marked the inauguration of the Frankston Beach Volleyball Series (part of the Virgin Blue Beach Vollyball Series) which attracted A-list players, including Olympian Tamsin Barnett. The event was also broadcasted on national television and, on the first day, the Nine Network's Today show broadcasted live from the event.

Notable Residents

For a list of notable Frankstonians, past and present, see:

Main article: List of Frankston people

See also

• Karingal
• Olivers Hill
• Frankston High School
• Frankston Arts Centre
• Frankston Hospital
• Frankston Park

References

• Jones, Michael. Frankston: Resort to City. Allen & Unwin: Sydney. 1989. ISBN 0-04-442114-1
• Brown-May, Andrew and Swain, Shurlee. The Encyclopedia of Melbourne. Cambridge University Press: Melbourne. 2005. ISBN 0-52-184234-4
• Watson, Kerry. Frankston 1901-2000: An oral/pictorial history. Frankston City Council: Frankston. 2000. (Online Version)

External links

• Frankston City home page