Cranbourne, Victoria
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Cranbourne is a suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia 49 kilometres south-east of Downtown Melbourne (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: Cranbourne, Cranbourne East, Cranbourne North, Cranbourne South, Cranbourne West, and Junction Village.
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[edit] History
While suburban housing developments characterize the Cranbourne of today, the suburb has a long history, and was formally a town in its own right. It was the site of the old Shire of Cranbourne offices, (the building that was built in 1875 is still existent 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 useable as farmland.
The region has strong agricultural roots, with a major cattle market established at Cranbourne in the 1870s, aided by the arrival of the railway in 1887. A market gardening industry emerged after World War I with the arrival of Italian immigrants.
Cranbourne has had a long history with the horse racing industry, having held its first meeting in 1867. These days, the Cranbourne Racecourse & Recreation Reserve and adjoining Cranbourne Training Complex are popular facilities, hosting the Cranbourne Cup and other carnivals.
In 1860 a number of meteorites landed in the area. The largest, at 1.5 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.
[edit] Rapid growth and urbanization
Over the years Cranbourne has grown from a country town to a rapidly growing suburb in Melbourne's south-east. The exact time of when Cranbourne had changed from its status as a town to its status as a suburb is subject to much debate but Cranbourne's population has rapidly grown since the 1970s[citation needed]. The population of Cranbourne was 1,800 in 1976, rising to 14,005 in 1986 and 18,886 in 1991. Cranbourne's current population is estimated to be at least 30,000.
[edit] Places
Cranbourne contains Amstel Golf Club, Bowland (a ten-pin bowling complex), Casey Fields, Casey Indoor Sports Centre, Cranbourne Golf Club, Cranbourne Racecourse & Recreation Reserve, Donnelly Recreation Reserve, J & P Cam Reserve, Lawson Poole Reserve, a public library, Ranfurlie Golf Club, Royal Botanic Gardens, Cranbourne, a Sports Centre (basketball, netball, and indoor soccer), a swimming pool, and The Shed (an indoor skating facility).
[edit] Schools
Schools in the Cranbourne area include Courtenay Gardens Primary School, Cranbourne Christian College, Cranbourne Primary School, Cranbourne Secondary College, Cranbourne South Primary School, Cranbourne Specialist School, Cranbourne West Primary School, Lyndhurst Secondary College, Rangebank Primary School, St. Agathas Catholic School, St. Peters Catholic Co-Ed College, and St. Theresa's Catholic Primary 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.
[edit] Shopping centres
Shopping centres in the Cranbourne area include Centro Cranbourne Shopping Centre, the Great Southern Home Centre, and Thompson Parkway Shopping Centre.
[edit] Fast food
Cranbourne is home to many fast food stores including Fish n' Chips and Pizza shops.
Major fast food outlets in the Cranbourne area include Domino's Pizza, Hungry Jacks, KFC, McDonald's, Pizza Hut, Red Rooster, and Subway.
[edit] Sports clubs
Sports clubs in the Cranbourne area include the Cranbourne South West Netball Association, the golf club, and leagues in Bowland.
[edit] 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.
[edit] Public transport
Melbourne's suburban rail services link the suburb to Melbourne. The terminus of the Cranbourne railway line is at Cranbourne railway station. Merinda Park station is in Cranbourne North.
