Cranbourne is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 43 km south-east of Melbourne's central business district. Its local government area is the City of Casey. At the 2011 Census, Cranbourne had a population of 18,622.
The greater Cranbourne area consists of Cranbourne, Cranbourne North, Cranbourne East, Cranbourne South, Cranbourne West. Some suburbs and townships that surround Cranbourne are Narre Warren South, Devon Meadows, Langwarrin, Clyde, and Junction Village.
History
Prior to European settlement the Cranbourne area is thought to have been occupied by the Boonwurrung Aboriginal people. 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. Cranbourne Post Office had opened on 1 August 1857.
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.
Cranbourne was, from 1860 until 1994, the administrative centre of the Shire of Cranbourne, (known for most of 1994 as the City of Cranbourne). The council building is still in existence, and is now used as a health care centre known as 'The Cranbourne Integrated Care Centre'. Prior to 1978, Council met at the Old Shire Offices, on the corner of Sladen Street and South Gippsland Highway.
At the 2006 census Cranbourne had a population of 14,750.
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 an indoor swimming pool.
Schools
Schools in the Cranbourne area include:
Entertainment
FReZza or Spectrum Entertainment run occasional youth programs including All Ages music events, charity programs and other youth services. Over the years a number of local artists have emerged that have featured at many of Spectrum Entertainment's live events. These include bands such as Josh Wins Again, Arpejio, Closure in Moscow, Ellora just to name a few who have all hailed from Cranbourne or the City of Casey
Shopping
Cranbourne has two major shopping precincts. In the north of Cranbourne, on the corner of Thompson Road and the South Gippsland Highway is the Thompson Parkway Shopping Centre (anchored by Safeway) and Cranbourne Homemaker Centre complex with JB Hi-Fi Home, The Good Guys, Officeworks, La Porchetta, Hungry Jacks and more major stores. This complex has largely developed around the Bunnings Warehouse. In the centre of town is High Street and Cranbourne Park Shopping Centre (formerly known as Centro Cranbourne), anchored by a 21 aisle Coles Supermarket and an 8 aisle Woolworths supermarkets, and Kmart Australia, Target Australia, JB Hi-Fi Home, Harris Scarfe, Manchester and More, Best & Less, Reject Shop, Priceline and Dick Smith Electronics department stores. The centre previously included a 5-cinema complex. Smaller shopping centres include the Sandhurst Shopping Centre anchored by an 11 aisle Coles Supermarket in Cranbourne West, and the currently-in-construction, and scheduled to be completed by the end of 2015, Hunt Club VillageShopping Centre development. Other supermarkets include an Aldi Supermarket in Bakewell Street and Ritchies Supermarket in the High Street Retail area.
Churches
Cranbourne is home to several churches. These include the Cranbourne Salvation Army, Cranbourne Baptist Church, the Anglican Regional Church Cranbourne, Cranbourne Regional Uniting Church,Freedom Christian Church(Assemblies of God), Cranbourne Presbyterian Church, St Agathas Catholic Church, Life Community Church, TurningPoint Church and the Cranbourne Ward of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Cranbourne North has Hope Christian Centre.
Sports facilities and clubs
Australian Football/Cricket There are 9 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 (2 ovals), the Junction Village Reserve (1 oval) and the Glover Recreation Reserve (1 oval). Eight of the nine ovals each have a synthetic centre cricket wicket, whilst the E.G. Allen Oval at the Cranbourne Racecourse and Recreation Reserve has a turf centre wicket. The Cranbourne Cricket Club was established in 1881 with the Cranbourne Football Club established in 1889. There are 2 rugby fields at the Lawson Poole Reserve (1 field) and the Clyde Recreation Reserve (1 field). Sports reserves There are currently 3 football fields available on the Cranbourne Racecourse & Recreation Reserve. The town has an Australian Rules football team competing in the Mornington Peninsula Nepean Football League.
Soccer/Football Casey Comets Football Club is a soccer team which plays on O'Tooles Road at Comets Stadium. In 2009 the club has senior teams in the FFV Victorian State League 2 South East & the FFV Victorian Women's Premier League.
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 32 tennis courts available at Cranbourne Tennis Club, Cranbourne Racecourse & Recreation Reserve (6 porous)and Casey Fields(10 poly clay and 2 plexipave); the Clyde Tennis Club, Clyde Recreation Reserve (6 plexipave); the Devon Meadows Tennis Club, Glover Recreation Reserve (6 poly clay); 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.
Golf
There are three golf courses privately owned and managed:
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.
Cranbourne has a horse racing club, the Cranbourne Turf Club, which schedules around 22 race meetings a year including the Cranbourne Cup meeting in October.
Cranbourne Harness Racing Club conducts regular meetings at its racetrack in the town, and the Cranbourne Greyhound Racing Club holds regular meetings.
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, the Victorian Deer Association now meet at Akoonah Park in Berwick.
Skating/BMX
There are skating and BMX facilities available at the following locations:
Events
The MRA Cranbourne GP Run is held each year on the Saturday of the Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix.
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 Cranbourne Line is to be extended by 2 km to Cranbourne East by 2015, as stated in the Victorian Transport Plan.
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. By 2008, a report had concluded that the rail service to Leongatha would not be restored due to the high cost in returning services. Instead, extra money will be spent on improving road coach services.
Road upgrades
Vic Roads have upgraded Sladen Street between Hall Road and Lamb Street to a fully duplicated road. Duplication is now continuing westards towards Western Port Highway. This duplication will include a roundabout at Pearcedale Road.
Thompson Road at Cranbourne North was duplicated to full dual carriageway conditions between Lesdon Avenue and Narre-Warren Cranbourne Road. There are now three lanes in either direction between Lesdon Avenue and Rosebank Drive, and two lanes in either direction onwards to Narre Warren- Cranbourne Road.
Stevensons Road Closed Landfill
Since 2007 residents of Cranbourne, especially of the Brookland Greens residential estate, have been concerned with levels of methane gas in their neighbourhood. In 2008 residents were told to evacuate as methane levels reached as high as 60 percent.
The source of the methane was identified to be the closed Stevensons Road landfill which operated until 2005. The City of Casey council implemented a range of measures to limit the escaping methane and the EPA continues to monitor the site.
In 2009 residents raised complaints against the Cranbourne Waste Transfer Station, which sits on a site adjacent to the Stevensons Road landfill. About 400 signatories signed a petition for the closure of this facility.