Cranbourne Suburb Overview
Cranbourne is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 43 km south-east from Melbourne’s central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Casey. At the 2006 Census, Cranbourne had a population of 14,750.
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.
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 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,. 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.
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.
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
Cranbourne has two major shopping precincts. In the north on the corner of Thompson Road and the South Gippsland Highway is the Thompson Parkway Shopping Centre and Cranbourne Homemaker Centre complex with Harvey Norman, JB Hi Fi, Good Guys, Officeworks, La Porchetta, Hungry Jacks, Betta Electrical and more major stores. This complex has largely developed around the Bunnings Warehouse. In the centre of town is High Street and Centro Cranbourne, anchored by a 21 aisle Coles Supermarket Coles and a 8 aisle Woolworths supermarkets. Woolworths supermarkets and Kmart Australia Kmart, Homeart, 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 a 11 aisle Coles Supermarket in Cranbourne West, and the planned Hunt Club Shopping Centre development. Other supermarkets include an Aldi Supermarket in Bakewell St and Ritchies Supermarket in the High Street Retail area.
Nearby Suburbs
