Cranbourne, Victoria facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Cranbourne Melbourne, Victoria
High Street
Cranbourne Location in Melbourne
Population	21,281 (2021 census)
• Density	2,217/km2 (5,740/sq mi)
Postcode(s)	3977
Elevation	62 m (203 ft)
Area	9.6 km2 (3.7 sq mi)
Location	43 km (27 mi) from Melbourne 13 km (8 mi) from Dandenong 43 km (27 mi) from Phillip Island
LGA(s)	City of Casey
State electorate(s)	Cranbourne
Federal Division(s)	Holt
Mean max temp Mean min temp Annual rainfall 19.4 °C 67 °F 9.8 °C 50 °F 809.8 mm 31.9 in
Suburbs around Cranbourne: Lynbrook Cranbourne North Cranbourne North Cranbourne West Cranbourne Cranbourne East Botanic Ridge Junction Village Clyde

Cranbourne is a suburb located in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. It is about 43 kilometers (27 miles) south-east of Melbourne's main city area. Cranbourne is part of the City of Casey local government area. In 2021, about 21,281 people lived there.

The larger Cranbourne area includes Cranbourne itself, along with nearby suburbs like Cranbourne North, Cranbourne East, Cranbourne South, and Cranbourne West.

History of Cranbourne

Early Days and Settlement

Before European settlers arrived, the land around Cranbourne was likely home to the Boonwurrung Aboriginal people. The first European settlers, the Ruffy brothers, came to the area in 1836. They later opened a place called the Cranbourne Inn.

More settlers began to arrive in the 1860s, and the Cranbourne Post Office opened on August 1, 1857.

Draining the Swamp

Developing the land around Cranbourne was difficult because of the Koo Wee Rup swampland. However, a person named William Lyall bought land in the swamp. He helped organize efforts to drain the swamp. This made the land useful for farming.

Local Government

From 1860 until 1994, Cranbourne was the main center for the Shire of Cranbourne. This was the local council that managed the area. For most of 1994, it was known as the City of Cranbourne. The old council building is still there today. It is now used as a health care center called 'The Cranbourne Integrated Care Centre'. Before 1978, the council met at the Old Shire Offices, located at the corner of Sladen Street and South Gippsland Highway.

Cranbourne's Climate

Cranbourne has a climate that is often found near oceans. This means it has mild, fairly dry summers and cool, wetter winters. The average high temperatures are around 25.8°C (78.4°F) in February and 13.4°C (56.1°F) in July. The average low temperatures are about 14.0°C (57.2°F) in February and 6.2°C (43.2°F) in July.

Cranbourne gets a moderate amount of rain each year, averaging about 809.8 millimeters (31.9 inches). It rains often, especially in winter, with about 182 rainy days each year. The hottest temperature ever recorded was 46.0°C (114.8°F) on February 7, 2009. The coldest was -2.5°C (27.5°F) on September 13, 1996.

Who Lives in Cranbourne?

In 2021, Cranbourne had a population of 21,281 people. Most people (62.3%) were born in Australia. Other common birthplaces included India (5.4%), England (3.3%), New Zealand (3.1%), Afghanistan (1.9%), and the Philippines (1.4%).

About 68.5% of people spoke only English at home. Other languages spoken included Punjabi (2.6%), Hazaraghi (1.2%), Samoan (1.2%), Hindi (1.2%), and Dari (1.1%). For religion, the most common answers were No Religion (28.8%), Catholic (21.3%), and Anglican (10.2%).

Places to Visit and Things to Do

Cranbourne has many interesting places and facilities.

Parks and Gardens

• In the south of Cranbourne, you can find the Royal Botanic Gardens, Cranbourne. This is a beautiful place to explore nature.
• There's also the Cranbourne Racecourse & Recreation Reserve.

Sports and Recreation

• Cranbourne has several golf clubs: the Cranbourne Golf Club, the Amstel Golf Club, and the Ranfurlie Golf Club.
• There is an indoor swimming pool for everyone to enjoy.
• The Casey Complex, opened in 1994, has many community facilities. These include The Shed (an indoor skating area) and the Cranbourne Indoor Sports Centre (for basketball, netball, and indoor soccer).
• The Casey-Cardinia Library Corporation has a branch here.
• YMCA Casey Race is the local swimming pool. It has two 50-meter lap pools, a kids' pool, a heated rehabilitation pool, a spa, sauna, steam room, a gym, and two water slides.
• The Factory is a rehearsal center for arts.
• You can also find Caseyville (a traffic school) and Bowland (a 24-lane ten-pin bowling alley).
• The new Casey Fields Complex is located along Berwick-Cranbourne Road.

Schools in Cranbourne

Cranbourne has many schools for students of all ages:

• Alkira Secondary College
• Barton Primary School
• Casey Fields Primary School (in Cranbourne East)
• Casey Grammar School
• Chisholm Institute of TAFE (Cranbourne Campus)
• Courtenay Gardens Primary School
• Cranbourne Carlisle Primary School
• Cranbourne East Primary School
• Cranbourne East Secondary College
• Cranbourne Park Primary School
• Cranbourne Primary School
• Cranbourne Secondary College
• Cranbourne Specialist School
• Cranbourne West Primary School
• Cranbourne West Secondary College
• Lyndhurst Primary School
• Lyndhurst Secondary College
• Marnebek School
• Rangebank Primary School
• St. Agatha's Catholic School
• St. Peter's College (West and East campus)
• St. Therese's Catholic Primary School
• Tulliallan Primary School

Many of these schools are located right in the suburb of Cranbourne. More primary schools are planned to help with the growing population.

Shopping in Cranbourne

Cranbourne has two main shopping areas.

Major Shopping Centers

• In the north, at the corner of Thompsons Road and the South Gippsland Highway, you'll find the Thompson Parkway Shopping Centre (with Woolworths) and HomeCo Cranbourne.
• In the center of town is High Street and Cranbourne Park Shopping Centre. This center has a large Coles Supermarket, TK Maxx, Kmart, and Target.
• A standalone Aldi supermarket is on Bakewell Street, close to Cranbourne Park.

Smaller Shopping Areas

• Smaller shopping centers include the Sandhurst Centre in Cranbourne West (with a Coles Supermarket).
• Springhill shopping center also has a Coles supermarket.
• Hunt Club Village Shopping Centre in Cranbourne East has Woolworths, Aldi, and 17 other stores.
• Cranbourne also has four small shopping strips on Camms Road, Hotham Street, Lurline Street, and Cranbourne Place. These are made up of small local businesses.

Churches in Cranbourne

Cranbourne is home to several churches, including:

• Cranbourne Salvation Army
• Cranbourne Baptist Church
• Anglican Regional Church Cranbourne
• Cranbourne Regional Uniting Church
• Freedom Christian Church (Assemblies of God)
• Deeper Christian Life Ministry (Deeper Life Bible Church)
• Cranbourne Presbyterian Church
• St. Agatha's Catholic Church
• Life Community Church
• TurningPoint Church
• The Cranbourne Ward of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
• Hope Christian Centre (in Cranbourne North)

Sports Facilities and Clubs

Casey Fields

Cranbourne offers many sports facilities and clubs for different activities.

Australian Football and Cricket

• The Casey Demons, a team in the Victorian Football League, play their home games at Casey Fields.
• There are 9 ovals for Australian football and cricket at various reserves like J&P Camm Reserve and Lawson Poole Reserve. Most have synthetic cricket wickets.
• The Cranbourne Cricket Club started in 1881, and the Cranbourne Football Club began in 1889.
• The town has an Australian Rules football team that plays in the Outer East Football Netball League.

Rugby

• There are 2 rugby fields at Lawson Poole Reserve and Clyde Recreation Reserve.

Football (Soccer)

• Casey Comets Football Club started in 1975 as Cranbourne Comets Football Club. They changed their name in 2007. Casey plays at Comets Stadium.
• Melbourne City FC, an A-League team, has its training ground and youth home ground at Casey Fields.

Basketball and Netball

• The Terry Vickerman Centre at the Casey Indoor Leisure Complex has 6 basketball courts (which can also be used for netball).
• There is an outdoor netball court at the Glover Recreation Reserve.

Tennis

• There are 32 tennis courts available at various locations, including Cranbourne Tennis Club, Casey Fields, Clyde Tennis Club, Devon Meadows Tennis Club, and Cranbourne South Tennis Club.
• The Terry Vickerman Centre also has 8 indoor courts.

Golf

• You can find two privately owned golf courses: Ranfurlie Golf Club and Cranbourne Golf Club.

Horse Riding

• Club-based horse riding is available at the Morning Mist Recreation Reserve in Cranbourne South.

Horse and Greyhound Racing

• Cranbourne has a special facility called the Cranbourne Racing Centre and Racecourse. It hosts three types of racing:
  • Horse racing with the Cranbourne Turf Club, which holds about 22 races a year, including the Cranbourne Cup in October.
  • Harness racing with regular meetings.
  • Greyhound racing with regular meetings.

Lawn Bowls

• There are two lawn bowls clubs: Cranbourne Bowls Club and Cranbourne RSL Bowls Club.

Shooting

• Shooting facilities are available at the Cranbourne Dandenong Pistol Club.

Skating and BMX

• Merinda Park has outdoor facilities for skating and BMX.

Events

The MRA Cranbourne GP Run happens every year on the Saturday of the Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix.

• Casey Radio 97.7FM is a local radio station.

Getting Around Cranbourne

Train Services

• The Cranbourne railway line ends at Cranbourne railway station.
• The Cranbourne line is part of the South Gippsland Railway. This railway used to go further but is currently not used between Cranbourne and Nyora.
• The railway line to Cranbourne was doubled in February 2022, meaning there are now two tracks.
• An extension of the line to Clyde was announced in 2021. Construction for this extension is expected to begin around 2025.

Bus Services

• Cranbourne also has many bus services. These buses help people travel to and from the surrounding suburbs.

Environmental Concerns

View of SBI landfill in Cranbourne

Stevensons Brothers Industries (SBI) Landfill in Cranbourne caused odour pollution that affected people living nearby. Between mid-2021 and mid-2023, over 5,000 complaints were made. EPA Victoria took the company to court. They claimed the company did not follow its duty to protect the environment because of the ongoing smell affecting local communities.

See also

• City of Cranbourne – Cranbourne was previously part of this former local government area.