Local Area - Cranbourne

Schools

To cater for the rapid growth in the region the State Government will build a build a prep to year 12 school at The Hunt Club. This modern facility is scheduled to open at the start of the 2011 school year.

The education choices in and around Cranbourne are quite extensive ranging from kindergarten and pre school to state and religious primary and secondary schools and even tertiary level with a campus of the Chisholm Institute of TAFE.

Schools that are adjacent or local to The Hunt Club include:

• Casey Grammar P-12 school
• Marnebek School - a specialist school for students with an intellectual disability
• The Chisholm Institute of TAFE
• Cranbourne Secondary College
• Cranbourne Primary school

Shops

A large neighbourhood shopping centre is planned for The Hunt Club with opening expected in the coming years. Until then residents have easy access to the many shops on offer in Cranbourne. In the heart of Cranbourne is the large Centro Cranbourne with supermarkets, department stores and a wide selection of specialty retailers. The main street - High St - also has a terrific selection of specialty retailers and services.

The Cranbourne Homemaker Centre on the corner of Thompsons Rd and South Gippsland Highway features major furniture, sport, pet and electrical retailers together with service stations, take-away food outlets and a Bunnings warehouse.

Things to do and see

Cranbourne is home to dozens of restaurants, pubs, arts and entertainment venues so residents are certain to find something to suit their taste and budget.

The Royal Botanic Gardens, Cranbourne covers 363 hectares and specialises in Australian native plants. A highlight is the Australian Garden, which features a number of exhibition gardens, sculptures and displays. The bushland section of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Cranbourne contains 10km of walking tracks and includes the Trig Point Lookout tower, sites and free public BBQs.

With the South Gippsland Highway running through the centre of Cranbourne residents are also just a skip and a jump from the best of the Mornington Peninsula - wineries, beaches, golf courses and weekend escapes, Phillip Island is to the west or the Melbourne CBD to the east. Drive down Thompsons Rd and you are less than 30 minutes from Port Phillip Bay.

Council

The City of Casey is the local council for Cranbourne and The Hunt Club. The council is responsible for a wide range of services such as rubbish collection, street cleaning and parking. The council also provides a wide array of public services such as:

• Libraries
• Grants to support local groups
• Community Centres and venues for hire
• Disability services
• Maternal and child health
• Support services for disadvantaged persons and much more

The Cranbourne customer service centre for the City of Casey is located at: Centro Cranbourne (opposite the Post Office, near the High St entrance)

Opening hours:
Monday - Friday 9am - 5pm / Saturday 9am - 12pm
Phone: 03 9705 5200
Web: www.casey.vic.gov.au

Public Transport

The Cranbourne railway station provides direct access to the Melbourne CBD. The Hunt Club is serviced seven days a week by public TrainLink bus (route 896) connecting passengers to every train at the Cranbourne station for fast, direct access to the Melbourne CBD. On a Friday and Saturday evening the route modifies and drops passengers at the entrance to The Hunt Club.

The Victorian Government recently announced plans to build a train station in Cranbourne East. Specific details regarding location and opening date have not yet been released - please visit this site again for updates.

Sport

No matter what your taste in sport you're sure to find a club or venue in and around the Cranbourne area with:

• Two public golf courses just down the road
• Cranbourne Racecourse & Recreation Reserve
• Greyhound and harness racing clubs
• Casey Fields, a massive complex of a VFL football stadium, ovals, soccer pitches, tennis courts and more, is next door to The Hunt Club
• Eight Australian Rules football and cricket ovals
• Two rugby fields
• A grass athletic track
• 20 tennis courts
• Cranbourne Indoor Pool
• City of Casey is currently building the Casey Aquatic and Leisure Centre (CALC). Located adjacent to The Hunt Club this will be one of Australia's leading pools, spa, sauna and gym facilities. CALC is scheduled to open in 2009

History of Cranbourne

It is thought the first white settlers in the area now known as Cranbourne arrived in the early 1800's and the area quickly grew into a town with a hotel, blacksmith, school and Presbyterian Church.

In 1868 the Cranbourne Shire Council was formed and in 1875 a civic centre on the corner of Sladen Street and the South Gippsland Highway was built.

Dairying was the staple industry for the area with most locals either running or working on a farm - the area was a leader in providing the first bottled milk. The Mayfield Dairy was among the largest employers. Sand was also a primary industry.

A housing and land shortage after WWII saw Cranbourne start to grow into the urban centre it is today with immigrants offered cheap blocks along the railway. Today, the migration to Cranbourne continues with families from all over Melbourne, Victoria, Australia and even the world choosing to call this thriving suburb home.

This information was sourced from the Cardinia-Casey Library Corporation.

The Melbourne Hunt Club

The land on which The Hunt Club is being developed was once the site of the prestigious Melbourne Hunt Club.

The Melbourne Hunt Club was founded by George Watson in 1853 and moved to its Cranbourne location in the 1920s. The Club provided a place for the elite such as the Governor to mix with the local farming community. Hunts were a highly social affair, especially refreshments at the end of the day.

The Melbourne Hunt Club is now based in Pakenham.