Cranbourne, Victoria

Cranbourne is a suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. It is south east of Melbourne. It is above sea-level. Its Local Government Area is the City of Casey.
The Cranbourne area is made up of the suburbs:
Cranbourne
Cranbourne East
Cranbourne North
Cranbourne South
Cranbourne West
Junction Village.
History
The first people to live in the Cranbourne area were the Boonwurrung Aborigines. The first Europen settlers were the Ruffy brothers who arrived in 1836. They later opened the Cranbourne Inn.
The area was opened up by settlers from the 1860s. Progress in developing the land around Cranbourne was difficult because of the Koo Wee Rup swamp. William Lyall bought land in the swamp area. He helped organize draining the swamp to make it usable as farmland. The region has a strong farming history. A major cattle market started at Cranbourne in the 1870s. This was helped with the arrival of the railway in 1887. A market gardening industry began after World War I with the arrival of Italian immigrants.
Cranbourne has a long history of horse racing. The first races were held in 1867. The Cranbourne Racecourse and Recreation Reserve and the Cranbourne Training Complex are popular facilities. There is a Cranbourne Cup race meeting every year as well as other carnivals.
In the 1860s, a number of iron meteorites were discovered in the area. The largest, at 3.5 tonnes, was at the time, the largest discovered in the world. It was known as the Cranbourne meteorite. It was sold to the British Museum.
Cranbourne was made a town in 1861. The Shire of Cranbourne was begun in 1868. The office, built in 1875, is still standing on the corner of South Gippsland Highway and Sladen Street. In 1994 the Shire was made a City. Later in the same year most of the City joined with the City of Berwick to form the City of Casey.
Rapid growth
Over the years Cranbourne has changed from a small country town to a rapidly growing suburb. The exact time of when Cranbourne had changed from town to suburb is not really known. The number of people living in Cranbourne has grown quickly since the 1970s. There were 1,800 people 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 people.
Sport
Cranbourne has many sports facilities including:
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. and P. Cam Reserve
Lawson Poole Reserve
Ranfurlie Golf Club
Sports Centre (basketball, netball, and indoor soccer)
swimming pool
The Shed (an indoor skating facility).
Botanic Gardens
The Royal Botanic Gardens, Cranbourne is a part of Melbourne's Royal Botanic Gardens. At Cranbourne there are a lot of Australian plants on display. One feature is an arid lands garden which has a red sand dune with desert plants.
Schools
Schools in the Cranbourne area include:
Courtenay Gardens Primary School
Cranbourne Christian College
Cranbourne Primary School
Cranbourne Park Primary School
Cranbourne East Primary School
Cranbourne East Secondary College
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
St.Theresa's Catholic Primary School
Cranbourne Carlisle Primary School.
Because of the growth in Cranbourne several new primary schools are being planned.
Chisholm Institute of TAFE also has a campus in Cranbourne, to the city's east.
Shopping centres
Shopping centres in the Cranbourne area include:
Centro Cranbourne Shopping Centre
Great Southern Home Centre
Thompson Parkway Shopping Centre.
Springville Shopping Centre.
Events
The MRA Cranbourne GP Run is held each year on the Saturday of the Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix.
Cranbourne races are a regular event on the racing calendar. Greyhound and harness racing are also held.
Public transport
Melbourne's suburban railway links the suburb to Melbourne. The terminus of the Cranbourne railway line is at Cranbourne railway station. Merinda Park station is in Cranbourne North.