Cranbourne 3977 Cranbourne 3977

Approximately forty six kilometres south-east of Melbourne lies the rapidly growing town of Cranbourne. The earliest settlers were the Ruffy brothers who squatted on Mayune run in 1836. They conducted the Cranbourne Inn, which may have been named after a town in Berkshire or after Viscount Cranborne.

There were few Aborigines in the district, but the discovery of numerous artefacts indicates that the area was fairly intensively occupied before European settlement. The early pastoralists grazed cattle and grew barley and wheat.

The township was surveyed in 1856, where a small community already existed on Mayune, then leased by Alexander Cameron. The track into South Gippsland also passed through here. From the 1860s, selectors were able to purchase portions of the large runs. The town was gazetted in 1861. Soon a school, churches, another hotel and postal service were established in the township. A Road District was created in 1860 and a Shire proclaimed in 1868. A Shire Hall was erected about 1875.

Cranbourne was briefly famous in 1860 when several meteorites were discovered in the area. The largest was sent to the British Museun where it is still exhibited in the meteorite collection. Models of the meteorites are on display in the town.

The New Tourists' Guide described the settlement in 1888. Although small, the town had developed as a market centre for settlers in the outlying Westernport area and as a link with Melbourne.

The rail line from Melbourne to South Gippsland reached Cranbourne in 1887. It did give a boost to the settlement but also undermined the importance of the town's stock market, as cattle could now be economically trucked to Dandenong or Melbourne. However, perishable produce from dairy farms, market gardens and orchards could now be railed to market. The town continued to grow slowly, serving as a market town for the surrounding district but overshadowed by nearby Dandenong. Dairying was now an important industry, as well as grazing.

The town was the focus of community life. Cricket, football and tennis clubs had been formed in the 1880s and 1890s. Horse racing also had a strong following in the district. A Turf Club was formed in 1860 and a course cleared by 1864. A new course and grandstand were opened in 1881. The Mornington Farmers' Society was founded in 1856. They held ploughing matches and annual shows. Later, the shows were held at Berwick in alternate years.

In the 1950s, industrial development began to spread into the northern part of the Shire from Dandenong. This gradually stimulated housing development at Cranbourne which has exploded in the last 15 to 20 years. The population was 1,800 in 1976, rising to 14,005 in 1986 and 18,886 in 1991. Suburban rail services and freeway now link the town to Melbourne.

Cranbourne races are an established event on the racing calendar. Greyhound and harness racing are also held. An annexe of the Melbourne Botanical Gardens is located at Cranbourne, devoted to the growing and preservation of Australian native plants.

In 1994 the Shire was proclaimed a City but later in the same year most of the City was amalgamated with the City of Berwick to form the City of Casey.

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