Dandenong, Victoria
Encyclopedia
Dandenong is a suburb and major urban centre in metropolitan
Melbourne
, Victoria
, Australia
, 30 km south-east from Melbourne's central business district
. Situated on Dandenong Creek
and mostly flat land at the foothills of Mount Dandenong, it is the main administrative centre for the City of Greater Dandenong
Local Government Area (LGA). At the 2006 Census, central Dandenong had a population of 16,729 while the City of Greater Dandenong has an estimated population of 137,600.
It began as a township in 1852 and at the turn of the 20th century was an important regional city with its own suburbs. During the mid 20th century it became a major metropolitan manufacturing and commercial area and conurbation
of Greater Melbourne. A Business district, the former town centre, covers much of its area and is one of the largest in Greater Melbourne.
Dandenong is the hub of one of metropolitan Melbourne's most culturally diverse areas, with approximately 55.5% of Greater Dandenong residents born overseas from 156 different birthplaces and 51% from non-English speaking backgrounds. Significant ethnic groups include immigrants from India
, Sri Lanka
and Afghanistan
.
It is currently undergoing major transit oriented
urban renewal
which was first planned in the Melbourne 2030
strategy.
and was inhabited by the Woiwurrung
Indigenous Australian tribe.
The name is generally thought to be derived from the Woiwurrung word "Tanjenong" meaning "lofty mountains" possibly referring to the nearby Dandenong ranges.
Another popular theory that the name comes from 'bad flour', or 'no good damper'. A local tale revolves around local aboriginals finding/stealing a bag of lime and mistakenly using it to make damper. An old local hotel was the 'No Good Damper Inn'.
A third version has the name Dandenong coming from 'a burning' and 'the past' reflecting bushfires on the Dandenongs.
established a pastoral
run on Narra Narrawong in 1837, bringing cattle from Sydney
by land. Soon a few timber cutters and a police camp were also located there. Dandenong Post Office opened on 1 July 1848.
By 1850, the whole area had been taken up for grazing. Dandenong Creek was first bridged in 1840. A road was made from Melbourne, making Dandenong, by the late 1850s, an important staging post for travellers into Gippsland
. It became known as the 'gateway to Gippsland'. A township was surveyed in 1852. Milling of the red gum
timber became an important industry, and charcoal burning, tanning, quarrying and brick making also flourished. A livestock market was established in 1866.
The Western Port Aboriginal Protectorate Station was located north-east of Dandenong from 1840 to 1844. This area had been an important meeting and ceremonial site for Aboriginal tribes. The Native Police Corps
established its headquarters there until its disbandment in 1852. The Police Paddocks were then used for breeding and resting police horses.
By 1861, there were 40 houses in the township housing 193 people. Dandenong Shire was proclaimed in 1873. The Australian Handbook records the progress of the town by 1875.
The Dandenong Town Hall, Lonsdale Street, was built in Free Classical style in 1890 as the combined Shire Hall, Courthouse and Mechanics Institute, at a cost of about 12,000 pounds. The architects were Beswicke and Hutchins and the contractor McCullogh and McApline. The two storey, stucco rendered brick building, on a bluestone base course, features a lofty, Mansard-roofed, corner clock tower and projecting end wings with serlian motif windows and capped by pedimented niches.
and Greece
. This caused the creation of several suburbs of Dandenong including the public housing
estate of Doveton.
In the 1950s, Melbourne rapidly expanded south east along the freeway and Dandenong railway line to Dandenong and beyond and it became major metropolitan manufacturing and commercial area as industry extended into the outer suburbs. By the late 1960s, it was officially a suburban area of Melbourne and central Dandenong was transformed by modern buildings, with the redevelopment of the post office to a two storey modern building in 1960 followed by a three storey office development for AMP in 1966 and Dandenong Railway Station in 1975.
Development in Dandenong had stagnated
since the opening of the Dandenong Plaza
shopping centre which resulted in the closure of many shops in the central business district. Under the Melbourne 2030
policy, Dandenong was classified as a major activity centre
due to its central location with regard to its access to transport. These projects can be considered to be transit-oriented development
, where population density
is intended to be higher compared to other areas with poorer access to transport.
The Greater Dandenong city council has started a programme called Revitalising Central Dandenong, with $290 million proposed to be spent on various projects such as infrastructure
upgrades, improved street frontages and public art
in order to improve the general amenity of the Dandenong CBD. In the longer term, the council wishes to transform Dandenong into a more pedestrian oriented and mixed-use centre. This contrasts with the current situation where the CBD area is primarily occupied by offices and carparking, with a small amount of retail.
Dandenong's redevelopment is being overseen by the City of Greater Dandenong
council and VicUrban
, a Victorian Government
agency responsible for urban planning. The project is a long-term project, expected to continue for 15 to 20 years.
because Dandenong had for many years been incorporated as a part of the Greater Melbourne area as a result of urban sprawl
. This left a large unused site situated across the railway lines from the CBD. In November 2005, VicUrban
launched a project to develop the land into a mixed-use development consisting of 1100 residences as well as cafe
s and restaurant
s, known as Metro 3175, with 3175 signifying Dandenong's postcode.
Because the site is isolated from the rest of the central Dandenong area, George Street was widened and extended with a bridge across the railway lines to improve access between the precincts. The bridge provides access for cars, pedestrians and cyclists and improves connections to bus services
in the area. Additionally, Cheltenham Road, a major east-west arterial has been realigned in order to remove traffic from nearby streets and encourage pedestrian use.
When completed, the Metro 2033 project is expected to have a total population of about 3000.
centre with a 525 seat proscenium
theatre
. At the cost of $13 million, the project commenced construction in 2004 and was opened by Victorian Premier Steve Bracks
on 11 February 2006.
The redevelopment involved renovating the existing town hall building and the construction of a modern drum-shaped building. Its striking red colour is prominently visible from nearby streets in the CBD. There was some controversy over fears the redevelopment would destroy the historic facade of the town hall building, but this proved unfounded.
is part of the uplifting of Dandenong. The school, which is the amalgamation of Dandenong High School and Cleeland and Doveton Secondary Colleges, will have 2100 students.
Dandenong is primarily a private vehicle dependent community due to poorer public transport compared to suburbs closer to the CBD. It is served by the Monash Freeway
as well as several other major arterial roads. Eastlink
also passes near the suburb.
Dandenong railway station is approximately 50 minutes from Melbourne by train, and is situated adjacent to the CBD and is an interchange station for the Pakenham and Cranbourne lines as well as regional trains on the Gippsland railway line. The state government has proposed triplication of the railway line to support a higher volume of trains for the growing population in and around Dandenong as well as other suburbs and towns along the line.
The station also serves as a transport hub for the bus network
, with almost all bus routes in the area passing through Dandenong station and an interchange on Thomas Street in the CBD. Most buses in the area are operated by Grenda's Bus Services whose depot is located near the railway station.
Cycling
is facilitated via the Dandenong Creek Trail
, part of the off-road cycling network which connects the city trails to nearby Jells Park
.
In a council planning policy document, Light rail
is suggested as a future transport mode for the central Dandenong area.
(Dandenong and Cleeland) – and one Catholic high school (St John's Regional College
), as well as numerous state and two Catholic primary schools, are located within the suburb's boundaries. Dandenong also contains Emerson School, a specialist school for those with mild intellectual disabilities from a catchment area extending as far north as Rowville
.
at the Dandenong Showgrounds. Other teams in the Dandenong Area include the Dandenong Stingrays (Under 18 TAC Cup - Elite Junior) at Shepley Oval, St John's Old Collegians (VAFA and VWFL - Senior) at Carroll Reserve, and the Dandenong Saints (DDJFL - Junior) at Carroll Reserve.
Dandenong hosts two teams in football (soccer). Dandenong Thunder
plays in the Victorian Premier League
which is the second tier behind the A-League
and enjoys much support from the local community. The side plays their home fixtures at George Andrews Reserve
has been both premiers and champions of Victoria multiple times.
The other team is Dandenong City Soccer Club who have hosted many international players in its time. These include players such as Ljubo Miličević
, Eugene Galeković
& Ante Milicic
. The side plays at the Frank Holohan Soccer Complex and is rivals with Dandenong Thunder.
Dandenong also has numerous cricket clubs in the area. Dandenong Cricket Club
plays in the Victorian Premier League and has produced a number of state players to date. The most important of these has been Peter Siddle
(Australia), Darren Pattinson
(England) and Cameron White
(Australia) who have all gone on to play test cricket. Other prominent players from the club include Ian Harvey
, James Pattinson
, Brett Forsyth, Jackson Coleman and Kumar Sana.
The area also consists of a women's team, the Dandenong Women's Cricket Club who compete in the Victorian Women's Cricket Association.
Several other clubs in the area play in the Dandenong and District Cricket Association (DDCA). These include Buckley Ridges, Dandenong North, Dandenong West, and the St Mary's Cricket Clubs. Other clubs within the City of Greater Dandenong
include Coomoora, Keysborough, Lyndale, Parkfield, Silverton, Southern Pirates, Springvale and Springvale South Cricket Clubs.
Noble Park Cricket Club is also located within the City of Greater Dandenong
, and plays in the Victorian Sub-District Cricket Association
.
Golfers play at the course of the Forest Hills Golf Club on Wedge Street, Dandenong.
(an Australian Women's Basketball League team) and Victoria's state volleyball competition, and from 7 to 12 July played host to the 2008 Australian Junior Volleyball Championships.
, Jiangsu
, China
1996 http://www.greaterdandenong.com/documents.asp?ID=44&Title=Sister+City+Relationship
Metropolitan area
The term metropolitan area refers to a region consisting of a densely populated urban core and its less-populated surrounding territories, sharing industry, infrastructure, and housing. A metropolitan area usually encompasses multiple jurisdictions and municipalities: neighborhoods, townships,...
Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
, Victoria
Victoria (Australia)
Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, 30 km south-east from Melbourne's central business district
Melbourne city centre
Melbourne City Centre is an area of Melbourne in Victoria, Australia. It is not to be confused with the larger local government area of the City of Melbourne...
. Situated on Dandenong Creek
Dandenong Creek
Dandenong Creek, originally known as Narra Narrawong, runs from the Dandenong Ranges in the Dandenong Ranges National Park, in the eastern suburbs of Melbourne, Australia, through the urban areas of Boronia and The Basin, eventually meeting Mordialloc Creek and the manmade Patterson River...
and mostly flat land at the foothills of Mount Dandenong, it is the main administrative centre for the City of Greater Dandenong
City of Greater Dandenong
The City of Greater Dandenong is a Local Government Area in Victoria, Australia located in the southeastern suburbs of Melbourne. It has an area of 130 square kilometres and has a estimated population of 137,600 people....
Local Government Area (LGA). At the 2006 Census, central Dandenong had a population of 16,729 while the City of Greater Dandenong has an estimated population of 137,600.
It began as a township in 1852 and at the turn of the 20th century was an important regional city with its own suburbs. During the mid 20th century it became a major metropolitan manufacturing and commercial area and conurbation
Conurbation
A conurbation is a region comprising a number of cities, large towns, and other urban areas that, through population growth and physical expansion, have merged to form one continuous urban and industrially developed area...
of Greater Melbourne. A Business district, the former town centre, covers much of its area and is one of the largest in Greater Melbourne.
Dandenong is the hub of one of metropolitan Melbourne's most culturally diverse areas, with approximately 55.5% of Greater Dandenong residents born overseas from 156 different birthplaces and 51% from non-English speaking backgrounds. Significant ethnic groups include immigrants from India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
and Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
.
It is currently undergoing major transit oriented
Transit-oriented development
A transit-oriented development is a mixed-use residential or commercial area designed to maximize access to public transport, and often incorporates features to encourage transit ridership...
urban renewal
Urban renewal
Urban renewal is a program of land redevelopment in areas of moderate to high density urban land use. Renewal has had both successes and failures. Its modern incarnation began in the late 19th century in developed nations and experienced an intense phase in the late 1940s – under the rubric of...
which was first planned in the Melbourne 2030
Melbourne 2030
The Metropolitan Strategy Melbourne 2030 is a Victorian Government strategic planning policy framework for the metropolitan area of Greater Melbourne, intended to cover the period 2001-2030. During this period the population of the metropolitan area is expected to grow by a million people to over 5...
strategy.
Toponomy and prehistory
Prior to the European settlement of Australia, the flat to undulating land was densely forested with red gumRed Gum
Red Gum may refer to any of a number of species of Eucalyptus or the closely related Corymbia, including*Corymbia calophylla, Red Gum or Marri, native to Western Australia*Eucalyptus camaldulensis, Red Gum, Murray Red Gum or River Red Gum...
and was inhabited by the Woiwurrung
Woiwurrung
Woiwurrung is an Indigenous Australian language spoken by some of the Kulin Nation clans, the Wurundjeri people, of Central Victoria, from Mount Baw Baw in the east to Mount Macedon, Sunbury and Gisborne in the west.The Woiwurrung clans inhabited the Yarra River, called Birrarung in Woiwurrung,...
Indigenous Australian tribe.
The name is generally thought to be derived from the Woiwurrung word "Tanjenong" meaning "lofty mountains" possibly referring to the nearby Dandenong ranges.
Another popular theory that the name comes from 'bad flour', or 'no good damper'. A local tale revolves around local aboriginals finding/stealing a bag of lime and mistakenly using it to make damper. An old local hotel was the 'No Good Damper Inn'.
A third version has the name Dandenong coming from 'a burning' and 'the past' reflecting bushfires on the Dandenongs.
European settlement
Joseph HawdonJoseph Hawdon
Joseph Hawdon was a pioneer settler and overlander of Australia and New Zealand.Hawdon was born at Wackerfield, Durham, England, the son of John Hawdon. At the suggestion of his brother elder brother John , he decided to travel to Australia, arriving in Sydney in November 1834...
established a pastoral
Pastoral
The adjective pastoral refers to the lifestyle of pastoralists, such as shepherds herding livestock around open areas of land according to seasons and the changing availability of water and pasturage. It also refers to a genre in literature, art or music that depicts such shepherd life in an...
run on Narra Narrawong in 1837, bringing cattle from Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
by land. Soon a few timber cutters and a police camp were also located there. Dandenong Post Office opened on 1 July 1848.
By 1850, the whole area had been taken up for grazing. Dandenong Creek was first bridged in 1840. A road was made from Melbourne, making Dandenong, by the late 1850s, an important staging post for travellers into Gippsland
Gippsland
Gippsland is a large rural region in Victoria, Australia. It begins immediately east of the suburbs of Melbourne and stretches to the New South Wales border, lying between the Great Dividing Range to the north and Bass Strait to the south...
. It became known as the 'gateway to Gippsland'. A township was surveyed in 1852. Milling of the red gum
River Red Gum
The River Red Gum is a tree of the genus Eucalyptus. It is one of around 800 in the genus. It is a plantation species in many parts of the world, but is native to Australia, where it is widespread, especially beside inland water courses...
timber became an important industry, and charcoal burning, tanning, quarrying and brick making also flourished. A livestock market was established in 1866.
The Western Port Aboriginal Protectorate Station was located north-east of Dandenong from 1840 to 1844. This area had been an important meeting and ceremonial site for Aboriginal tribes. The Native Police Corps
Native Police Corps
An Australian Native Police Corps was first established in 1842 in the Port Phillip District of the Australian colony of New South Wales...
established its headquarters there until its disbandment in 1852. The Police Paddocks were then used for breeding and resting police horses.
By 1861, there were 40 houses in the township housing 193 people. Dandenong Shire was proclaimed in 1873. The Australian Handbook records the progress of the town by 1875.
The Dandenong Town Hall, Lonsdale Street, was built in Free Classical style in 1890 as the combined Shire Hall, Courthouse and Mechanics Institute, at a cost of about 12,000 pounds. The architects were Beswicke and Hutchins and the contractor McCullogh and McApline. The two storey, stucco rendered brick building, on a bluestone base course, features a lofty, Mansard-roofed, corner clock tower and projecting end wings with serlian motif windows and capped by pedimented niches.
Postwar era
The post-war industrial boom brought an influx of European migrants, particularly from ItalyItaly
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
and Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
. This caused the creation of several suburbs of Dandenong including the public housing
Public housing
Public housing is a form of housing tenure in which the property is owned by a government authority, which may be central or local. Social housing is an umbrella term referring to rental housing which may be owned and managed by the state, by non-profit organizations, or by a combination of the...
estate of Doveton.
In the 1950s, Melbourne rapidly expanded south east along the freeway and Dandenong railway line to Dandenong and beyond and it became major metropolitan manufacturing and commercial area as industry extended into the outer suburbs. By the late 1960s, it was officially a suburban area of Melbourne and central Dandenong was transformed by modern buildings, with the redevelopment of the post office to a two storey modern building in 1960 followed by a three storey office development for AMP in 1966 and Dandenong Railway Station in 1975.
Urban renewal
Stagnation
Stagnation may refer to one of the following*Economic stagnation, slow or no economic growth*Era of Stagnation, a period of economic stagnation in Soviet Union*Stagnation in fluid dynamics, see "Stagnation point"*Water stagnation*Air stagnation...
since the opening of the Dandenong Plaza
Dandenong Plaza
Dandenong Plaza is a major-regional shopping centre located in the heart of Dandenong built adjoining Myer Dandenong in 1989. It is approximately 30 kilometres south-east of the Melbourne CBD. The centre has two large food courts . Level 3 has a large Fresh Food Hall outside Coles supermarket...
shopping centre which resulted in the closure of many shops in the central business district. Under the Melbourne 2030
Melbourne 2030
The Metropolitan Strategy Melbourne 2030 is a Victorian Government strategic planning policy framework for the metropolitan area of Greater Melbourne, intended to cover the period 2001-2030. During this period the population of the metropolitan area is expected to grow by a million people to over 5...
policy, Dandenong was classified as a major activity centre
Activity centre
Activity centre is a term used in urban planning and design for a mixed-use urban area where there is a concentration of commercial and other land uses...
due to its central location with regard to its access to transport. These projects can be considered to be transit-oriented development
Transit-oriented development
A transit-oriented development is a mixed-use residential or commercial area designed to maximize access to public transport, and often incorporates features to encourage transit ridership...
, where population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
is intended to be higher compared to other areas with poorer access to transport.
The Greater Dandenong city council has started a programme called Revitalising Central Dandenong, with $290 million proposed to be spent on various projects such as infrastructure
Infrastructure
Infrastructure is basic physical and organizational structures needed for the operation of a society or enterprise, or the services and facilities necessary for an economy to function...
upgrades, improved street frontages and public art
Public art
The term public art properly refers to works of art in any media that have been planned and executed with the specific intention of being sited or staged in the physical public domain, usually outside and accessible to all...
in order to improve the general amenity of the Dandenong CBD. In the longer term, the council wishes to transform Dandenong into a more pedestrian oriented and mixed-use centre. This contrasts with the current situation where the CBD area is primarily occupied by offices and carparking, with a small amount of retail.
Dandenong's redevelopment is being overseen by the City of Greater Dandenong
City of Greater Dandenong
The City of Greater Dandenong is a Local Government Area in Victoria, Australia located in the southeastern suburbs of Melbourne. It has an area of 130 square kilometres and has a estimated population of 137,600 people....
council and VicUrban
VicUrban
VicUrban is an agency of the Victorian Government responsible for overseeing sustainable development in Victoria, Australia. It is intended to support planning policies such as Melbourne 2030 and acts as a land developer with a 12% market share in land sales...
, a Victorian Government
Government of Victoria
The Government of Victoria, under the Constitution of Australia, ceded certain legislative and judicial powers to the Commonwealth, but retained complete independence in all other areas...
agency responsible for urban planning. The project is a long-term project, expected to continue for 15 to 20 years.
Metro 2033
Metro 2033 is a major development located on the site of the former Dandenong Livestock Market. Established in 1866, the market was closed in 1998 and relocated to GippslandGippsland
Gippsland is a large rural region in Victoria, Australia. It begins immediately east of the suburbs of Melbourne and stretches to the New South Wales border, lying between the Great Dividing Range to the north and Bass Strait to the south...
because Dandenong had for many years been incorporated as a part of the Greater Melbourne area as a result of urban sprawl
Urban sprawl
Urban sprawl, also known as suburban sprawl, is a multifaceted concept, which includes the spreading outwards of a city and its suburbs to its outskirts to low-density and auto-dependent development on rural land, high segregation of uses Urban sprawl, also known as suburban sprawl, is a...
. This left a large unused site situated across the railway lines from the CBD. In November 2005, VicUrban
VicUrban
VicUrban is an agency of the Victorian Government responsible for overseeing sustainable development in Victoria, Australia. It is intended to support planning policies such as Melbourne 2030 and acts as a land developer with a 12% market share in land sales...
launched a project to develop the land into a mixed-use development consisting of 1100 residences as well as cafe
Café
A café , also spelled cafe, in most countries refers to an establishment which focuses on serving coffee, like an American coffeehouse. In the United States, it may refer to an informal restaurant, offering a range of hot meals and made-to-order sandwiches...
s and restaurant
Restaurant
A restaurant is an establishment which prepares and serves food and drink to customers in return for money. Meals are generally served and eaten on premises, but many restaurants also offer take-out and food delivery services...
s, known as Metro 3175, with 3175 signifying Dandenong's postcode.
Because the site is isolated from the rest of the central Dandenong area, George Street was widened and extended with a bridge across the railway lines to improve access between the precincts. The bridge provides access for cars, pedestrians and cyclists and improves connections to bus services
Buses in Melbourne
Buses in Melbourne, Australia, are a major form of public transport in Melbourne, with an extensive bus network. The network of 323 bus routes is operated by a number of privately owned bus companies....
in the area. Additionally, Cheltenham Road, a major east-west arterial has been realigned in order to remove traffic from nearby streets and encourage pedestrian use.
When completed, the Metro 2033 project is expected to have a total population of about 3000.
Drum Theatre
Designed by Williams Ross Architects, the Drum Theatre is a redevelopment of the Dandenong Town Hall, built in 1880. The town hall was redeveloped into a performing artsPerforming arts
The performing arts are those forms art which differ from the plastic arts insofar as the former uses the artist's own body, face, and presence as a medium, and the latter uses materials such as clay, metal or paint which can be molded or transformed to create some physical art object...
centre with a 525 seat proscenium
Proscenium
A proscenium theatre is a theatre space whose primary feature is a large frame or arch , which is located at or near the front of the stage...
theatre
Theatre
Theatre is a collaborative form of fine art that uses live performers to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place. The performers may communicate this experience to the audience through combinations of gesture, speech, song, music or dance...
. At the cost of $13 million, the project commenced construction in 2004 and was opened by Victorian Premier Steve Bracks
Steve Bracks
Stephen Philip Bracks AC is a former Australian politician and the 44th Premier of Victoria. He first won the electoral district of Williamstown in 1994 for the Australian Labor Party, and was party leader and Premier from 1999 to 2007....
on 11 February 2006.
The redevelopment involved renovating the existing town hall building and the construction of a modern drum-shaped building. Its striking red colour is prominently visible from nearby streets in the CBD. There was some controversy over fears the redevelopment would destroy the historic facade of the town hall building, but this proved unfounded.
Dandenong High School redevelopment
The regeneration and redevelopment of the Dandenong High SchoolDandenong High School
Dandenong High School is one of the largest co-educational government schools in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. The school caters for students from Years 7 to 12...
is part of the uplifting of Dandenong. The school, which is the amalgamation of Dandenong High School and Cleeland and Doveton Secondary Colleges, will have 2100 students.
Transport
Monash Freeway
Monash Freeway is an urban freeway in Victoria, Australia linking Melbourne's CBD to its southeastern suburbs and the Gippsland region. The entire stretch of the Monash Freeway bears the designation...
as well as several other major arterial roads. Eastlink
EastLink, Melbourne
EastLink is a A$2.5 billion tolled freeway linking a large area through the eastern and south-eastern suburbs of Melbourne, Australia. It is a part of Melbourne's Metropolitan Ring Road project....
also passes near the suburb.
Dandenong railway station is approximately 50 minutes from Melbourne by train, and is situated adjacent to the CBD and is an interchange station for the Pakenham and Cranbourne lines as well as regional trains on the Gippsland railway line. The state government has proposed triplication of the railway line to support a higher volume of trains for the growing population in and around Dandenong as well as other suburbs and towns along the line.
The station also serves as a transport hub for the bus network
Buses in Melbourne
Buses in Melbourne, Australia, are a major form of public transport in Melbourne, with an extensive bus network. The network of 323 bus routes is operated by a number of privately owned bus companies....
, with almost all bus routes in the area passing through Dandenong station and an interchange on Thomas Street in the CBD. Most buses in the area are operated by Grenda's Bus Services whose depot is located near the railway station.
Cycling
Cycling in Melbourne
Cycling in Melbourne, Victoria is common on the roads and paths for recreation, commuting and as a sport. However it is not one of the popular modes of transportation despite an extensive network of bicycle paths and some designated bicycle lanes on roads...
is facilitated via the Dandenong Creek Trail
Dandenong Creek Trail
The Dandenong Creek Trail is a shared use path for cyclists and pedestrians, which follows Dandenong Creek through the outer eastern and south-eastern suburbs of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.-Following the Path:...
, part of the off-road cycling network which connects the city trails to nearby Jells Park
Jells Park
Jells Park is a public park in Wheelers Hill, a suburb to the south-east of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Opening on 30 April 1976, the park attracts in excess of 700,000 visitors a year. The park is in excess of 127 hectares and contains 9 kilometres of bike paths. The Dandenong Creek Trail runs...
.
In a council planning policy document, Light rail
Light rail
Light rail or light rail transit is a form of urban rail public transportation that generally has a lower capacity and lower speed than heavy rail and metro systems, but higher capacity and higher speed than traditional street-running tram systems...
is suggested as a future transport mode for the central Dandenong area.
Education
Three state high schools – Lyndale Secondary College and two campuses of Dandenong High SchoolDandenong High School
Dandenong High School is one of the largest co-educational government schools in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. The school caters for students from Years 7 to 12...
(Dandenong and Cleeland) – and one Catholic high school (St John's Regional College
St John's Regional College
St John's Regional College is a Catholic co-educational secondary school situated in Dandenong in the south-eastern suburbs of Melbourne.-Notable alumni:*Adam Ramanauskas - AFL player, Essendon Football Club*Andrew Bogut - Basketball player, Milwaukee Bucks...
), as well as numerous state and two Catholic primary schools, are located within the suburb's boundaries. Dandenong also contains Emerson School, a specialist school for those with mild intellectual disabilities from a catchment area extending as far north as Rowville
Rowville, Victoria
Rowville is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 29 km south-east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Knox. At the 2006 Census, Rowville had a population of 34,412....
.
Sport
The suburb has several Australian Rules football teams, one is the Dandenong Redlegs (formerly Dandenong Demons/Dandenong West), competing in the Southern Football LeagueSouthern Football League (Victoria)
The Southern Football League is an Australian rules football league, based in the south and south eastern suburbs of Melbourne, Victoria, for both seniors and juniors....
at the Dandenong Showgrounds. Other teams in the Dandenong Area include the Dandenong Stingrays (Under 18 TAC Cup - Elite Junior) at Shepley Oval, St John's Old Collegians (VAFA and VWFL - Senior) at Carroll Reserve, and the Dandenong Saints (DDJFL - Junior) at Carroll Reserve.
Dandenong hosts two teams in football (soccer). Dandenong Thunder
Dandenong Thunder
Dandenong Thunder SC is a football club from Dandenong, a suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. They are an Albanian Australian-backed club. From the 2009 season they compete in the Victorian Premier League, which is one tier below the A-League...
plays in the Victorian Premier League
Victorian Premier League
The Victorian Premier League is the highest State level association football competition in Victoria, Australia, and second highest nationally after the A-League...
which is the second tier behind the A-League
A-League
The A-League is the top Australasian professional football league. Run by Australian governing body Football Federation Australia , it was founded in 2004 following the folding of the National Soccer League and staged its inaugural season in 2005–06. It is sponsored by Hyundai Motor Company...
and enjoys much support from the local community. The side plays their home fixtures at George Andrews Reserve
George Andrews Reserve
George Andrews Reserve is an Australian football stadium in Dandenong, a suburb of Melbourne, Victoria. It is currently the home of Dandenong Thunder. The stadium has a capacity of 5,000, with approximately 1,000 seats in its one grandstand....
has been both premiers and champions of Victoria multiple times.
The other team is Dandenong City Soccer Club who have hosted many international players in its time. These include players such as Ljubo Miličević
Ljubo Milicevic
Ljubo Miličević is an Australian football player who currently plays for Hajduk Split in the Prva HNL.-Early Career and Overseas:...
, Eugene Galeković
Eugene Galekovic
Eugen-Josip "Eugene" Galeković is an Australian football player who currently plays as a goalkeeper for Adelaide United in the A-League and internationally for Australia.-Club career:...
& Ante Milicic
Ante Milicic
Ante Milicic is an Australian former football player. He is currently one of the assistant managers of A-League club Melbourne Heart. He is of Croatian Australian origin....
. The side plays at the Frank Holohan Soccer Complex and is rivals with Dandenong Thunder.
Dandenong also has numerous cricket clubs in the area. Dandenong Cricket Club
Dandenong Cricket Club
The Dandenong Cricket Club is an Australian cricket club based in Dandenong, Victoria, an outer-city suburb of Melbourne, Victoria. They play in Victorian Premier Cricket, the highest competition in the state.-History:...
plays in the Victorian Premier League and has produced a number of state players to date. The most important of these has been Peter Siddle
Peter Siddle
Peter Matthew Siddle is an Australian Test cricketer. He is a specialist right-arm fast-medium bowler who plays for Victoria and the Australia national cricket team.-Early life and career:...
(Australia), Darren Pattinson
Darren Pattinson
Darren John Pattinson is an English cricketer who currently plays for Victoria and Nottinghamshire.Pattinson received considerable press coverage when he was surprisingly selected for the England cricket team in July 2008 for the 2nd Test against South Africa at Headingley...
(England) and Cameron White
Cameron White
Cameron Leon White is an Australian cricketer and current Australian Twenty20 captain. A powerful middle order batsman and right-arm leg-spin bowler, White made his first-class cricket debut as a teenager in the 2000–01 season for the Victorian Bushrangers as a bowling all-rounder...
(Australia) who have all gone on to play test cricket. Other prominent players from the club include Ian Harvey
Ian Harvey
Ian Joseph Harvey is an Australian cricketer. He is an all-rounder. He was named as one of the five Wisden Cricketers of the Year for 2004.-Australian career:...
, James Pattinson
James Pattinson
James Lee Pattinson is an Australian cricketer who currently plays for Victoria.- Playing career :Pattinson played for Dandenong Cricket Club in Victorian Premier Cricket and also played for Australia in the 2008 Under-19 World Cup in Malaysia.On Wednesday 23 December 2009, James broke the record...
, Brett Forsyth, Jackson Coleman and Kumar Sana.
The area also consists of a women's team, the Dandenong Women's Cricket Club who compete in the Victorian Women's Cricket Association.
Several other clubs in the area play in the Dandenong and District Cricket Association (DDCA). These include Buckley Ridges, Dandenong North, Dandenong West, and the St Mary's Cricket Clubs. Other clubs within the City of Greater Dandenong
City of Greater Dandenong
The City of Greater Dandenong is a Local Government Area in Victoria, Australia located in the southeastern suburbs of Melbourne. It has an area of 130 square kilometres and has a estimated population of 137,600 people....
include Coomoora, Keysborough, Lyndale, Parkfield, Silverton, Southern Pirates, Springvale and Springvale South Cricket Clubs.
Noble Park Cricket Club is also located within the City of Greater Dandenong
City of Greater Dandenong
The City of Greater Dandenong is a Local Government Area in Victoria, Australia located in the southeastern suburbs of Melbourne. It has an area of 130 square kilometres and has a estimated population of 137,600 people....
, and plays in the Victorian Sub-District Cricket Association
Victorian Sub-District Cricket Association
The Victorian Sub-District Cricket Association is a turf cricket competition based in Melbourne, Australia. There are 28 clubs each fielding four teamsplus an under 15 team in the annual R.M. Hatch shield competition which is regarded as the premier competition for the future of Victorian...
.
Golfers play at the course of the Forest Hills Golf Club on Wedge Street, Dandenong.
Dandenong Stadium
The Dandenong stadium is the home of the Dandenong RangersDandenong Rangers
The Dandenong Jayco Rangers are an Australian Women's Basketball League team based in Melbourne, Australia. Historically, they have been one of the more successful franchises in league history, but over recent years have struggled to make the playoffs, generally finishing 5th or below...
(an Australian Women's Basketball League team) and Victoria's state volleyball competition, and from 7 to 12 July played host to the 2008 Australian Junior Volleyball Championships.
Sister cities
XuzhouXuzhou
Xuzhou , otherwise known as Pengcheng in ancient times, is a major city in and the fourth largest prefecture-level city of Jiangsu province, People's Republic of China...
, Jiangsu
Jiangsu
' is a province of the People's Republic of China, located along the east coast of the country. The name comes from jiang, short for the city of Jiangning , and su, for the city of Suzhou. The abbreviation for this province is "苏" , the second character of its name...
, China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
1996 http://www.greaterdandenong.com/documents.asp?ID=44&Title=Sister+City+Relationship
See also
- City of DandenongCity of DandenongThe City of Dandenong was a Local Government Area located about southeast of Melbourne, the state capital of Victoria, Australia. The city covered an area of , and existed from 1857 until 1994.-History:...
- the former local government area of the same name. - Electoral district of DandenongElectoral district of DandenongThe Electoral district of Dandenong is an electoral district of the Victorian Legislative Assembly. It was first proclaimed in 1904 when the district of Dandenong and Berwick was abolished....