Frankston, Victoria
Encyclopedia
Frankston is a suburb within the Greater Melbourne metropolitan area
in Victoria
, Australia
. It is located 40 km southeast of the state capital Melbourne at the southernmost edge of Greater Melbourne, near the beginnings of the Mornington Peninsula
. Due to its location at the northernmost point of the peninsula, it is often referred to as the "Gateway to the Mornington Peninsula".
Statistically, Frankston is part of Greater Melbourne - which is reflected in its primarily suburban and residential nature. It was absorbed into the Greater Melbourne area by the urban agglomeration
of the Melbourne metropolitan area, during the 1980s. The skyline of the Melbourne city centre
is clearly visible from the Frankston central business district
.
At the 2006 Australian Census, Frankston had a population of 34,457. The suburb is the seat of the surrounding local government area, the City of Frankston
which had an estimated population of 130,462 at 30 June 2010.
Localities within Frankston, which share the same postcode (3199), include Karingal
, Olivers Hill, Frankston Heights, Frankston East, Mount Erin and Long Island; as well as the suburb of Frankston South
. Frankston is designated as a primary activity centre
by the by Melbourne 2030
plan, and is also a major node in the Metlink
transport system.
The demonym
for a person from Frankston is a "Frankstonian". The town is nicknamed "Franga" or "Frankghanistan"
, the Frankston area was populated by Indigenous Australians
known as the Kulin
people. Specifically, inhabitants in the Frankston area were from the Bunurong
language group, of the Mayone-bulluk clan. Europeans
first set foot in Frankston as early as 30 January 1803, thirty two years before the founding of Melbourne
(the first major European settlement in the then Port Phillip District). A commemorative plaque
near the mouth of Kananook Creek marks the location of where Captain Charles Grimes
and his party went ashore searching for fresh water, and met with around 30 local inhabitants.
After the settlement of Melbourne
in 1835, James Davey took up a large land holding in 1846, which extended from Olivers Hill to (what is now his namesake
) Daveys Bay
. Olivers Hill was named after local fisherman
, James Oliver, who built a cottage
atop the hill from where he kept an eye out for fish in the waters below. The first official land sales in the area were held in 1853, and Frank Liardet (the eldest son of prominent settler, hotelier
and descendant of French nobility
, Wilbraham Liardet), established the "Ballam Ballam" estate in 1854. The estate was the earliest officially recorded settlement in Frankston, and was located to the east of Port Phillip
, in what is now known as the locality of Karingal
. Liardet's original homestead "Ballam Park" remains today, and is now heritage-listed.
Frankston's early development was hampered by poor soils, distance from the Melbourne city centre
, and the existence of a major swamp
occupying much of the area between Mordialloc
and Seaford
. Thomas McComb, who arrived in Frankston in 1852, also purchased much land in the area (over what is now the Frankston central business district) and did much to develop the local fishing industry. A pier
was completed in 1857 and, between the 1850s and the arrival of the Melbourne railway
in 1880s, the area developed as a small fishing community.
An Anglican church and school were built in 1855, with the first Frankston post office
opening on 1 September 1857 and a pottery established in 1859. During the 1860s, there were estimated to be around 30 people living in Frankston, with about 200 others living in the surrounding area. In 1874, a state school was built in Frankston as well as a Mechanics' Institute and free library in 1880. The first savings bank opened in 1881, and two brickworks
factories and a cordial
manufacturer were operating by the 1880s.
The Melbourne railway
came on 1 August 1882, which saw Frankston develop into a seaside resort. Its lure as a holiday destination increased particularly after the electrification
of the railway service on 27 August 1922, which reduced average journey times from 90 to 62 minutes. Between these years, the area developed into a regional centre for the Mornington Peninsula
and a playground for Melbourne's affluent.
Frankston was the site of the first Australian Scout Jamboree
in 1935. It was the only jamboree in Australia to be attended by the founder of the Scouting
movement, Sir Robert Baden-Powell
. Several streets in the locality of Frankston South
are named after the event (Baden Powell Drive being the most prominent). The original grandstand used for the jamboree remained a historic landmark at Frankston Park
for 72 years, until it was destroyed by fire on 12 February 2008.
The population of Frankston boomed during and after World War II
, increasing from 12,000 in 1947 to 82,000 by 1982 (referring to the old town zoning system when Frankston and its surrounds were all part of the former "Shire of Frankston and Hastings"). This was due to the establishment of small government housing estates in the area, to house the families of Australian Defence Force
personnel stationed at the nearby Balcombe Army Camp in Mount Martha
and the Flinders Naval Depot
near Hastings
.
In 1959, the Hollywood
film
, On the Beach
, starring Gregory Peck
and Ava Gardner
, was partly filmed in Frankston, at its railway station and in the surrounding area. The original novel of On the Beach was written by novelist Nevil Shute
, who lived in Frankston's south-east, in what is now the Frankston suburb of Langwarrin
.
On 2 September 2004, Frankston was nominated for the Bursary Award in the Livcom International Awards for Livable Communities. In October 2004, it received a Bronze Award for "management of environment and enhancement of quality of life". It won this award for "C Category Cities" (cities with populations between 75,001 - 200,000).
On 24 March 2007, Frankston won two awards in the Keep Australia Beautiful Victoria's clean beach challenge. It won the award for "Friendliest Beach in Victoria", and also the "Natural Heritage Award" for the maintenance of Frankston Beach and the provision of facilities. On 2 June 2008, Frankston was named Victoria
's most sustainable city in the Keep Australia Beautiful Victoria's Sustainable Cities Awards.
suggests that the town was named after a publican called Frank Stone, who ran a hotel at the corner of the then Point Nepean Road (now the Nepean Highway
) and Hastings Road (now Davey Street). However, there is no evidence that such a person existed. Two more credible possibilities are that the town was named after Frank Liardet or after Charles Franks, an early settler of Melbourne killed by aborigines
.
However, according to Frankston historian and author Michael Jones, Frankston is named after a British army
general who fought in the Second Sikh War. The theory is strengthened by the fact a number of other towns in the area, such as Cranbourne
, Hastings
, Lyndhurst
, Mornington
and Pakenham
, are named after British statesmen and generals. Jones suggests that Andrew Clarke, the Surveyor-General of the Port Phillip District from 1853 to 1858, named all these towns.
of which the suburb of Frankston is a part) covers a wide geographic area in comparison with other suburbs of Melbourne. It also encompasses localities (not to be confused with being independent suburbs) which include: Karingal
, Olivers Hill, Frankston Heights, Frankston East, Mount Erin and Long Island.
The suburb is bounded to the west by Port Phillip
; the north by Skye Road and Overton Road (bordering the City of Frankston suburbs of Frankston North
and Seaford
); the east by McClelland Drive and the Moorooduc Highway
(bordering the City of Frankston
suburb of Langwarrin
); and the south by Humphries Road, Robinsons Road and Golflinks Road (bordering the Shire of Mornington Peninsula
suburbs of Mount Eliza
and Baxter
).
south to near Olivers Hill, unbroken except by Patterson River
, Mordialloc Creek
and Kananook Creek. Kananook Creek also runs close to the shores of Port Phillip
, creating a long "island" effect, giving the locality the name "Long Island". The area is not technically an island, as the creek does not flow into the bay at any point other than its mouth near Frankston Beach. However, the creek was joined to the Patterson Lakes via an underground aquaduct in 1983, when a pumping station was built to improve water quality in the creek.
The central and northern areas of the suburb are generally flat, but the suburb rises gradually towards the east, then rises sharply at Olivers Hill in the south of the suburb. Also at Olivers Hill, where Sweetwater Creek
meets Port Phillip
, the beaches give way to weathered bluffs of sandstone
and siltstone
, with the odd sandy cove at Daveys Bay
and again at Canadian Bay.
The southern uplands are at the northern end of an uplift area in a Horst-Graben
structure that extends down the Mornington Peninsula
. Similar plutonic intrusive uplifts occur on the Mornington Peninsula at Mount Martha
and Arthurs Seat
. The fault zones are currently inactive, though minor tremors have historically been experienced.
to the Frankston area, including over 20 species of orchid. Large formally-designed parks in the area include: Beauty Park (converted from a swamp in the early 20th century) and the George Pentland Botanical Gardens (converted from a golf course in the mid 20th Century).
The Frankston foreshore area has also retained much of its natural element. Consecutive Frankston City Council's have sought to protect the native flora and sand dunes along the beaches. An extensive raised timber walking path called the "Frankston Boardwalk" winds through this section of the foreshore in order to protect the area, whilst also allowing it to be enjoyed by visitors. Only a small section of the foreshore remains developed, near the mouth of Kananook Creek and the 500 m Frankston Pier, called "Frankston Waterfront". The waterfront features extensive landscaping, a themed playground, car parking, a restaurant with bay views and a million dollar Visitor Information Centre.
. In many cases, Frankston is one of the first areas of the greater Melbourne area to feel the effect of the cool change
weather effect that occurs during the summer season.
At one of the widest points of Port Phillip
, Frankston's seaside residents have an unobstructed view of oncoming westerly weather patterns. On rare days of severe storms with galeforce westerly winds, Frankston briefly becomes one of the few places on Port Phillip with wave swell of size that allows surfing.
, 69% of Frankston residents are born in Australia, with the most common overseas places of birth being England
(7.2%), New Zealand
(2.5%), Scotland
(1.5%), Germany
(0.8%), and India
(0.7%). The most common Christian denominations in Frankston are Catholic
(22%), Anglican (18.7%), Uniting Church (4%), Presbyterian and Reformed (3.4%), and 25.5% of Frankston residents claim not to be religious.
An aging population in the suburb of Frankston is balanced by several new housing developments in neighbouring suburbs within the City of Frankston
. The median age in the suburb of Frankston is 38, with 22.8% of the population over the age of 55, and 17.4% of the population under the age of 14.
, and the area has little multi-story development. However, due to its position as a gateway to the Mornington Peninsula
, Frankston has been designated a "transit city" in accordance with the Victorian Government's Melbourne 2030
urban integration policy, which will increase focus on multi-story residential development in the central business district.
House prices in Frankston have risen over the years, however the suburb still remains as one of the more affordable of the greater Melbourne area. As of March 2011, the median house price is $357,000. Most areas of Frankston consist of traditional quarter-acre blocks (colloquially known as the "Australian Dream
"). Some apartments and flats are centred in areas close to the central business district.
The locality of Olivers Hill boasts imposing bay and city views, and is home to the most expensive real estate property in the entire City of Frankston
. It also overlooks Frankston Beach and the Frankston Waterfront. Known locally as "The Hill", some properties have been sold for in excess of $2 million, when the 2005 median price for a house in Frankston was only $228,000.
According to the 2006 Australian census, 30.4% of residents own their property; 30.4% are purchasing their property; and 31.4% are renting their property. Of all residents, 75.9% live in a house; 14.4% live in an apartment, flat or unit, and 8.6% live in a semi-detached house, terrace house or townhouse.
to be by the year 2025. Public meetings, workshops and statistical surveys were staged over 12 months from September 2006, and the initiative was officially endorsed by the Frankston City Council in October 2007. The then mayor, Cr Glenn Aitkin, officially adopted the vision on 24 November 2007.
A not-for-profit community supermarket was established by the Bayside Dream Centre to provide groceries and other essential items to disadvantaged
people within the community at affordable prices. The service is available to all people, not only concession card holders.
In 2008 'Vada Cafe' was opened in Frankston central. This came as a development from the Gateway Children's Fund, which is a fund developed between the partnership of Compassion Australia
and Gateway Church. The aim of the cafe is to raise funds for community development and to create awareness of the poverty in Papua New Guinea
- particularly the 'Vada Vada' slum in Port Moresby
. The cafe also has Fairtrade Certification by the Fair Trade Association of Australia and New Zealand
.
is reestablishing itself as a tourism destination. The Frankston City Council adopted the City's first tourism marketing strategy in 2003, which has a focus on the Frankston Beach and the waterfront precinct, retail core and surrounding heritage sites, which are all located within the suburb of Frankston.
The suburb has a number of retail centres across its localities, and is one of the few areas outside of the Melbourne city centre
to contain competing cinema
operators. The Frankston central business district (between Nepean Highway
and the Frankston railway station) is the retail core, containing a major regional shopping complex as well as street shopping, restaurants, bars, pubs and nightclubs.
Bayside Shopping Centre
, the largest shopping complex on the Mornington Peninsula
, is located in the Frankston central business district. It features major department stores such as Myer
, Target
and Kmart
; two supermarket chains Coles
and Safeway, and over 250 smaller specialty stores and food outlets, located over three interlocking malls. The centre also contains a small entertainment precinct with restaurants, bars, and a 12-screen Australian Multiplex Cinemas
complex.
The second-largest shopping complex is Centro Karingal
, located in the locality of Karingal
, around 5 km from the Frankston central business district. It features two Safeway supermarkets, a Big W
department store, and 120 specialty stores. Like its central business district counterpart, the centre also contains an entertainment precinct, called "StarZone Karingal", with restaurants, a pub, a gym and a 12 screen Village Cinemas
complex. StarZone Karingal is also home to one of the three V Max "super screens" in Australia. The Frankston Mitre 10 Home & Trade
is located next to the Centro Karingal shopping centre.
For a residential suburb, Frankston boasts a sizable restaurant and bar, pub and nightclub scene, with 14 in the Frankston central business district alone (mainly centering around the Nepean Highway
and near the shopping complex), and a large and varied restaurant selection, including Italian, Greek, French, Japanese, Chinese, Vietnamese, Indian and Fijian cuisine, to name a few. A number of Frankston's restaurants have been listed in The Age
s "Good Food Guide", and the suburb remains one of the few left in Australia with a pub on each corner of an intersection (corner Nepean Highway and Davey Street).
Major automotive dealerships of Holden
, Ford, Chrysler
(also retailing Dodge
and Jeep
), Toyota, Nissan, Mitsubishi
, Subaru
, Suzuki
and Hyundai
(also retailing Kia
) operate along Dandenong Road, in the suburb's north-west, as well as a light industrial area mostly involving the automotive repair industry. The area also spills over into the neighbouring suburb of Seaford
, and centres around Hartnett Drive. The Seaford industrial area also contains some bulk retail and cash-and-carry
outlets.
, primary
, secondary
, TAFE (vocational
) and tertiary education
. A number of government and private primary and secondary schools operate in the area, as well as the Frankston Campus of the Chisholm Institute
(TAFE) and the Peninsula Campus of Monash University
.
There are 12 primary schools in the suburb, eight of which are government schools and four are private. Three of the private primary schools are Catholic-aligned and the fourth is the junior campus of the independent K-12
Woodleigh School (the senior campus is in the neighbouring suburb of Baxter
). There are four secondary schools in the suburb, three government schools which are: Frankston High School
, McClelland College
and Mount Erin College
, and the fourth is the private Catholic-aligned John Paul College.
Frankston High School
has an excellent academic record achieved by a range of extension programs for all students including those who are gifted as well as non-academic programs. It is considered one of the most successful government schools in Victoria
. Admittance to Frankston High School is based on residing in the designated "zone" of the school. Real estate agents often market properties in the area around Frankston South
as in the "FHS Zone" to lure families wishing to send their children to the school.
The Peninsula Campus of Monash University
has a teaching and research focus on health, human development
and wellbeing, and is affiliated with the nearby Frankston Hospital
. The campus was originally the Frankston Teachers' College, founded in 1959, before becoming affiliated with Monash University
in 1990. The campus occupies the former "Struan" Estate, with its former stately house now the administration building of the university.
and the Mornington Peninsula
. The major regional hospital, Frankston Hospital
(which is part of the Peninsula Health Network), and the Frankston Private Hospital are both located close to the Frankston central business district. The St. John of God Rehabilitation Hospital and the Peninsula Private Hospital are located further east in the locality of Karingal
. A large concentration of medical-based businesses are located close to Frankston Hospital. According to the 2006 Australian census, 4% of the Frankston population is employed in the hospital industry, making it the most common industry of employment for Frankston residents.
by the Nepean Highway
and Moorooduc Highway
/ Frankston Freeway
(the latter which connects to the EastLink Tollway
). The suburb is also connected directly to the Melbourne city centre
via the Frankston railway line.
Metropolitan bus services run throughout Frankston's suburbs and also connect it to the neighbouring cities of Dandenong
and Casey
. Regional bus services connect the south-west Mornington Peninsula, and the south-east is connected via the Stony Point railway line. The main transport terminus for the suburb is Young Street, on the edge of the Frankston central business district.
Eastlink is a $2.5 billion tollway that opened on 29 June 2008, and connects Frankston with its north-east neighbours of Dandenong
, Ringwood
and Nunawading
. Prior to and after its opening, residents believed that EastLink would create further traffic congestion on the already congested Frankston Freeway
(where EastLink terminates), and the intersection
of the Frankston Freeway, McMahons Road and Cranbourne Road. Calls by Frankston City Council and local Federal
MP
, Bruce Billson
, have been made for the State
to construct the Frankston Bypass
in order to ease traffic congestion.
(along with its Cube37 art space), and the George Jenkins Theatre (part of Monash University
's Peninsula Campus). The suburb is also home to a number of award-winning amateur music and theatre societies, including the Frankston Symphony Orchestra
, Frankston City Band, Mornington Peninsula Chorale, Peninsula Light Operatic Society, Panorama Theatre Company, Frankston Theatre Group, and the People's Playhouse. The suburb is also home to the internationally-renowned Australian Welsh Male Choir.
The Frankston Arts Centre
overlooks the Frankston central business district, and houses an 800-seat theatre and art gallery. The centre plays host to a number of major performances, including regular shows by the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra
and Victorian Opera
, and is a tour venue for the Melbourne International Film Festival
, Opera Australia
and a number of national theatre companies. Next to the arts centre (Davey Street entrance) is Cube37, an intimate performance venue and exhibition space. 'The Cube', as it is locally known, also encompasses a state-of-the-art glass studio frontage for multimedia
exhibitions at night.
A public art program, adopted by Frankston City Council, has been in place since the turn on the century. Recent major public art additions in the suburb includes "Sentinal", a five-metre-tall abstract wooden sculpture of a native sea eagle located on Young Street by sculptor Bruce Armstrong, "Power of Community" located in Beauty Park by famed mosaic artist Deborah Halpern
, and "Sightlines" along Frankston Peir by Louise Laverack that consists of 22 modular components (poles) decorated with nautical flag-themed weather vanes, with light panels embedded in the poles which reflect the movement of the waves below.
A self-drive tour, known as the "Frankston Cultural Drive" (signposted as Route 12), showcases the Frankston area's cultural and natural heritage. The tour takes in parks, gardens, galleries and historic homesteads as well as showcasing a large collection of contemporary sculptures. It includes local landmarks such as: the Frankston Arts Centre
, George Pentland Botanic Gardens and the heritage-listed homestead "Ballam Park" (which are all in the suburb of Frankston), as well as the McClelland Gallery + Sculpture Park, "Cruden Farm" and the National Trust of Australia
property "Mullberry Hill" (which are all in neighbouring Langwarrin
). An audio CD is also available from the Frankston City Council which details information about each attraction.
Frankston has had great festivals there is all ways some thing on in Frankston.
The Christmas Festival of Lights is a popular annual Christmas event and one of the biggest on the Frankston community calendar. The 2007 event attracted 25,000 people to the Frankston central business district to watch the lighting of the 100 year old Norfolk pine tree, fireworks display and engage in community festivals. The festival also includes the "I Love Frankston" Parade (inaugurated in 2007 by, the then mayor, Cr Glenn Aitken). The annual parade consists of community groups, sporting clubs, schools and local business marching through the streets of Frankston in a show of civic pride, culminating at the Christmas Festival of Lights. For the last 7 years, Gateway Church has led the Carols by Candlelight and finale.
The Good Friday Festival on the Frankston Foreshore has grown considerably since 2005, with the Frankston City Council estimating 3,000 people attending the event in 2009. Churches around Frankston combine to host the free event, which features music, drama, face painting and other community events.
(home of the Victorian Football League
's Frankston Dolphins) and the Frankston Basketball Stadium (home of the Australian Basketball Association
's Frankston Blues
). There are three golf courses in Frankston, the 1912-established Frankston Golf Course, Centenary Park Golf Course and the Peninsula Country Club (with two more in the greater City of Frankston
). Also, the City of Frankston Bowling Club (lawn bowls) once hosted the World Bowls Tournament in 1980. The mens singles event was won by David Bryant
.
The suburb of Frankston also supports a number of community level clubs for Australian rules football
, cricket, golf, basketball, netball, soccer and tennis, as well as baseball, hockey, badminton, volleyball, gymnastics, athletics and croquet clubs. The beach area supports a yacht club, a surf lifesaving club and the state's oldest Australian Volunteer Coast Guard
flotilla. Frankston also boasts one of the largest public skate parks in Australia, and urban skateboarding is popular.
Soccer has fast become one of the most popular sports played at a junior level in the Frankston area with playing numbers increasing every year. Currently Langwarrin Soccer Club is the leading club in the Frankston area with the senior team currently plying its trade in Victoria's State League Division 1. Other teams in the area include Seaford, Frankston Pines, Peninsula Strikers and Mornington.
Australian rules football is popular in the suburb, and is played at both a regional and state level. The Frankston Bombers, Karingal Bulls and Frankston Y.C.W. Stonecats play in the regional Mornington Peninsula Nepean Football League
(in the Peninsula and Nepean Divisions respectively). The state club in the suburb is the Frankston Dolphins, which plays in the Victorian Football League. In previous years, Frankston was the recruiting zone for professional Australian Football League
clubs, Hawthorn Hawks, and later St. Kilda Saints, and many star players from each team were recruited from Frankston (see List of Frankston people).
The St. Kilda Saints Australian Football League club has signed a deal with the City of Frankston
to relocate its training base to Belverdere Park in Seaford
. The deal includes a $10 million development of a facility to be completed by 2010, based on the facilities of the UK's Chelsea and Aston Villa
soccer clubs.
Indoor and outdoor beach volleyball is also becoming increasingly popular in the suburb of Frankston. 2008 marked the inauguration of the Frankston Beach Volleyball Series (part of the Virgin Blue Beach Volleyball Series) which attracted A-list players, including Olympian Tamsin Barnett
. The event was also broadcast on national television and, on the first day, the Nine Network
's Today
broadcast live from the event.
, the eighth Australian Prime Minister Stanley Bruce
, the 39th Premier of Victoria Sir Rupert Hamer, the "father" of the GM Holden car company Sir Laurence Hartnett, famed artists Sir Daryl
and Lady Joan Lindsay
, children's author Paul Jennings
and Australian rules football
ers Dermott Brereton
, Nathan Burke
, Robert Harvey
and the coach Leigh Matthews
.
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,...
in 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...
. It is located 40 km southeast of the state capital Melbourne at the southernmost edge of Greater Melbourne, near the beginnings of the Mornington Peninsula
Mornington Peninsula
The Mornington Peninsula is a peninsula located south-east of Melbourne in Victoria, Australia. It is surrounded by Port Phillip to the west, Western Port to the east and Bass Strait to the south, and is connected to the mainland in the north. Geographically, the peninsula begins its protrusion...
. Due to its location at the northernmost point of the peninsula, it is often referred to as the "Gateway to the Mornington Peninsula".
Statistically, Frankston is part of Greater Melbourne - which is reflected in its primarily suburban and residential nature. It was absorbed into the Greater Melbourne area by the urban agglomeration
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 the Melbourne metropolitan area, during the 1980s. The skyline of the Melbourne city centre
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...
is clearly visible from the Frankston central business district
Central business district
A central business district is the commercial and often geographic heart of a city. In North America this part of a city is commonly referred to as "downtown" or "city center"...
.
At the 2006 Australian Census, Frankston had a population of 34,457. The suburb is the seat of the surrounding local government area, the City of Frankston
City of Frankston
The City of Frankston is a Local Government Area in Victoria, Australia, located in the southern suburbs of Melbourne. It has an area of 131 square kilometres and has a estimated population of 128,576 people....
which had an estimated population of 130,462 at 30 June 2010.
Localities within Frankston, which share the same postcode (3199), include Karingal
Karingal, Victoria
Karingal is a locality within the suburb of Frankston located in Melbourne, Victoria in Australia. It is in the Local Government Area of the City of Frankston.-Ballam Park Homestead:...
, Olivers Hill, Frankston Heights, Frankston East, Mount Erin and Long Island; as well as the suburb of Frankston South
Frankston South, Victoria
Frankston South is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 43 km south-east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Frankston...
. Frankston is designated as a primary 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...
by the by 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...
plan, and is also a major node in the Metlink
Metlink
Metlink, formerly The Met, is the marketing body and umbrella brand for public train, tram and bus transport operators in Greater Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.-Responsibilities:Metlink is responsible for the promotion of travel by public transport...
transport system.
The demonym
Demonym
A demonym , also referred to as a gentilic, is a name for a resident of a locality. A demonym is usually – though not always – derived from the name of the locality; thus, the demonym for the people of England is English, and the demonym for the people of Italy is Italian, yet, in english, the one...
for a person from Frankston is a "Frankstonian". The town is nicknamed "Franga" or "Frankghanistan"
History
Prior to European discoveryHistory of Victoria
This article describes the history of the Australian state of Victoria.-Aboriginal history:The state of Victoria was originally home to many indigenous nations that had occupied the land for tens of thousands of years...
, the Frankston area was populated by Indigenous Australians
Indigenous Australians
Indigenous Australians are the original inhabitants of the Australian continent and nearby islands. The Aboriginal Indigenous Australians migrated from the Indian continent around 75,000 to 100,000 years ago....
known as the Kulin
Kulin
The Kulin nation, was an alliance of five Indigenous Australian nations in Central Victoria, Australia, prior to European settlement. Their collective territory extended to around Port Phillip and Western Port, up into the Great Dividing Range and the Loddon and Goulburn River valleys. To their...
people. Specifically, inhabitants in the Frankston area were from the Bunurong
Bunurong
The Bunurong are Indigenous Australians of the Kulin nation, who occupy South-Central Victoria, Australia. Prior to European settlement, they lived as all people of the Kulin nation lived, sustainably on the land, predominantly as hunters and gatherers, for tens of thousands of years...
language group, of the Mayone-bulluk clan. Europeans
White people
White people is a term which usually refers to human beings characterized, at least in part, by the light pigmentation of their skin...
first set foot in Frankston as early as 30 January 1803, thirty two years before the founding of 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...
(the first major European settlement in the then Port Phillip District). A commemorative plaque
Commemorative plaque
A commemorative plaque, or simply plaque, is a plate of metal, ceramic, stone, wood, or other material, typically attached to a wall, stone, or other vertical surface, and bearing text in memory of an important figure or event...
near the mouth of Kananook Creek marks the location of where Captain Charles Grimes
Charles Grimes
Charles Grimes was an English-born surveyor who did some valuable work in colonial Australia. He served as surveyor-general of New South Wales and discovered the Yarra River in what is now the state of Victoria. He is perhaps best known for being the surveyor who mapped the route of the Hobart...
and his party went ashore searching for fresh water, and met with around 30 local inhabitants.
After the settlement of 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...
in 1835, James Davey took up a large land holding in 1846, which extended from Olivers Hill to (what is now his namesake
Namesake
Namesake is a term used to characterize a person, place, thing, quality, action, state, or idea that has the same, or a similar, name to another....
) Daveys Bay
Daveys Bay
Daveys Bay is a small shallow bay in Port Phillip, Victoria, Australia. It is one of several small bays adjoining the small town of Mount Eliza and is the closest region of the Shire of Mornington Peninsula to Melbourne....
. Olivers Hill was named after local fisherman
Fisherman
A fisherman or fisher is someone who captures fish and other animals from a body of water, or gathers shellfish. Worldwide, there are about 38 million commercial and subsistence fishermen and fish farmers. The term can also be applied to recreational fishermen and may be used to describe both men...
, James Oliver, who built a cottage
Cottage
__toc__In modern usage, a cottage is usually a modest, often cozy dwelling, typically in a rural or semi-rural location. However there are cottage-style dwellings in cities, and in places such as Canada the term exists with no connotations of size at all...
atop the hill from where he kept an eye out for fish in the waters below. The first official land sales in the area were held in 1853, and Frank Liardet (the eldest son of prominent settler, hotelier
Hotel
A hotel is an establishment that provides paid lodging on a short-term basis. The provision of basic accommodation, in times past, consisting only of a room with a bed, a cupboard, a small table and a washstand has largely been replaced by rooms with modern facilities, including en-suite bathrooms...
and descendant of French nobility
French nobility
The French nobility was the privileged order of France in the Middle Ages and the Early Modern periods.In the political system of the Estates General, the nobility made up the Second Estate...
, Wilbraham Liardet), established the "Ballam Ballam" estate in 1854. The estate was the earliest officially recorded settlement in Frankston, and was located to the east of Port Phillip
Port Phillip
Port Phillip Port Phillip Port Phillip (also commonly referred to as Port Phillip Bay or (locally) just The Bay, is a large bay in southern Victoria, Australia; it is the location of Melbourne. Geographically, the bay covers and the shore stretches roughly . Although it is extremely shallow for...
, in what is now known as the locality of Karingal
Karingal, Victoria
Karingal is a locality within the suburb of Frankston located in Melbourne, Victoria in Australia. It is in the Local Government Area of the City of Frankston.-Ballam Park Homestead:...
. Liardet's original homestead "Ballam Park" remains today, and is now heritage-listed.
Frankston's early development was hampered by poor soils, distance from the Melbourne city centre
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...
, and the existence of a major swamp
Swamp
A swamp is a wetland with some flooding of large areas of land by shallow bodies of water. A swamp generally has a large number of hammocks, or dry-land protrusions, covered by aquatic vegetation, or vegetation that tolerates periodical inundation. The two main types of swamp are "true" or swamp...
occupying much of the area between Mordialloc
Mordialloc, Victoria
Mordialloc is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 24 km south-east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Kingston...
and Seaford
Seaford, Victoria
Seaford is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 36 km south-east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Frankston...
. Thomas McComb, who arrived in Frankston in 1852, also purchased much land in the area (over what is now the Frankston central business district) and did much to develop the local fishing industry. A pier
Pier
A pier is a raised structure, including bridge and building supports and walkways, over water, typically supported by widely spread piles or pillars...
was completed in 1857 and, between the 1850s and the arrival of the Melbourne railway
Railways in Melbourne
The Melbourne rail network is operated by Metro Trains Melbourne under franchise from the Government of Victoria. The network is based on a commuter rail model centred on the Melbourne Central Business District and Flinders Street Station, rather than a rapid transit model, with a focus on...
in 1880s, the area developed as a small fishing community.
Post office
A post office is a facility forming part of a postal system for the posting, receipt, sorting, handling, transmission or delivery of mail.Post offices offer mail-related services such as post office boxes, postage and packaging supplies...
opening on 1 September 1857 and a pottery established in 1859. During the 1860s, there were estimated to be around 30 people living in Frankston, with about 200 others living in the surrounding area. In 1874, a state school was built in Frankston as well as a Mechanics' Institute and free library in 1880. The first savings bank opened in 1881, and two brickworks
Brickworks
A brickworks also known as a brick factory, is a factory for the manufacturing of bricks, from clay or shale. Usually a brickworks is located on a clay bedrock often with a quarry for clay on site....
factories and a cordial
Squash (drink)
Squash is a non-alcoholic concentrated syrup that is usually fruit-flavoured and usually made from fruit juice, water, and sugar or a sugar substitute. Modern squashes may also contain food colouring and additional flavouring...
manufacturer were operating by the 1880s.
The Melbourne railway
Railways in Melbourne
The Melbourne rail network is operated by Metro Trains Melbourne under franchise from the Government of Victoria. The network is based on a commuter rail model centred on the Melbourne Central Business District and Flinders Street Station, rather than a rapid transit model, with a focus on...
came on 1 August 1882, which saw Frankston develop into a seaside resort. Its lure as a holiday destination increased particularly after the electrification
Electrification
Electrification originally referred to the build out of the electrical generating and distribution systems which occurred in the United States, England and other countries from the mid 1880's until around 1940 and is in progress in developing countries. This also included the change over from line...
of the railway service on 27 August 1922, which reduced average journey times from 90 to 62 minutes. Between these years, the area developed into a regional centre for the Mornington Peninsula
Mornington Peninsula
The Mornington Peninsula is a peninsula located south-east of Melbourne in Victoria, Australia. It is surrounded by Port Phillip to the west, Western Port to the east and Bass Strait to the south, and is connected to the mainland in the north. Geographically, the peninsula begins its protrusion...
and a playground for Melbourne's affluent.
Frankston was the site of the first Australian Scout Jamboree
Australian Scout Jamboree
The Australian Scout Jamboree is a jamboree which is held every three years by Scouts Australia. The Jamboree is traditionally held in early January and typically runs for 10 nights....
in 1935. It was the only jamboree in Australia to be attended by the founder of the Scouting
Scouting
Scouting, also known as the Scout Movement, is a worldwide youth movement with the stated aim of supporting young people in their physical, mental and spiritual development, that they may play constructive roles in society....
movement, Sir Robert Baden-Powell
Robert Baden-Powell, 1st Baron Baden-Powell
Robert Stephenson Smyth Baden-Powell, 1st Baron Baden-Powell, Bt, OM, GCMG, GCVO, KCB , also known as B-P or Lord Baden-Powell, was a lieutenant-general in the British Army, writer, and founder of the Scout Movement....
. Several streets in the locality of Frankston South
Frankston South, Victoria
Frankston South is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 43 km south-east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Frankston...
are named after the event (Baden Powell Drive being the most prominent). The original grandstand used for the jamboree remained a historic landmark at Frankston Park
Frankston Park
Frankston Park is a regional Australian rules football ground located in Frankston, Victoria in Australia. It is home to the VFL team, the Frankston Dolphins, and is a planned secondary ground of the AFL team, the St Kilda Saints, when they relocate their training base to Frankston's Belverdere...
for 72 years, until it was destroyed by fire on 12 February 2008.
The population of Frankston boomed during and after World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, increasing from 12,000 in 1947 to 82,000 by 1982 (referring to the old town zoning system when Frankston and its surrounds were all part of the former "Shire of Frankston and Hastings"). This was due to the establishment of small government housing estates in the area, to house the families of Australian Defence Force
Australian Defence Force
The Australian Defence Force is the military organisation responsible for the defence of Australia. It consists of the Royal Australian Navy , Australian Army, Royal Australian Air Force and a number of 'tri-service' units...
personnel stationed at the nearby Balcombe Army Camp in Mount Martha
Mount Martha, Victoria
Mount Martha is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, located 60 km south-east of Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the Shire of Mornington Peninsula. It is located on the south-eastern shores of Port Phillip and offers a bathing beach...
and the Flinders Naval Depot
HMAS Cerberus, Victoria
HMAS Cerberus is the Royal Australian Navy's primary training establishment, located adjacent to Crib Point on the Mornington Peninsula, south of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. It is also an official bounded locality of the Shire of Mornington Peninsula...
near Hastings
Hastings, Victoria
Hastings is a suburb on the Mornington Peninsula, Victoria, Australia, as a part of the urban enclave on Westernport comprising Hastings, Bittern, Crib Point, Tyabb, and Somerville. Its Local Government Area is the Shire of Mornington Peninsula...
.
In 1959, the Hollywood
Cinema of the United States
The cinema of the United States, also known as Hollywood, has had a profound effect on cinema across the world since the early 20th century. Its history is sometimes separated into four main periods: the silent film era, classical Hollywood cinema, New Hollywood, and the contemporary period...
film
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
, On the Beach
On the Beach (1959 film)
On the Beach is a post-apocalyptic drama film based on Nevil Shute's 1957 novel of the same name. The film features Gregory Peck , Ava Gardner , Fred Astaire and Anthony Perkins...
, starring Gregory Peck
Gregory Peck
Eldred Gregory Peck was an American actor.One of 20th Century Fox's most popular film stars from the 1940s to the 1960s, Peck continued to play important roles well into the 1980s. His notable performances include that of Atticus Finch in the 1962 film To Kill a Mockingbird, for which he won an...
and Ava Gardner
Ava Gardner
Ava Lavinia Gardner was an American actress.She was signed to a contract by MGM Studios in 1941 and appeared mainly in small roles until she drew attention with her performance in The Killers . She became one of Hollywood's leading actresses, considered one of the most beautiful women of her day...
, was partly filmed in Frankston, at its railway station and in the surrounding area. The original novel of On the Beach was written by novelist Nevil Shute
Nevil Shute
Nevil Shute Norway was a popular British-Australian novelist and a successful aeronautical engineer. He used his full name in his engineering career, and 'Nevil Shute' as his pen name, in order to protect his engineering career from any potential negative publicity in connection with his novels.-...
, who lived in Frankston's south-east, in what is now the Frankston suburb of Langwarrin
Langwarrin, Victoria
Langwarrin is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 43 km south-east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Frankston...
.
On 2 September 2004, Frankston was nominated for the Bursary Award in the Livcom International Awards for Livable Communities. In October 2004, it received a Bronze Award for "management of environment and enhancement of quality of life". It won this award for "C Category Cities" (cities with populations between 75,001 - 200,000).
On 24 March 2007, Frankston won two awards in the Keep Australia Beautiful Victoria's clean beach challenge. It won the award for "Friendliest Beach in Victoria", and also the "Natural Heritage Award" for the maintenance of Frankston Beach and the provision of facilities. On 2 June 2008, Frankston was named 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....
's most sustainable city in the Keep Australia Beautiful Victoria's Sustainable Cities Awards.
Name conjecture
The origins of the name "Frankston" has been subject to some conjecture. Local folkloreFolklore
Folklore consists of legends, music, oral history, proverbs, jokes, popular beliefs, fairy tales and customs that are the traditions of a culture, subculture, or group. It is also the set of practices through which those expressive genres are shared. The study of folklore is sometimes called...
suggests that the town was named after a publican called Frank Stone, who ran a hotel at the corner of the then Point Nepean Road (now the Nepean Highway
Nepean Highway
Nepean Highway runs south from the centre of Melbourne in Victoria, Australia to Portsea, along the eastern shore of Port Phillip. It is the primary road route to central Melbourne from Melbourne's southern suburbs.- History :...
) and Hastings Road (now Davey Street). However, there is no evidence that such a person existed. Two more credible possibilities are that the town was named after Frank Liardet or after Charles Franks, an early settler of Melbourne killed by aborigines
Australian Aborigines
Australian Aborigines , also called Aboriginal Australians, from the latin ab originem , are people who are indigenous to most of the Australian continentthat is, to mainland Australia and the island of Tasmania...
.
However, according to Frankston historian and author Michael Jones, Frankston is named after a British army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
general who fought in the Second Sikh War. The theory is strengthened by the fact a number of other towns in the area, such as Cranbourne
Cranbourne, Victoria
Cranbourne is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 43 km south-east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Casey. At the 2006 Census, Cranbourne had a population of 14,750....
, Hastings
Hastings, Victoria
Hastings is a suburb on the Mornington Peninsula, Victoria, Australia, as a part of the urban enclave on Westernport comprising Hastings, Bittern, Crib Point, Tyabb, and Somerville. Its Local Government Area is the Shire of Mornington Peninsula...
, Lyndhurst
Lyndhurst, Victoria
Lyndhurst is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 35 km south-east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is both the City of Casey and the city of Greater Dandenong....
, Mornington
Mornington, Victoria
Mornington is a sea side town on the Mornington Peninsula, Victoria, Australia, located 57 km south-east of Melbourne's central business district. It is in the Local Government Area of the Shire of Mornington Peninsula....
and Pakenham
Pakenham, Victoria
Pakenham is a satellite suburb of Melbourne on the edge of the West Gippsland region of Victoria, Australia, south-east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is Cardinia Shire. At the 2006 Census, Pakenham had a population of 19,644...
, are named after British statesmen and generals. Jones suggests that Andrew Clarke, the Surveyor-General of the Port Phillip District from 1853 to 1858, named all these towns.
Geography
The suburb of Frankston (not to be confused with the multi-suburb government area known as the City of FrankstonCity of Frankston
The City of Frankston is a Local Government Area in Victoria, Australia, located in the southern suburbs of Melbourne. It has an area of 131 square kilometres and has a estimated population of 128,576 people....
of which the suburb of Frankston is a part) covers a wide geographic area in comparison with other suburbs of Melbourne. It also encompasses localities (not to be confused with being independent suburbs) which include: Karingal
Karingal, Victoria
Karingal is a locality within the suburb of Frankston located in Melbourne, Victoria in Australia. It is in the Local Government Area of the City of Frankston.-Ballam Park Homestead:...
, Olivers Hill, Frankston Heights, Frankston East, Mount Erin and Long Island.
The suburb is bounded to the west by Port Phillip
Port Phillip
Port Phillip Port Phillip Port Phillip (also commonly referred to as Port Phillip Bay or (locally) just The Bay, is a large bay in southern Victoria, Australia; it is the location of Melbourne. Geographically, the bay covers and the shore stretches roughly . Although it is extremely shallow for...
; the north by Skye Road and Overton Road (bordering the City of Frankston suburbs of Frankston North
Frankston North, Victoria
Frankston North, also known as The Pines, is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 37 km south-east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Frankston...
and Seaford
Seaford, Victoria
Seaford is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 36 km south-east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Frankston...
); the east by McClelland Drive and the Moorooduc Highway
Moorooduc Highway
The Moorooduc Highway is a 19 km highway which runs from Frankston to Mount Martha. It is a dual carriageway with two or three lanes each way and, together with the Mornington Peninsula Freeway, is a main arterial road from Melbourne to the Mornington Peninsula.- History :It originally started...
(bordering the City of Frankston
City of Frankston
The City of Frankston is a Local Government Area in Victoria, Australia, located in the southern suburbs of Melbourne. It has an area of 131 square kilometres and has a estimated population of 128,576 people....
suburb of Langwarrin
Langwarrin, Victoria
Langwarrin is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 43 km south-east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Frankston...
); and the south by Humphries Road, Robinsons Road and Golflinks Road (bordering the Shire of Mornington Peninsula
Shire of Mornington Peninsula
The Shire of Mornington Peninsula is a Local Government Area in Victoria, Australia. It is located to the south of the city of Melbourne on the Mornington Peninsula. It has an area of 723 square kilometres...
suburbs of Mount Eliza
Mount Eliza, Victoria
Mount Eliza is an outer suburb south-east of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. It is in the Local Government Area of the Shire of Mornington Peninsula...
and Baxter
Baxter, Victoria
Baxter is a township and rural locality in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, beyond the urban area. Its Local Government Area is the Shire of Mornington Peninsula...
).
Topography
Frankston is at the southern end of a stretch of beaches that run from BeaumarisBeaumaris, Victoria
Beaumaris is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 20 km south-east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Bayside. At the 2006 Census, Beaumaris had a population of 12,441....
south to near Olivers Hill, unbroken except by Patterson River
Patterson River
The Patterson River is a partly man-made waterway located approximately 35km south-east of Melbourne, Australia in Patterson Lakes, Carrum and Bonbeach....
, Mordialloc Creek
Mordialloc, Victoria
Mordialloc is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 24 km south-east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Kingston...
and Kananook Creek. Kananook Creek also runs close to the shores of Port Phillip
Port Phillip
Port Phillip Port Phillip Port Phillip (also commonly referred to as Port Phillip Bay or (locally) just The Bay, is a large bay in southern Victoria, Australia; it is the location of Melbourne. Geographically, the bay covers and the shore stretches roughly . Although it is extremely shallow for...
, creating a long "island" effect, giving the locality the name "Long Island". The area is not technically an island, as the creek does not flow into the bay at any point other than its mouth near Frankston Beach. However, the creek was joined to the Patterson Lakes via an underground aquaduct in 1983, when a pumping station was built to improve water quality in the creek.
The central and northern areas of the suburb are generally flat, but the suburb rises gradually towards the east, then rises sharply at Olivers Hill in the south of the suburb. Also at Olivers Hill, where Sweetwater Creek
Sweetwater Creek
Sweetwater Creek may refer to:* Sweetwater Creek , a novel by Anne Rivers Siddons* Sweetwater Creek, Florida, an unincorporated community in Hillsborough County, Florida* Sweetwater Creek , Georgia...
meets Port Phillip
Port Phillip
Port Phillip Port Phillip Port Phillip (also commonly referred to as Port Phillip Bay or (locally) just The Bay, is a large bay in southern Victoria, Australia; it is the location of Melbourne. Geographically, the bay covers and the shore stretches roughly . Although it is extremely shallow for...
, the beaches give way to weathered bluffs of sandstone
Sandstone
Sandstone is a sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized minerals or rock grains.Most sandstone is composed of quartz and/or feldspar because these are the most common minerals in the Earth's crust. Like sand, sandstone may be any colour, but the most common colours are tan, brown, yellow,...
and siltstone
Siltstone
Siltstone is a sedimentary rock which has a grain size in the silt range, finer than sandstone and coarser than claystones.- Description :As its name implies, it is primarily composed of silt sized particles, defined as grains 1/16 - 1/256 mm or 4 to 8 on the Krumbein phi scale...
, with the odd sandy cove at Daveys Bay
Daveys Bay
Daveys Bay is a small shallow bay in Port Phillip, Victoria, Australia. It is one of several small bays adjoining the small town of Mount Eliza and is the closest region of the Shire of Mornington Peninsula to Melbourne....
and again at Canadian Bay.
The southern uplands are at the northern end of an uplift area in a Horst-Graben
Graben
In geology, a graben is a depressed block of land bordered by parallel faults. Graben is German for ditch. Graben is used for both the singular and plural....
structure that extends down the Mornington Peninsula
Mornington Peninsula
The Mornington Peninsula is a peninsula located south-east of Melbourne in Victoria, Australia. It is surrounded by Port Phillip to the west, Western Port to the east and Bass Strait to the south, and is connected to the mainland in the north. Geographically, the peninsula begins its protrusion...
. Similar plutonic intrusive uplifts occur on the Mornington Peninsula at Mount Martha
Mount Martha, Victoria
Mount Martha is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, located 60 km south-east of Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the Shire of Mornington Peninsula. It is located on the south-eastern shores of Port Phillip and offers a bathing beach...
and Arthurs Seat
Arthurs Seat, Victoria
Arthurs Seat is a hill and locality on the Mornington Peninsula, within the Shire of Mornington Peninsula, about 75 km south east of Melbourne, Australia....
. The fault zones are currently inactive, though minor tremors have historically been experienced.
Environment
Frankston is generally a leafy suburb, with some natural heritage elements. A number of large informal nature reserves exist in the suburb including: Bunarong Park, Casuarina Reserve, Paratea Flora and Fauna Reserve and Sweetwater Creek Nature Reserve. All reserves have formal walking paths and contain a broad range of Australian native flora and fauna, with hundreds of species indigenousIndigenous (ecology)
In biogeography, a species is defined as native to a given region or ecosystem if its presence in that region is the result of only natural processes, with no human intervention. Every natural organism has its own natural range of distribution in which it is regarded as native...
to the Frankston area, including over 20 species of orchid. Large formally-designed parks in the area include: Beauty Park (converted from a swamp in the early 20th century) and the George Pentland Botanical Gardens (converted from a golf course in the mid 20th Century).
The Frankston foreshore area has also retained much of its natural element. Consecutive Frankston City Council's have sought to protect the native flora and sand dunes along the beaches. An extensive raised timber walking path called the "Frankston Boardwalk" winds through this section of the foreshore in order to protect the area, whilst also allowing it to be enjoyed by visitors. Only a small section of the foreshore remains developed, near the mouth of Kananook Creek and the 500 m Frankston Pier, called "Frankston Waterfront". The waterfront features extensive landscaping, a themed playground, car parking, a restaurant with bay views and a million dollar Visitor Information Centre.
Climate
Frankston has a temperate climate similar to that of Melbourne, however, is usually around 2 °C cooler than the Melbourne city centreMelbourne 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...
. In many cases, Frankston is one of the first areas of the greater Melbourne area to feel the effect of the cool change
Cold front
A cold front is defined as the leading edge of a cooler mass of air, replacing a warmer mass of air.-Development of cold front:The cooler and denser air wedges under the less-dense warmer air, lifting it...
weather effect that occurs during the summer season.
At one of the widest points of Port Phillip
Port Phillip
Port Phillip Port Phillip Port Phillip (also commonly referred to as Port Phillip Bay or (locally) just The Bay, is a large bay in southern Victoria, Australia; it is the location of Melbourne. Geographically, the bay covers and the shore stretches roughly . Although it is extremely shallow for...
, Frankston's seaside residents have an unobstructed view of oncoming westerly weather patterns. On rare days of severe storms with galeforce westerly winds, Frankston briefly becomes one of the few places on Port Phillip with wave swell of size that allows surfing.
Landmarks
Frankston Pier is considered the iconic landmark. It was originally built in 1857 so fishermen could ship their catches to Melbourne. It has been extended and repaired over the decades. It is popular with fishermen and boaters, and summer weekends will find children diving off the pier in contravention of local by-laws.Demographics
According to the 2006 censusCensus in Australia
The Australian census is administered once every five years by the Australian Bureau of Statistics. The most recent census was conducted on 9 August 2011; the next will be conducted in 2016. Prior to the introduction of regular censuses in 1961, they had also been run in 1901, 1911, 1921, 1933,...
, 69% of Frankston residents are born in Australia, with the most common overseas places of birth being England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
(7.2%), New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
(2.5%), Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
(1.5%), Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
(0.8%), and 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...
(0.7%). The most common Christian denominations in Frankston are Catholic
Catholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
(22%), Anglican (18.7%), Uniting Church (4%), Presbyterian and Reformed (3.4%), and 25.5% of Frankston residents claim not to be religious.
An aging population in the suburb of Frankston is balanced by several new housing developments in neighbouring suburbs within the City of Frankston
City of Frankston
The City of Frankston is a Local Government Area in Victoria, Australia, located in the southern suburbs of Melbourne. It has an area of 131 square kilometres and has a estimated population of 128,576 people....
. The median age in the suburb of Frankston is 38, with 22.8% of the population over the age of 55, and 17.4% of the population under the age of 14.
Subdivisions
The dominant suburban nature of the area means it is not as diverse as residential areas closer to the Melbourne city centreMelbourne 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...
, and the area has little multi-story development. However, due to its position as a gateway to the Mornington Peninsula
Mornington Peninsula
The Mornington Peninsula is a peninsula located south-east of Melbourne in Victoria, Australia. It is surrounded by Port Phillip to the west, Western Port to the east and Bass Strait to the south, and is connected to the mainland in the north. Geographically, the peninsula begins its protrusion...
, Frankston has been designated a "transit city" in accordance with the Victorian Government's 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...
urban integration policy, which will increase focus on multi-story residential development in the central business district.
House prices in Frankston have risen over the years, however the suburb still remains as one of the more affordable of the greater Melbourne area. As of March 2011, the median house price is $357,000. Most areas of Frankston consist of traditional quarter-acre blocks (colloquially known as the "Australian Dream
Australian Dream
The Australian Dream or Great Australian Dream is a belief that in Australia, home ownership can lead to a better life and is an expression of success and security...
"). Some apartments and flats are centred in areas close to the central business district.
The locality of Olivers Hill boasts imposing bay and city views, and is home to the most expensive real estate property in the entire City of Frankston
City of Frankston
The City of Frankston is a Local Government Area in Victoria, Australia, located in the southern suburbs of Melbourne. It has an area of 131 square kilometres and has a estimated population of 128,576 people....
. It also overlooks Frankston Beach and the Frankston Waterfront. Known locally as "The Hill", some properties have been sold for in excess of $2 million, when the 2005 median price for a house in Frankston was only $228,000.
According to the 2006 Australian census, 30.4% of residents own their property; 30.4% are purchasing their property; and 31.4% are renting their property. Of all residents, 75.9% live in a house; 14.4% live in an apartment, flat or unit, and 8.6% live in a semi-detached house, terrace house or townhouse.
Community initiatives
The "Frankston 2025 Community Vision" is community initiative where Frankston residents were asked where they envision the City of FrankstonCity of Frankston
The City of Frankston is a Local Government Area in Victoria, Australia, located in the southern suburbs of Melbourne. It has an area of 131 square kilometres and has a estimated population of 128,576 people....
to be by the year 2025. Public meetings, workshops and statistical surveys were staged over 12 months from September 2006, and the initiative was officially endorsed by the Frankston City Council in October 2007. The then mayor, Cr Glenn Aitkin, officially adopted the vision on 24 November 2007.
A not-for-profit community supermarket was established by the Bayside Dream Centre to provide groceries and other essential items to disadvantaged
Disadvantaged
The "disadvantaged" is a generic term for individuals or groups of people who:* Face special problems such as physical or mental disability * Lack money or economic support....
people within the community at affordable prices. The service is available to all people, not only concession card holders.
In 2008 'Vada Cafe' was opened in Frankston central. This came as a development from the Gateway Children's Fund, which is a fund developed between the partnership of Compassion Australia
Compassion Australia
Compassion Australia is a Christian holistic child development and child advocacy organisation that works in partnership with local churches to foster the spiritual, economic, social, physical and emotional development of children living in extreme poverty in over 26 countries.Compassion Australia...
and Gateway Church. The aim of the cafe is to raise funds for community development and to create awareness of the poverty in Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea , officially the Independent State of Papua New Guinea, is a country in Oceania, occupying the eastern half of the island of New Guinea and numerous offshore islands...
- particularly the 'Vada Vada' slum in Port Moresby
Port Moresby
Port Moresby , or Pot Mosbi in Tok Pisin, is the capital and largest city of Papua New Guinea . It is located on the shores of the Gulf of Papua, on the southeastern coast of the island of New Guinea, which made it a prime objective for conquest by the Imperial Japanese forces during 1942–43...
. The cafe also has Fairtrade Certification by the Fair Trade Association of Australia and New Zealand
Fair Trade Association of Australia and New Zealand
The Fair Trade Association of Australia and New Zealand is a member-based advocacy organization that supports two systems of fair trade...
.
Economy
Frankston is generally a residential suburb. As of 2003, the City of FrankstonCity of Frankston
The City of Frankston is a Local Government Area in Victoria, Australia, located in the southern suburbs of Melbourne. It has an area of 131 square kilometres and has a estimated population of 128,576 people....
is reestablishing itself as a tourism destination. The Frankston City Council adopted the City's first tourism marketing strategy in 2003, which has a focus on the Frankston Beach and the waterfront precinct, retail core and surrounding heritage sites, which are all located within the suburb of Frankston.
The suburb has a number of retail centres across its localities, and is one of the few areas outside of the Melbourne city centre
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...
to contain competing cinema
Movie theater
A movie theater, cinema, movie house, picture theater, film theater is a venue, usually a building, for viewing motion pictures ....
operators. The Frankston central business district (between Nepean Highway
Nepean Highway
Nepean Highway runs south from the centre of Melbourne in Victoria, Australia to Portsea, along the eastern shore of Port Phillip. It is the primary road route to central Melbourne from Melbourne's southern suburbs.- History :...
and the Frankston railway station) is the retail core, containing a major regional shopping complex as well as street shopping, restaurants, bars, pubs and nightclubs.
Bayside Shopping Centre
Bayside Shopping Centre
Bayside Shopping Centre is a super regional shopping centre located in Frankston CBD, approximately 40 km south of Melbourne, Victoria. It is the largest shopping centre on the Mornington Peninsula....
, the largest shopping complex on the Mornington Peninsula
Mornington Peninsula
The Mornington Peninsula is a peninsula located south-east of Melbourne in Victoria, Australia. It is surrounded by Port Phillip to the west, Western Port to the east and Bass Strait to the south, and is connected to the mainland in the north. Geographically, the peninsula begins its protrusion...
, is located in the Frankston central business district. It features major department stores such as Myer
Myer
Myer is Australia's largest department store chain, retailing a broad range of merchandise including women's, men's and children's clothing, footwear and accessories; cosmetics and fragrance; homewares; electrical; furniture and bedding; toys; books and stationery; food and confectionery; and...
, Target
Target (Australia)
Target Australia Pty Ltd is an Australian department store chain owned by Wesfarmers . It operates 172 Target stores and 119 Target Country stores making 291 combined stores with its head office located in North Geelong, Victoria. It sells clothing, cosmetics, toys, homewares, electrical and...
and Kmart
Kmart Australia
Kmart Australia Limited is a discount department store chain owned by Wesfarmers. It operates 172 stores in Australia and 15 in New Zealand, with its head office located in Mulgrave, Victoria. Wesfarmers uses the Kmart name under licence from Sears Holdings Corporation.-History:Kmart Australia...
; two supermarket chains Coles
Coles Supermarkets
Coles Supermarkets is an Australian supermarket chain owned by Wesfarmers. It has 741 stores nationally Coles Supermarkets is an Australian supermarket chain owned by Wesfarmers. It has 741 stores nationally Coles Supermarkets is an Australian supermarket chain owned by Wesfarmers. It has 741...
and Safeway, and over 250 smaller specialty stores and food outlets, located over three interlocking malls. The centre also contains a small entertainment precinct with restaurants, bars, and a 12-screen Australian Multiplex Cinemas
Australian Multiplex Cinemas
Australian Multiplex Cinemas is a chain of multiple-screen movie cinemas headquartered in Brisbane, the state capital of Queensland, Australia.-Acquisition by Hoyts:...
complex.
The second-largest shopping complex is Centro Karingal
Centro Karingal
Centro Karingal and Star Zone Karingal are each part of a regional shopping centre complex located in Frankston, Victoria, Australia, approximately south of Melbourne's central business district...
, located in the locality of Karingal
Karingal, Victoria
Karingal is a locality within the suburb of Frankston located in Melbourne, Victoria in Australia. It is in the Local Government Area of the City of Frankston.-Ballam Park Homestead:...
, around 5 km from the Frankston central business district. It features two Safeway supermarkets, a Big W
Big W
Big W is one of the largest chain of discount department stores in Australia, with over 150 stores. It is a division of Woolworths Limited, the second largest retailer in Australia. Its main competitors are Kmart and Target, both owned by Wesfarmers....
department store, and 120 specialty stores. Like its central business district counterpart, the centre also contains an entertainment precinct, called "StarZone Karingal", with restaurants, a pub, a gym and a 12 screen Village Cinemas
Village Cinemas
Village Cinemas is an Australian cinema chain. Its Australian sites are owned and operated by Village Roadshow-Amalgamated Holdings Limited joint venture Australian Theatres. The group has rebranded several of its premier Australian and New Zealand cinemas as Event Cinemas since 2009. Village...
complex. StarZone Karingal is also home to one of the three V Max "super screens" in Australia. The Frankston Mitre 10 Home & Trade
Mitre 10
Mitre 10 is the trading name of retail and trade hardware store chains, over 700 locations throughout of Australia. Operations are based on a co-operative system where the store owners are members of the national group and each has voting rights...
is located next to the Centro Karingal shopping centre.
For a residential suburb, Frankston boasts a sizable restaurant and bar, pub and nightclub scene, with 14 in the Frankston central business district alone (mainly centering around the Nepean Highway
Nepean Highway
Nepean Highway runs south from the centre of Melbourne in Victoria, Australia to Portsea, along the eastern shore of Port Phillip. It is the primary road route to central Melbourne from Melbourne's southern suburbs.- History :...
and near the shopping complex), and a large and varied restaurant selection, including Italian, Greek, French, Japanese, Chinese, Vietnamese, Indian and Fijian cuisine, to name a few. A number of Frankston's restaurants have been listed in The Age
The Age
The Age is a daily broadsheet newspaper, which has been published in Melbourne, Australia since 1854. Owned and published by Fairfax Media, The Age primarily serves Victoria, but is also available for purchase in Tasmania, the Australian Capital Territory and border regions of South Australia and...
s "Good Food Guide", and the suburb remains one of the few left in Australia with a pub on each corner of an intersection (corner Nepean Highway and Davey Street).
Major automotive dealerships of Holden
Holden
GM Holden Ltd is an automaker that operates in Australia, based in Port Melbourne, Victoria. The company was founded in 1856 as a saddlery manufacturer. In 1908 it moved into the automotive field, before becoming a subsidiary of the U.S.-based General Motors in 1931...
, Ford, Chrysler
Chrysler
Chrysler Group LLC is a multinational automaker headquartered in Auburn Hills, Michigan, USA. Chrysler was first organized as the Chrysler Corporation in 1925....
(also retailing Dodge
Dodge
Dodge is a United States-based brand of automobiles, minivans, and sport utility vehicles, manufactured and marketed by Chrysler Group LLC in more than 60 different countries and territories worldwide....
and Jeep
Jeep
Jeep is an automobile marque of Chrysler . The first Willys Jeeps were produced in 1941 with the first civilian models in 1945, making it the oldest off-road vehicle and sport utility vehicle brand. It inspired a number of other light utility vehicles, such as the Land Rover which is the second...
), Toyota, Nissan, Mitsubishi
Mitsubishi Motors
is a multinational automaker headquartered in Minato, Tokyo. In 2009 it was the fifth-largest Japan-based automaker and the 17th-largest in the world measured by production...
, Subaru
Subaru
; is the automobile manufacturing division of Japanese transportation conglomerate Fuji Heavy Industries .Subaru is internationally known for their use of the boxer engine layout popularized in cars by the Volkswagen Beetle and Porsche 911, in most of their vehicles above 1500 cc as well as...
, Suzuki
Suzuki
is a Japanese multinational corporation headquartered in Hamamatsu, Japan that specializes in manufacturing compact automobiles and 4x4 vehicles, a full range of motorcycles, all-terrain vehicles , outboard marine engines, wheelchairs and a variety of other small internal combustion engines...
and Hyundai
Hyundai Motor Company
Hyundai Motor Company is a Korean multinational automaker based in Seoul, South Korea which, along with Kia, comprises the Hyundai Kia Automotive Group, the world's fourth largest automaker as of 2009. As of 2011, it is the world's fastest growing automaker for two years running...
(also retailing Kia
Kia Motors
Kia Motors , headquartered in Seoul, is South Korea's second-largest automobile manufacturer, following the Hyundai Motor Company, with sales of over 1.4 million vehicles in 2010...
) operate along Dandenong Road, in the suburb's north-west, as well as a light industrial area mostly involving the automotive repair industry. The area also spills over into the neighbouring suburb of Seaford
Seaford, Victoria
Seaford is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 36 km south-east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Frankston...
, and centres around Hartnett Drive. The Seaford industrial area also contains some bulk retail and cash-and-carry
Cash and carry (wholesale)
Cash and carry wholesale represents a type of operation within the wholesale sector. Its main features are summarized best by the following definitions:...
outlets.
Education
The suburb of Frankston supports early childhoodEarly childhood education
Early childhood education is the formal teaching and care of young children by people other than their family or in settings outside of the home. 'Early childhood' is usually defined as before the age of normal schooling - five years in most nations, though the U.S...
, primary
Primary education
A primary school is an institution in which children receive the first stage of compulsory education known as primary or elementary education. Primary school is the preferred term in the United Kingdom and many Commonwealth Nations, and in most publications of the United Nations Educational,...
, secondary
Secondary education
Secondary education is the stage of education following primary education. Secondary education includes the final stage of compulsory education and in many countries it is entirely compulsory. The next stage of education is usually college or university...
, TAFE (vocational
Vocational education
Vocational education or vocational education and training is an education that prepares trainees for jobs that are based on manual or practical activities, traditionally non-academic, and totally related to a specific trade, occupation, or vocation...
) and tertiary education
Tertiary education
Tertiary education, also referred to as third stage, third level, and post-secondary education, is the educational level following the completion of a school providing a secondary education, such as a high school, secondary school, university-preparatory school...
. A number of government and private primary and secondary schools operate in the area, as well as the Frankston Campus of the Chisholm Institute
Chisholm Institute
Chisholm Institute is a Technical and Further Education Institute located in the south-east Melbourne and Westernport Bay areas in Australia. It provides adult education in a number of areas including the arts and humanities, hospitality, information technology, mechanics and business...
(TAFE) and the Peninsula Campus of Monash University
Monash University
Monash University is a public university based in Melbourne, Victoria. It was founded in 1958 and is the second oldest university in the state. Monash is a member of Australia's Group of Eight and the ASAIHL....
.
There are 12 primary schools in the suburb, eight of which are government schools and four are private. Three of the private primary schools are Catholic-aligned and the fourth is the junior campus of the independent K-12
K-12
K–12 is a designation for the sum of primary and secondary education. It is used in the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand where P–12 is also commonly used...
Woodleigh School (the senior campus is in the neighbouring suburb of Baxter
Baxter, Victoria
Baxter is a township and rural locality in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, beyond the urban area. Its Local Government Area is the Shire of Mornington Peninsula...
). There are four secondary schools in the suburb, three government schools which are: Frankston High School
Frankston High School
Frankston High School, in Victoria, Australia, is a secondary college offering education for students in Years 7 to 12.-School profile:Frankston High School is a large multi-campus co-educational school situated in South Frankston. The Year 7 to 10 and Senior School Campuses occupy nearby sites...
, McClelland College
Karingal Park Secondary College
McClelland College, is a secondary school in Karingal. The school resides in the suburb of Frankston located in Victoria, Australia. The school has received a lot of government funding for their research into new learning environments and for their new VCE centre.Karingal Park Secondary College...
and Mount Erin College
Mount Erin College
Mount Erin Secondary College is a secondary school located in the suburb of Frankston, Victoria, Australia. It has approximately 800 students and is one of the only schools running the SEAL programme in the area.-Campuses:...
, and the fourth is the private Catholic-aligned John Paul College.
Frankston High School
Frankston High School
Frankston High School, in Victoria, Australia, is a secondary college offering education for students in Years 7 to 12.-School profile:Frankston High School is a large multi-campus co-educational school situated in South Frankston. The Year 7 to 10 and Senior School Campuses occupy nearby sites...
has an excellent academic record achieved by a range of extension programs for all students including those who are gifted as well as non-academic programs. It is considered one of the most successful government schools in 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....
. Admittance to Frankston High School is based on residing in the designated "zone" of the school. Real estate agents often market properties in the area around Frankston South
Frankston South, Victoria
Frankston South is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 43 km south-east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Frankston...
as in the "FHS Zone" to lure families wishing to send their children to the school.
The Peninsula Campus of Monash University
Monash University
Monash University is a public university based in Melbourne, Victoria. It was founded in 1958 and is the second oldest university in the state. Monash is a member of Australia's Group of Eight and the ASAIHL....
has a teaching and research focus on health, human development
Human development (biology)
Human development is the process of growing to maturity. In biological terms, this entails growth from a one-celled zygote to an adult human being.- Biological development:...
and wellbeing, and is affiliated with the nearby Frankston Hospital
Frankston Hospital
Frankston Hospital is a major regional public hospital, located in the Melbourne suburb of Frankston on the Mornington Peninsula in Victoria, Australia...
. The campus was originally the Frankston Teachers' College, founded in 1959, before becoming affiliated with Monash University
Monash University
Monash University is a public university based in Melbourne, Victoria. It was founded in 1958 and is the second oldest university in the state. Monash is a member of Australia's Group of Eight and the ASAIHL....
in 1990. The campus occupies the former "Struan" Estate, with its former stately house now the administration building of the university.
Health
Four hospitals operate in the suburb of Frankston and service the greater area of the City of FrankstonCity of Frankston
The City of Frankston is a Local Government Area in Victoria, Australia, located in the southern suburbs of Melbourne. It has an area of 131 square kilometres and has a estimated population of 128,576 people....
and the Mornington Peninsula
Mornington Peninsula
The Mornington Peninsula is a peninsula located south-east of Melbourne in Victoria, Australia. It is surrounded by Port Phillip to the west, Western Port to the east and Bass Strait to the south, and is connected to the mainland in the north. Geographically, the peninsula begins its protrusion...
. The major regional hospital, Frankston Hospital
Frankston Hospital
Frankston Hospital is a major regional public hospital, located in the Melbourne suburb of Frankston on the Mornington Peninsula in Victoria, Australia...
(which is part of the Peninsula Health Network), and the Frankston Private Hospital are both located close to the Frankston central business district. The St. John of God Rehabilitation Hospital and the Peninsula Private Hospital are located further east in the locality of Karingal
Karingal, Victoria
Karingal is a locality within the suburb of Frankston located in Melbourne, Victoria in Australia. It is in the Local Government Area of the City of Frankston.-Ballam Park Homestead:...
. A large concentration of medical-based businesses are located close to Frankston Hospital. According to the 2006 Australian census, 4% of the Frankston population is employed in the hospital industry, making it the most common industry of employment for Frankston residents.
Transport
As Frankston is the southern-most suburb of the greater Melbourne area and also the "gateway to the peninsula", it is well serviced by both road and rail. The suburb is connected to the rest of Melbourne and the Mornington PeninsulaMornington Peninsula
The Mornington Peninsula is a peninsula located south-east of Melbourne in Victoria, Australia. It is surrounded by Port Phillip to the west, Western Port to the east and Bass Strait to the south, and is connected to the mainland in the north. Geographically, the peninsula begins its protrusion...
by the Nepean Highway
Nepean Highway
Nepean Highway runs south from the centre of Melbourne in Victoria, Australia to Portsea, along the eastern shore of Port Phillip. It is the primary road route to central Melbourne from Melbourne's southern suburbs.- History :...
and Moorooduc Highway
Moorooduc Highway
The Moorooduc Highway is a 19 km highway which runs from Frankston to Mount Martha. It is a dual carriageway with two or three lanes each way and, together with the Mornington Peninsula Freeway, is a main arterial road from Melbourne to the Mornington Peninsula.- History :It originally started...
/ Frankston Freeway
Frankston Freeway
Frankston Freeway is a very short stretch of Melbourne freeway that was designed to upgrade Wells Road to freeway standard in the 1970s and provides a link from suburban Melbourne to Frankston...
(the latter which connects to the EastLink Tollway
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....
). The suburb is also connected directly to the Melbourne city centre
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...
via the Frankston railway line.
Metropolitan bus services run throughout Frankston's suburbs and also connect it to the neighbouring cities of 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 Casey
City of Casey
The City of Casey is a Local Government Area in Victoria, Australia, located in the outer south-eastern suburbs of Melbourne. Casey is Victoria's most populous municipality, with a 2006 census population of 214,960. The municipality's population growth rate during both 1996-2001 and 2001-2006 was...
. Regional bus services connect the south-west Mornington Peninsula, and the south-east is connected via the Stony Point railway line. The main transport terminus for the suburb is Young Street, on the edge of the Frankston central business district.
Eastlink is a $2.5 billion tollway that opened on 29 June 2008, and connects Frankston with its north-east neighbours of Dandenong
Dandenong, Victoria
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...
, Ringwood
Ringwood, Victoria
Ringwood is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, east of Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Maroondah. At the 2006 Census, Ringwood had a population of 15,185....
and Nunawading
Nunawading, Victoria
Nunawading is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 19 km east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Whitehorse...
. Prior to and after its opening, residents believed that EastLink would create further traffic congestion on the already congested Frankston Freeway
Frankston Freeway
Frankston Freeway is a very short stretch of Melbourne freeway that was designed to upgrade Wells Road to freeway standard in the 1970s and provides a link from suburban Melbourne to Frankston...
(where EastLink terminates), and the intersection
Intersection (road)
An intersection is a road junction where two or more roads either meet or cross at grade . An intersection may be 3-way - a T junction or fork, 4-way - a crossroads, or 5-way or more...
of the Frankston Freeway, McMahons Road and Cranbourne Road. Calls by Frankston City Council and local Federal
Parliament of Australia
The Parliament of Australia, also known as the Commonwealth Parliament or Federal Parliament, is the legislative branch of the government of Australia. It is bicameral, largely modelled in the Westminster tradition, but with some influences from the United States Congress...
MP
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
, Bruce Billson
Bruce Billson
Bruce Frederick Billson MP is an Australian politician and Liberal member of the Australian House of Representatives since 1996. He represents the Division of Dunkley, Victoria....
, have been made for the State
Parliament of Victoria
The Parliament of Victoria is the bicameral legislature of the Australian state of Victoria. It follows a Westminster-derived parliamentary system and consists of The Queen, represented by the Governor of Victoria; the Legislative Council ; and the Legislative Assembly...
to construct the Frankston Bypass
Frankston Bypass
Peninsula Link ' is a freeway under construction that will complete the missing sections of the Mornington Peninsula Freeway, running from the EastLink interchange at Seaford, Melbourne, running along the eastern fringe of Frankston...
in order to ease traffic congestion.
Arts and heritage
The suburb has a number of theatre venues, council-operated and private art galleries, as well as many public art pieces (mainly around the Frankston central business district). Major theatre venues in Frankston include the Frankston Arts CentreFrankston Arts Centre
The Frankston Arts Centre is a landmark theatre and art gallery in the outer Melbourne locality of Frankston in Australia. It was opened by then Prime Minister, The Hon...
(along with its Cube37 art space), and the George Jenkins Theatre (part of Monash University
Monash University
Monash University is a public university based in Melbourne, Victoria. It was founded in 1958 and is the second oldest university in the state. Monash is a member of Australia's Group of Eight and the ASAIHL....
's Peninsula Campus). The suburb is also home to a number of award-winning amateur music and theatre societies, including the Frankston Symphony Orchestra
Frankston Symphony Orchestra
The Frankston Symphony Orchestra is one of ten community orchestras in Victoria, Australia. It is from the Melbourne suburb of Frankston - on the Mornington Peninsula...
, Frankston City Band, Mornington Peninsula Chorale, Peninsula Light Operatic Society, Panorama Theatre Company, Frankston Theatre Group, and the People's Playhouse. The suburb is also home to the internationally-renowned Australian Welsh Male Choir.
The Frankston Arts Centre
Frankston Arts Centre
The Frankston Arts Centre is a landmark theatre and art gallery in the outer Melbourne locality of Frankston in Australia. It was opened by then Prime Minister, The Hon...
overlooks the Frankston central business district, and houses an 800-seat theatre and art gallery. The centre plays host to a number of major performances, including regular shows by the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra
Melbourne Symphony Orchestra
The Melbourne Symphony Orchestra is an orchestra based in Melbourne, Australia. It has 100 permanent musicians. Melbourne has the longest continuous history of orchestral music of any Australian city and the MSO is the oldest professional orchestra in Australia...
and Victorian Opera
Victorian Opera (Melbourne)
Victorian Opera is an opera company based in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. The company was founded in 2005 and commenced operations in January 2006 with funding from the Victorian government, and Richard Gill as Artistic Director...
, and is a tour venue for the Melbourne International Film Festival
Melbourne International Film Festival
The Melbourne International Film Festival is an acclaimed annual film festival held over three weeks in Melbourne, Australia. It was founded in 1951, making it one of the oldest in the World....
, Opera Australia
Opera Australia
Opera Australia is the principal opera company in Australia. Based in Sydney, its performance season at the Sydney Opera House runs for approximately eight months of the year, with the remainder of its time spent in the The Arts Centre in Melbourne...
and a number of national theatre companies. Next to the arts centre (Davey Street entrance) is Cube37, an intimate performance venue and exhibition space. 'The Cube', as it is locally known, also encompasses a state-of-the-art glass studio frontage for multimedia
Multimedia
Multimedia is media and content that uses a combination of different content forms. The term can be used as a noun or as an adjective describing a medium as having multiple content forms. The term is used in contrast to media which use only rudimentary computer display such as text-only, or...
exhibitions at night.
A public art program, adopted by Frankston City Council, has been in place since the turn on the century. Recent major public art additions in the suburb includes "Sentinal", a five-metre-tall abstract wooden sculpture of a native sea eagle located on Young Street by sculptor Bruce Armstrong, "Power of Community" located in Beauty Park by famed mosaic artist Deborah Halpern
Deborah Halpern
Deborah Halpern is an artist working in Victoria Australia, notable for her prominent and popular works of public art. Halpern is a sculptor, mosaic artist and ceramic artist...
, and "Sightlines" along Frankston Peir by Louise Laverack that consists of 22 modular components (poles) decorated with nautical flag-themed weather vanes, with light panels embedded in the poles which reflect the movement of the waves below.
A self-drive tour, known as the "Frankston Cultural Drive" (signposted as Route 12), showcases the Frankston area's cultural and natural heritage. The tour takes in parks, gardens, galleries and historic homesteads as well as showcasing a large collection of contemporary sculptures. It includes local landmarks such as: the Frankston Arts Centre
Frankston Arts Centre
The Frankston Arts Centre is a landmark theatre and art gallery in the outer Melbourne locality of Frankston in Australia. It was opened by then Prime Minister, The Hon...
, George Pentland Botanic Gardens and the heritage-listed homestead "Ballam Park" (which are all in the suburb of Frankston), as well as the McClelland Gallery + Sculpture Park, "Cruden Farm" and the National Trust of Australia
National Trust of Australia
The Australian Council of National Trusts is the peak body for community-based, non-government organisations committed to promoting and conserving Australia's indigenous, natural and historic heritage....
property "Mullberry Hill" (which are all in neighbouring Langwarrin
Langwarrin, Victoria
Langwarrin is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 43 km south-east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Frankston...
). An audio CD is also available from the Frankston City Council which details information about each attraction.
Festivals and events
The annual Frankston Waterfront Festival (formally the Frankston Sea Festival) is a weekend long celebration of Frankston's seaside heritage, held at the end of summer on the Frankston Waterfront. The festival features a large food and wine fair, live entertainment, rides and the popular amateur swim/run event, the Frankston Bay Classic (a 7 km swim and 14 km run, with prize money awarded to the winners of each leg of the event). Sand Sculpting Australia, who stages a sand sculpture exhibition, relocated their host city to Frankston in 2008. The exhibition, which is held over three months at the start of each year, now coincides with – and is now a feature of – the Frankston Waterfront Festival weekend.Frankston has had great festivals there is all ways some thing on in Frankston.
The Christmas Festival of Lights is a popular annual Christmas event and one of the biggest on the Frankston community calendar. The 2007 event attracted 25,000 people to the Frankston central business district to watch the lighting of the 100 year old Norfolk pine tree, fireworks display and engage in community festivals. The festival also includes the "I Love Frankston" Parade (inaugurated in 2007 by, the then mayor, Cr Glenn Aitken). The annual parade consists of community groups, sporting clubs, schools and local business marching through the streets of Frankston in a show of civic pride, culminating at the Christmas Festival of Lights. For the last 7 years, Gateway Church has led the Carols by Candlelight and finale.
The Good Friday Festival on the Frankston Foreshore has grown considerably since 2005, with the Frankston City Council estimating 3,000 people attending the event in 2009. Churches around Frankston combine to host the free event, which features music, drama, face painting and other community events.
Sports and leisure
Many sporting fields and some small stadiums exist in the suburb. Most notably, the historic Frankston ParkFrankston Park
Frankston Park is a regional Australian rules football ground located in Frankston, Victoria in Australia. It is home to the VFL team, the Frankston Dolphins, and is a planned secondary ground of the AFL team, the St Kilda Saints, when they relocate their training base to Frankston's Belverdere...
(home of the Victorian Football League
Victorian Football League
The Victorian Football League which evolved from the former Victorian Football Association , taking its new name as from the 1996 season, is the premier Australian rules football league in Victoria The Victorian Football League (VFL) which evolved from the former Victorian Football Association...
's Frankston Dolphins) and the Frankston Basketball Stadium (home of the Australian Basketball Association
Australian Basketball Association
The Australian Basketball Association, often abbreviated to the ABA, is the second-tiered semi-professional men's and women's basketball minor leagues in Australia which sit under the professional National Basketball League and Women's National Basketball League .The ABA is representative of the...
's Frankston Blues
Frankston Blues
The Frankston Blues play in the South Conference of the SEABL in the ABA.-Current roster:-External links:***...
). There are three golf courses in Frankston, the 1912-established Frankston Golf Course, Centenary Park Golf Course and the Peninsula Country Club (with two more in the greater City of Frankston
City of Frankston
The City of Frankston is a Local Government Area in Victoria, Australia, located in the southern suburbs of Melbourne. It has an area of 131 square kilometres and has a estimated population of 128,576 people....
). Also, the City of Frankston Bowling Club (lawn bowls) once hosted the World Bowls Tournament in 1980. The mens singles event was won by David Bryant
David Bryant
David James Bryant CBE is a former three-time World singles bowls champion in 1966, 1980 and 1988 and also a three-time World indoors singles champion in 1979, 1980 and 1981. He also won the Commonwealth Games singles bowls championship on 4 occasions in 1962, 1970, 1974 and 1978...
.
The suburb of Frankston also supports a number of community level clubs for Australian rules football
Australian rules football
Australian rules football, officially known as Australian football, also called football, Aussie rules or footy is a sport played between two teams of 22 players on either...
, cricket, golf, basketball, netball, soccer and tennis, as well as baseball, hockey, badminton, volleyball, gymnastics, athletics and croquet clubs. The beach area supports a yacht club, a surf lifesaving club and the state's oldest Australian Volunteer Coast Guard
Coast guards in Australia
Australia, with 19,650 kilometres of coastline does not have a force purely to defend its coast. The duty of patrolling the Australian coastline falls to the Royal Australian Navy, the Australian Customs and Border Protection Service , and the Police services of the states...
flotilla. Frankston also boasts one of the largest public skate parks in Australia, and urban skateboarding is popular.
Soccer has fast become one of the most popular sports played at a junior level in the Frankston area with playing numbers increasing every year. Currently Langwarrin Soccer Club is the leading club in the Frankston area with the senior team currently plying its trade in Victoria's State League Division 1. Other teams in the area include Seaford, Frankston Pines, Peninsula Strikers and Mornington.
Australian rules football is popular in the suburb, and is played at both a regional and state level. The Frankston Bombers, Karingal Bulls and Frankston Y.C.W. Stonecats play in the regional Mornington Peninsula Nepean Football League
Mornington Peninsula Nepean Football League
The Mornington Peninsula Nepean Football League is an Australian rules football competition, governed by the Victorian Country Football League. The MPNFL contains teams near the south eastern region of Victoria, Australia...
(in the Peninsula and Nepean Divisions respectively). The state club in the suburb is the Frankston Dolphins, which plays in the Victorian Football League. In previous years, Frankston was the recruiting zone for professional Australian Football League
Australian Football League
The Australian Football League is both the governing body and the major professional competition in the sport of Australian rules football...
clubs, Hawthorn Hawks, and later St. Kilda Saints, and many star players from each team were recruited from Frankston (see List of Frankston people).
The St. Kilda Saints Australian Football League club has signed a deal with the City of Frankston
City of Frankston
The City of Frankston is a Local Government Area in Victoria, Australia, located in the southern suburbs of Melbourne. It has an area of 131 square kilometres and has a estimated population of 128,576 people....
to relocate its training base to Belverdere Park in Seaford
Seaford, Victoria
Seaford is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 36 km south-east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Frankston...
. The deal includes a $10 million development of a facility to be completed by 2010, based on the facilities of the UK's Chelsea and Aston Villa
Aston Villa F.C.
Aston Villa Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Witton, Birmingham. The club was founded in 1874 and have played at their current home ground, Villa Park, since 1897. Aston Villa were founder members of The Football League in 1888. They were also founder...
soccer clubs.
Indoor and outdoor beach volleyball is also becoming increasingly popular in the suburb of Frankston. 2008 marked the inauguration of the Frankston Beach Volleyball Series (part of the Virgin Blue Beach Volleyball Series) which attracted A-list players, including Olympian Tamsin Barnett
Tamsin Barnett
Tamsin Hinchley is an Australian volleyball player. Barnett was on the Australian indoor squad at the 2000 Summer Olympics. At the 2008 Summer Olympics, Barnett partnered with Natalie Cook in beach volleyball...
. The event was also broadcast on national television and, on the first day, the Nine Network
Nine Network
The Nine Network , is an Australian television network with headquarters based in Willoughby, a suburb located on the North Shore of Sydney. For 50 years since television's inception in Australia, between 1956 and 2006, it was the most watched television network in Australia...
's Today
Today (Australian TV program)
Today and Weekend Today are Australian breakfast television programmes, the show is often referred to as The Today Show. The show has been broadcast live by the Nine Network each morning since 1982...
broadcast live from the event.
Notable residents
Notable Frankston residents includes the legendary Australian entertainer Graham KennedyGraham Kennedy
Graham Cyril Kennedy, AO was an Australian radio, television and film performer, often called Gra Gra and The King of Australian television.-Childhood:...
, the eighth Australian Prime Minister Stanley Bruce
Stanley Bruce
Stanley Melbourne Bruce, 1st Viscount Bruce of Melbourne, CH, MC, FRS, PC , was an Australian politician and diplomat, and the eighth Prime Minister of Australia. He was the second Australian granted an hereditary peerage of the United Kingdom, but the first whose peerage was formally created...
, the 39th Premier of Victoria Sir Rupert Hamer, the "father" of the GM Holden car company Sir Laurence Hartnett, famed artists Sir Daryl
Daryl Lindsay
Sir Ernest Daryl Lindsay was an Australian artist and member of the creative Lindsay family.-Early life:...
and Lady Joan Lindsay
Joan Lindsay
Joan Lindsay, Lady Lindsay was an Australian author, best known for her "ambiguous and intriguing" novel Picnic at Hanging Rock.-Life:...
, children's author Paul Jennings
Paul Jennings (Australian author)
Paul Jennings AM is an English-born Australian children's book writer. His books mainly feature short stories that lead the reader through an unusual series of events that end with a twist.-Biography:...
and Australian rules football
Australian rules football
Australian rules football, officially known as Australian football, also called football, Aussie rules or footy is a sport played between two teams of 22 players on either...
ers Dermott Brereton
Dermott Brereton
Dermott Hugh Brereton is a former Australian rules football player in the Australian Football League, regarded as one of the greatest players of his generation. Of Irish descent , he is known for his aggressive style of play. Brereton kicked 464 goals and played in five Premierships for during...
, Nathan Burke
Nathan Burke
Nathan Burke is a former Australian rules footballer.He was a tough rover who always backed himself in a contest and was one of the most courageous footballers to play for the St Kilda Football Club. He set the club record for most number of games at his retirement, with 323 games which was broken...
, Robert Harvey
Robert Harvey (footballer)
Robert Jeffrey Harvey is a former Australian rules football player for the St Kilda Football Club in the Australian Football League...
and the coach Leigh Matthews
Leigh Matthews
Leigh Raymond "Lethal Leigh" Matthews AM is a former player and coach of Australian rules football. He played for Hawthorn in the Victorian Football League from 1969 to 1985, coached Collingwood from 1986–1995, and coached the Brisbane Lions from 1999 to 2008...
.
See also
- KaringalKaringal, VictoriaKaringal is a locality within the suburb of Frankston located in Melbourne, Victoria in Australia. It is in the Local Government Area of the City of Frankston.-Ballam Park Homestead:...
- Olivers Hill
- Frankston High SchoolFrankston High SchoolFrankston High School, in Victoria, Australia, is a secondary college offering education for students in Years 7 to 12.-School profile:Frankston High School is a large multi-campus co-educational school situated in South Frankston. The Year 7 to 10 and Senior School Campuses occupy nearby sites...
- Frankston Arts CentreFrankston Arts CentreThe Frankston Arts Centre is a landmark theatre and art gallery in the outer Melbourne locality of Frankston in Australia. It was opened by then Prime Minister, The Hon...
- Frankston HospitalFrankston HospitalFrankston Hospital is a major regional public hospital, located in the Melbourne suburb of Frankston on the Mornington Peninsula in Victoria, Australia...
- Frankston ParkFrankston ParkFrankston Park is a regional Australian rules football ground located in Frankston, Victoria in Australia. It is home to the VFL team, the Frankston Dolphins, and is a planned secondary ground of the AFL team, the St Kilda Saints, when they relocate their training base to Frankston's Belverdere...
- Bayside Shopping CentreBayside Shopping CentreBayside Shopping Centre is a super regional shopping centre located in Frankston CBD, approximately 40 km south of Melbourne, Victoria. It is the largest shopping centre on the Mornington Peninsula....