Narre Warren is a suburb 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...

, 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...

, 42 km south east from Melbourne's central business district

Melbourne city centre

Melbourne City Centre is an area of Melbourne in Victoria, Australia. It is not to be confused with the larger local government area of the City of Melbourne...

. Its Local Government Area is the City of 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...

. At the 2006 Census, Narre Warren had a population of 25,667. Narre Warren has a population density of over 2000 people per square kilometer. Narre Warren has its own railway station, located on Webb Street and is home to Australia's fifth largest shopping centre (by Gross Leasable Area

Gross leasable area

Gross leasable area in the retail development industry is a term applied to shopping malls, lifestyle centers, outlet malls and other retail centers to indicate the amount of floor space available to be rented...

), Westfield Fountain Gate

Westfield Fountain Gate

Westfield Fountain Gate is a super regional shopping centre located in Narre Warren in the outer south-eastern suburbs of Melbourne, Australia...

, after Chadstone Shopping Centre (Melbourne), Knox City Shopping Centre (Melbourne), Westfield Parramatta (Sydney) and Westfield Doncaster (Melbourne).

History

Narre Warren Post Office, located on what is now Heatherton Road, opened on 21 January 1869. In 1900 it was renamed Narre Warren North, and Narre Warren Railway Station Post Office (open since 1886) was renamed Narre Warren.

Residential development

Over the years Narre Warren has grown from a semi-rural residential town to become a part of a major growth corridor in the south east of Melbourne. In recent years a multitude of new housing developments have seen Narre Warren expand to such an extent that it now adjoins neighbouring suburbs such as Berwick

Berwick, Victoria

Berwick is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, south-east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Casey. At the 2006 Census, Berwick had a population of 36,420....

. An estimated eight houses are built every day in the area with young, lower middle class families making up the majority of new residents.

Education

Schools in Narre Warren include Narre Warren North Primary School, Oatlands Primary School, Maramba Primary School, Don Bosco Primary School, Mary Mackillop Primary School, Fountain Gate Secondary College, Alkira Secondary College, Fountain Gate Primary School, Dandenong Valley Special School , Fountain Gate Secondary College and Fleetwood Primary School (Formerly known as: Hallam Valley Primary School). Narre Warren Station Primary School was closed at the end of 2001 and moved to Narre Warren South (to suit the change in growth areas) where it became Hillsmeade Primary School. There is also a large community education centre, Narre Community Learning Centre Inc, located in Malcolm Court.

Retail and civic development

Westfield Fountain Gate

Westfield Fountain Gate

Westfield Fountain Gate is a super regional shopping centre located in Narre Warren in the outer south-eastern suburbs of Melbourne, Australia...

 (named after one of the earlier subdivisions) is at the heart of the main commercial precinct in Narre Warren. It is one of the largest shopping centres in Australia, housing many of Australia's major retailers. The centre has been made famous by the popular Australian television show Kath and Kim, parts of which were also filmed at Westfield Southland.

There is also a local shopping strip that developed around the Narre Warren Railway Station in Webb Street.

The civic precinct is located inside the boundary of Westfield, and includes the City of 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...

municipal offices, Narre Warren Library and the Casey ARC (Aquatic and Recreation Centre). This precinct is currently being considered for a $300 million redevelopment by the Casey Council.