Casey Cardinia Libraries - a brief history

Casey Cardinia Libraries will be disbanded by the end of 2022.  This does not mean that the libraries will be closing, but the way in which they will be managed will change.  The entity known as Casey Cardinia Library Corporation (more commonly known as Casey Cardinia Libraries), which has managed the libraries on behalf of the City of Casey and Cardinia Shire, will be wound up and the management move to new entities.

 

So how did Casey Cardinia Libraries start?  Cast your mind back to the 1990s and in particular 1994. 

 

From Wikipedia: 

In 1992, there were 65 cities in Victoria. In 1994, the Jeff Kennett government restructured local government in Victoria. His reforms dissolved 210 councils and sacked 1600 elected councillors, and created 78 new councils through amalgamations.[13][14] In suburban Melbourne 53 municipalities were reduced to 26. The new local government areas (LGAs) were headed by commissioners appointed by the State Government, democratically elected councils returned in 1996.[15] The 79th LGA was created in 2002 when the Shire of Delatite was split into the Rural City of Benalla and the Shire of Mansfield.[13 

 

How did this impact the libraries?  

Until amalgamations, the libraries in our area were part of Dandenong Valley Regional Library Service, which was incorporated in 1971.  DVRLS comprised the Cities of Berwick, Cranbourne, Dandenong, Springvale and Pakenham Shire.  DVRLS’ branches were Cranbourne and Cranbourne Mobile (City of Cranbourne), Doveton, Endeavour Hills and Narre Warren (City of Berwick), Dandenong (City of Dandenong), Pakenham and Pakenham Mobile (Pakenham Shire), and Springvale and Carrum Downs (City of Springvale). 

 

The Council amalgamation process resulted in the following changes locally:  

• City of Casey – most of the City of Berwick and parts of the Cities of Cranbourne and Knox, with parts were annexed by the new Cardinia Shire.  This gave Casey the libraries at Cranbourne, Doveton, Endeavour Hills and Narre Warren and a reduced timetable for their Cranbourne Mobile Library. 

• City of Greater Dandenong – Cities of Dandenong and Springvale (with parts lost to Frankston and Kingston).  Carrum Downs Library then became part of Frankston Libraries and Greater Dandenong had their two large libraries at Dandenong and Springvale. 

• Cardinia Shire – Shire of Pakenham, with parts of the Shire of Sherbrooke and the City of Cranbourne.  This gave the Shire the Pakenham Library and increased locations for their mobile library.   

Information Paper: Victorian Local Government Amalgamations 1994-95 : Changes to the Australian Standard Geographical Classification.  Australian Bureau of Statistics, 1 August 1995. https://www.ausstats.abs.gov.au/ausstats/free.nsf/0/76E601D6DB55E88ACA25722500049195/$File/12570_1994-95.pdf 

 

All these changes also resulted in a requirement to review existing library agreements.  The previous Regional Library agreement had been signed by 5 Councils, none of which still existed, so a new agreement needed to be reached. 

 

Initial discussions were begun between Dandenong Valley Regional Library Services and the Cities of Casey and Dandenong and Cardinia Shire, to determine the future direction for each Council’s libraries. 

 

Fairly quickly into the discussion, the City of Greater Dandenong indicated that they would not be entering into a new regional agreement (July 1996).  The discussion then moved to the intentions of the City of Casey and Cardinia Shire.   

 

As you can guess, the City of Casey and Cardinia Shire agreed to form a new Regional Library Service.  The new organisation, which was to be called Casey Cardinia Library Corporation, was incorporated under the Local Government Act 1989 (Victoria) and officially came into being on 1st October 1996, less than one week after the 25th anniversary of Dandenong Valley Regional Library Service.  

 

The staff from Dandenong Valley Regional Library Service were retained and aligned on Council lines (between Greater Dandenong and Casey/Cardinia) and the headquarters team moved entirely to Cranbourne (from its original location opposite Springvale Library), to continue as the backbone of the new regional service and its libraries. 

 

 

The new library quickly established its own identity, with new branding, which has been refreshed once in its 25 years. 

 

Since the 1st October 1996: 

• Cranbourne Mobile Library ceased
  
• Cranbourne Library has moved to a different site and been extended there once 
• Doveton Library has been extended  
• Emerald Library opened in 2006  
• Endeavour Hills Library has been extended 
• Hampton Park Library opened in 2004 
• Narre Warren Library moved to Bunjil Place in 2017 
• Pakenham Library moved to a temporary building for 18 months, whilst their new library was built as part of the Pakenham Hall redevelopment, opening in 2011
• Cardinia Mobile Library has had two new trailers and numerous new trucks to drive it, the most recent trailer launched in December 2019

 

Whatever the new library services will look like, they will carry the legacy of two regional services - Dandenong Valley and Casey Cardinia - a rich history of which to be proud.

Michelle McLean