The City of Western Port - the name that never became

Cranbourne local government began as the Cranbourne Road District in 1860 and then became Cranbourne Shire in 1868.  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/City_of_Cranbourne

The original Cranbourne Shire Offices, on the corner of High and Sladen Streets

In 1994, Cranbourne Shire was moving towards gaining City status and as part of the process, a new name was being explored.

The first indication of the preferred name was reported in various newspaper articles, including in the Berwick Journal 12 October 1992.  In the article “Cranbourne to become a city” it was announced that the Shire of Cranbourne was to become a City on it’s 125^th anniversary in 1993. 

The name chosen for the new City Council was the City of Western Port. Cranbourne Shire Chief Executive Officer – Terry Vickerman - was reported as saying that the name was chosen to “….reflect the geographic location of the municipality rather than the present name which focused on one major town.”

In that same article, Mr Vickerman said “Council also seeks the views of surrounding councils, particularly in relating to the choice of name because neighbouring councils also have an affinity with Western Port.  Indeed some, like Cranbourne, have an actual frontage to Western Port.”

The support of Berwick Council to the new name was reported in that same article, as Council having “no objection" to the Shire of Cranbourne being named City of Western Port.

But this was no happily ever after.

In Berwick Journal of 19 October 1992, in the article “Dandenong unhappy with name choice”.
“Dandenong does not favour the name Western Port being used by Cranbourne Shire…….  Dandenong said that while it did not wish to interfere with what was a local issue, the name Western Port was already used to describe the region.”

In that same edition, in the article “Name change would be a ‘slap in the face’.”  Springvale Councillor Graeme Duggan was quoted as saying “The term Western Port refers to the whole region and I fear a name change would mean it would refer only to Cranbourne in future.  Cranbourne is a name residents should be proud of as it indicates a municipality that has a long history.”  Springvale Council was reported as having opposed the change.”

In the Cranbourne Independent of 11^th November 1992 article “It’s a no go for Western Port”, it was reported that Flinders Council and the Shires of Bass and Hastings also objected to the proposed name change.  Hastings Council reported that they had “previously considered changing its own name to Western Port” and that it felt “other councils which bordered the Western Port foreshore would see the move as “un-neighbourly.”

The protests were taken on board by the Shire of Cranbourne, as the decision was made to retain the Cranbourne name.  In the booklet released for the Proclamation of the City of Cranbourne, it was reported that Cranbourne Shire did celebrate its 125^th anniversary, but instead of with a name change, it celebrate by having an official opening of the Municipal Offices by the then Premier Jeff Kennett, on 24 February 1993.

Postcard released to celebrate the Shire of Cranbourne's 150th anniversary

Instead, the City of Cranbourne was officially proclaimed at the still relatively new Council Offices, by the then Governor of Victoria Sir Richard McGarvie, on Friday 22^nd April 1994.

City of Cranbourne logo

 

City of Cranbourne Coat of Arms

       

The City of Cranbourne had no time to settle in however, as on 15 December 1994, it was abolished and split into six portions, the largest part of which was merged with the City of Berwick to become the City of Casey.

Michelle McLean

For more of the history of the Shire of Cranbourne, please visit “Cranbourne Shire Sesquicentenary”.

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City of Cranbourne logo

The City of  Cranbourne must take the prize for the shortest-lived local government body in Australia - it lasted 237 days. It was created on April 22, 1994 and  ceased to exist on December 15, 1994 at 4.00 pm when it was essentially split between the newly created City of Casey, the Cardinia Shire and the City of Frankston.  Of course,  the area had a long history under other names - the Shire of Cranbourne and the Cranbourne Road Board - you can read about that here on my Cranbourne Local Government timeline - http://caseycardinialinkstoourpast.blogspot.com.au/2018/02/cranbourne-shire-sesquicentenary.html

I have wondered why the City of Cranbourne was created in April 1994 given that the Kennett Government was already well into their review of local government (or destruction of local government whatever your viewpoint of Council reform was or is ) by that time and some change had already taken place (e.g. Flemington had been excised from the City of Melbourne and added to the then City of Essendon in 1993) however that's all history now.

To keep the memory of the short-lived City of Cranbourne alive, here is the City of Cranbourne logo and signage instructions and protocols. Click on the images to enlarge them.

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Shire of Cranbourne Offices

In the last post we looked at the Shire of Cranbourne 1875 Municipal Offices. With a number of extensions these Offices served their purpose for nearly one hundred years, however an increasing population led to a demand for increased Council services which led to increased staff - so by the early1970s the original buildings were no longer adequate. In July 1974 it was decided to not only retain the 1875 building but to build new Council Offices, further along Sladen Street. Plans were drawn up by the Architectural firm of Leith Barrett & Partners and the tender of H.C.F Constructions was accepted at the July 9, 1976 Council Meeting to construct the 2874 square metre building at a cost of $1,377, 238.00. With landscaping, fit-out and furnishings the total cost was about $1.86 million.




The Foundation Stone was laid by the Shire President, Cr Ern Marriott on November 26, 1976. Cr Marriott is pictured above (left) with Mr H. Sleigh of H.C.F Constructions. Council staff began working at the new building on January 16, 1978 and the first Council meeting was held on February 24, 1978. It was officially opened by the Governor of Victoria, Sir Henry Winneke on April 22, 1978. The foundation stone picture comes from the commemorative booklet produced for the official opening.

Above and below - views of the building.

With Local Government Reforms in 1994, the Shire of Cranbourne and its successor, the short lived City of Cranbourne (which was proclaimed on April 22, 1994) was no more - part of it went to the new City of Casey and the other part to the new Cardinia Shire (both came into being on December 15, 1994). The building was no longer used for Council purposes and is now occupied by Cranbourne Community Health Services.

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Shire of Cranbourne and the Shire of Berwick

In the last post I looked at the development of the Local Road Boards and this post continues the story of Local Government in the region. The Road Boards became Shires, in the case of Cranbourne on February 24th, 1868 and on May 12th 1868 for the Shire of Berwick. In 1868 Shire of Cranbourne covered the area which now includes the towns of Bayles, Caldermeade, Cardinia, Carrum Downs, Clyde, Cranbourne, Dalmore, Hampton Park, Koo-Wee-Rup, Langwarrin, Lyndhurst, Pearcedale, and Tooradin, and Warneet. The area around Lang Lang was added to Cranbourne in 1872. In 1893,  Heath Hill, Lang Lang East, Yannathan and the area that was to become Catani in the 1920s  were annexed to the Shire of Cranbourne, from the Shire of Buln Buln. The first Shire President was James Lecky and early meetings took place in the Cranbourne Inn, until the Shire Offices, Post Office and Court House were built in Sladen Street 1875. On April 22nd, 1994 the Shire of Cranbourne changed its name to the City of Cranbourne.

Cranbourne Shire Councillors  from 1909

The Shire of Berwick extended from Dandenong Creek to Bunyip and also took in the hill towns of Beaconsfield Upper, Pakenham Upper and Gembrook, Garfield North and Tonimbuk. South of the Railway line it covered the Swamp towns of Cora Lynn, Vervale and Iona. The Scoresby Ward of the Shire of Berwick, including Clematis, Emerald and Avonsleigh was severed from Berwick and was annexed to the Shire of Fern Tree Gully in 1889. The first Shire President of the Shire of Berwick was James Wilson. The Berwick Road Board met in the Border Hotel (Berwick Inn) , until new premised were built in High Street in 1865. The Shire of Berwick used these premises until 1902, when the Council moved to the Pakenham Mechanics’ Institute. New Shire offices were built in 1912, on the corner of Main Street and John Street in Pakenham. The City of Berwick and the Shire of Pakeham were formed on October 1st, 1973 when the Shire of Berwick split , with the Cardinia Creek being the boundary.

 

 Berwick Shire Councillors, probably from the 1890s.

1994 was the year of reform for Local government in Victoria. The Kennett Government reviewed all Local Councils in Victoria. The City of Casey was created from the western section of the City of Cranbourne and the entire City of Berwick. The Cardinia Shire was created from the Swamp towns of the City of Cranbourne and the Shire of Pakenham. Emerald, Clematis and Avonsleigh were annexed from the Shire of Sherbrooke and added to the Cardinia Shire. Langwarrin and Carrum Downs went to the City of Frankston. The City of Casey and the Cardinia Shire officially came into being on the December 15th, 1994 at 4.00pm.

This photograph shows the opening of the Shire of Berwick Offices, on the corner of Main Street and John Street in Pakenham, in 1912. The building has now been re-located to the intersection of Main Street, McGregor Road and the Princes Highway and is the headquarters of the Berwick Pakenham Historical Society

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