The City of Casey will mark 150 years to the day since the Shire of Cranbourne was proclaimed with a free community celebration on Saturday 24 February.
The 150th anniversary event will take place in Greg Clydesdale Square in High Street, Cranbourne from 10am to 12pm.
There will be historic displays, local performers, free activities, a sausage sizzle and more.
City of Casey Mayor Cr Geoff Ablett said the celebration would be an opportunity to commemorate Cranbourne’s history and celebrate its evolution over the past 150 years.
“When the Shire of Cranbourne was declared on 24 February 1868, it serviced a population of about 1,000 people made up of grazing and agricultural land and contained most of the Koo Wee Rup Swamp,” Cr Ablett said.
“It’s a stark difference to the Cranbourne we know today; a large, growing and vibrant suburb home to more than 80,000 residents across Cranbourne North, South, East and West.
“The 150th anniversary celebration is a chance for the community to come together and reflect on Cranbourne’s rich history and early days, and celebrate the community it’s become today.”
Casey Cardinia Libraries Local History Librarian Heather Arnold said it was amazing how the population of Cranbourne had grown so much since 1860 when there was only 115 people.
“I am sure that many of the 60,000 people that live in Cranbourne today have no idea that it was once a country town where the locals all did their shopping in High Street”.
“You can see that on the 1963 aerial how undeveloped the town was but it is very hard to imagine it now,” she said.After the Shire of Cranbourne was created, early meetings took place in the Cranbourne Inn.
The Municipal Offices were built in 1875, which still stand today on the corner of Sladen Street and South Gippsland Highway.
The Shire of Cranbourne became the City of Cranbourne on 22 April, 1994 before part of the municipality was joined with most of the City of Berwick and a small part of the City of Knox, officially becoming the City of Casey on 15 December 1994.
Mayfield Ward Councillors Amanda Stapledon and Gary Rowe encouraged residents to come along and join in the 150th milestone celebrations.
“This event will be a platform for us to recognise those who laid the foundations for this area, acknowledge those who’ve contributed so much to Cranbourne in recent times and just celebrate a momentous occasion in our history,” said Cr Stapledon, who raised the Notice of Motion to call for the 150th celebration.
“As one of the Ward Councillors, I’m so proud of our past and the vibrant, diverse and thriving community that Cranbourne has become and I’m looking forward to celebrating that,” Cr Rowe added.
