Pakenham, Victoria

Infobox Australian Place | type = suburb
name = Pakenham
state = vic


caption = Main Street, Pakenham
lga = Shire of Cardinia
postcode = 3810
pop = 19,644 (2006) Census 2006 AUS|id=SSC26409|name = Pakenham (State Suburb)|accessdate=2007-09-15|quick=on]
est =
elevation= 101
maxtemp =
mintemp =
rainfall =
stategov = Mainly Bass, some parts in Gembrook
fedgov = McMillan
dist1 = 59
location1= Melbourne
dist2 = 14
location2= Berwick
near-nw = Beaconsfield Upper
near-n = Pakenham Upper
near-ne = Nar Nar Goon North
near-w = Officer
near-e = Nar Nar Goon
near-sw = Officer South
near-s = Pakenham South and Koo Wee Rup
near-se = Koo Wee Rup

Pakenham is an outer satellite suburb 56 km south-east of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, currently growing rapidly and in the process of becoming a suburb of Melbourne. New housing estates are boosting its population, estimated in 2005 to be 19000, with the property company Delfin responsible for the most prominent estate, Lakeside.Pakenham is the seat of Local Government for the Shire of Cardinia.

History

Pakenham was named after Sir Edward Pakenham, a British general who fought in the Peninsular War. Pakenham Post Office opened on 1 February 1859; Pakenham Railway Station Post Office opened on 11 June 1888 and was renamed Pakenham East in 1908. In 1971 Pakenham East was renamed Pakenham and Pakenham became Pakenham West.Citation
last = Premier Postal History | title = Post Office List | url = https://www.premierpostal.com/cgi-bin/wsProd.sh/Viewpocdwrapper.p?SortBy=VIC&country= | accessdate = 2008-04-11 ]

Transport

Pakenham is on the main railway line between Melbourne and Gippsland, and its railway station marks the end of the suburban electrified service.

A second proposed railway station is to be constructed in Pakenham. Possible names for the new railway station are Lakeside railway station and Cardinia Road railway station. Selection of either name is unconfirmed and pending a state government decision. It is to be noted that Lakeside railway station is also the name given to a railway station on the Puffing Billy heritage railway although it is not within the Melbourne metropolitan commuter railway network.

Pakenham is also on the Princes Highway, being the largest town between Geelong and Traralgon. The completion of the Pakenham bypass now provides road traffic between Melbourne and Gippsland travelling along the Princes Freeway with the ability to bypass the town of Pakenham which will alleviate traffic within Pakenham due to rapid population growth in the Shire of Cardinia as well as shortening the time which it takes to commute to and from Nar Nar Goon and beyond. [ [http://media-newswire.com/release_1058271.html Media-Newswire.com - Press Release Distribution - PR Agency ] ] The main north-south roads through Pakenham take one north to Healesville and south to Koo Wee Rup.

Facilities

Pakenham has a horse racing track, a sports centre and aquatic centre, and a civic centre.

The town has an Australian Rules football team competing in the Mornington Peninsula Nepean Football League.

Public schools include Pakenham Consolidated Primary School, Pakenham Hills Primary School, Pakenham Springs Primary School and Pakenham Secondary College. A new primary school will open at Lakeside Estate in 2009.The only Catholic school is St Patrick's Catholic Primary.Private schools include Beaconhills College (Valley Campus), Chairo Christian School (Pakenham Campus) and Lakeside Lutheran College.

Pakenham also has a community centre which is run by the Salvation Army and a vocational provider LLINC (Living and Learning Incorporated).

References

External links

* [http://www.starnewsgroup.com.au/gazette/pakenham Local Newspaper The Pakenham Gazette]
* [http://www.lakesidepakenham.com.au/ Lakeside Pakenham Estate]