Koo Wee Rup () is a town and satellite suburb in
Victoria,
Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...
, 63 km south-east of
Melbourne
Melbourne ( , ; Boonwurrung language, Boonwurrung/ or ) is the List of Australian capital cities, capital and List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city of the States and territories of Australia, Australian state of Victori ...
's
central business district
A central business district (CBD) is the Commerce, commercial and business center of a city. It contains commercial space and offices, and in larger cities will often be described as a financial district. Geographically, it often coincides wit ...
and located within the
Shire of Cardinia local government area
A local government area (LGA) is an administrative division of a country that a local government is responsible for. The size of an LGA varies by country but it is generally a subdivision of a federated state, state, province, division (politica ...
. Originally marshland, the area has since been transformed into productive
market garden
A market garden is the relatively small-scale production of fruits, vegetables and flowers as cash crops, frequently sold directly to consumers and restaurants. The diversity of crops grown on a small area of land, typically from under to s ...
s. According to the
2021 census,
Koo Wee Rup had a population of 4,047.
Before December 1994, the suburb was part of the
Shire of Cranbourne. The local post office commenced operations on 7January 1891.
In the early 1950s, the town saw an influx of Dutch and Italian families. Prior to European settlement, the
Bunurong
The Boonwurrung, also spelt Bunurong or Bun wurrung, are an Aboriginal people of the Kulin nation, who are the traditional owners of the land from the Werribee River to Wilsons Promontory in the Australian state of Victoria. Their territory ...
Aboriginal people inhabited the region. The town's name is derived from their language, with "Ku-wirup" believed to mean "plenty of blackfish" or "blackfish swimming".
Koo Wee Rup is Australia's largest growing district and is also known for beef farming and potato cultivation. The town previously hosted an annual potato festival each March to raise funds for the Westernport Memorial Hospital, now known as Kooweerup Regional Health Service.
Local educational institutions include Koo Wee Rup Primary School, St John the Baptist Primary School, and Koo Wee Rup Secondary College. The town also has an
Australian rules football
Australian football, also called Australian rules football or Aussie rules, or more simply football or footy, is a contact sport played between two teams of 18 players on an Australian rules football playing field, oval field, often a modified ...
team competing in the West Gippsland Football League.
A lesser-known historical fact about Koo Wee Rup is that in 1921–1922, the Amalgamated Wireless Limited company established an experimental radio receiving station in the area. This facility was capable of receiving transmissions directly from Europe without the need for relay stations in other countries, marking a significant advancement in international communication.
Transport
Koo Wee Rup railway station was formerly situated on the
South Gippsland railway line
The South Gippsland railway line is a partially closed railway line in Victoria (Australia), Victoria, Australia. It was first opened in 1892, branching from the Orbost railway line, Orbost line at Dandenong railway station, Dandenong, and exte ...
that operated as far as a terminus at
Yarram in the 1970s, and was cut back to
Leongatha in the early 1980s. A
V/Line
V/Line is a statutory authority that operates Regional rail, regional passenger rail and Intercity bus service, coach services in the Australian state of Victoria (state), Victoria. It provides passenger train services on five Commuter rail, ...
road coach service replaced the rail passenger service to Leongatha on 24 July 1993, running between Melbourne and Yarram. However, since the closure of the South Gippsland rail line by the
Kennett state government on 14 December 1994, the South and West Gippsland Transport Group, represented by the local council, have campaigned for the rail service to be reinstated beyond its current terminus at
Cranbourne by the 2020s, which had been promised by the
Bracks government on its election in 1999.
Ventura Bus Lines operates a bus service from Koo Wee Rup to
Pakenham on behalf of
Public Transport Victoria
Public Transport Victoria (PTV) is the brand name for public transport in the Australian state of Victoria. It was previously the trading name of the Public Transport Development Authority (PTDA), a now-defunct statutory authority in Victo ...
.
Proposed airport
In 2017, Koo Wee Rup was announced as the proposed site for a third Melbourne airport. The
Shire of Cardinia claimed it has been kept in the dark about an investment company's plan to build a $7 billion south-east airport; however, they urged the state government to find a location for an airport in the area.
See also
*
City of Cranbourne – Koo Wee Rup was previously within this former local government area.
References
External links
Koo-wee-rup(''
SMH'' Travel)
1920 - South Gippsland Shire FA Premiers: Koo Wee Pup FC team photo
{{DEFAULTSORT:Koo Wee Rup, Victoria
Towns in Victoria (state)
Shire of Cardinia