Koo Wee Rup, Victoria
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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 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 gardens. 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 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 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 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