Point Cook, Victoria

Point Cook Melbourne, Victoria
Main Street Point Cook
Point Cook
Coordinates	37°54′32″S 144°45′07″E / 37.909°S 144.752°E / -37.909; 144.752Coordinates: 37°54′32″S 144°45′07″E / 37.909°S 144.752°E / -37.909; 144.752
Population	47,200 (2015)
• Density	5,080/km2 (13,140/sq mi)
Postcode(s)	3030
Area	9.3 km2 (3.6 sq mi)
Location	25 km (16 mi) from Melbourne
LGA(s)	City of Wyndham
State electorate(s)	Altona
Federal Division(s)	Lalor
Suburbs around Point Cook: Hoppers Crossing Williams Landing Seabrook Werribee Point Cook Port Phillip Werribee South Port Phillip Port Phillip

Point Cook is the home of RAAF Base Williams, Point Cook, the birthplace of the Royal Australian Air Force, and is the current home of the RAAF Museum. The wetlands of the Point Cook Coastal Park form part of the Cheetham and Altona Important Bird Area.

The population of Point Cook has been growing rapidly since 2001 when the population was 1,737. As of June 2015, Point Cook's population was 47,200 after growing by 7.2% or 3,200 people in the previous 12 months. This placed Point Cook as the 4th largest population growth area in Australia in the 2015 financial year.

Point Cook was originally spelled Point Cooke, and named in 1836. Almost all references dropped the "e"; however, in the early 2000s the point itself was officially renamed "Point Cooke". Point Cook was named after John M. Cooke, mate of His Majesty's vessel Rattlesnake. Commanded by Captain Hobson, the ship charted part of the Port Phillip bay in 1836.

William Drayton Taylor leased the land around Point Cook promontory in 1849. The following year in 1850 Taylor transferred his licence to Alexander Irvine. By March 1852, a six-room weatherboard cottage had been erected.

In 1853 the pastoralist Thomas Chirnside added the farmlands of Point Cook to his holdings. He built the famous Point Cook Homestead of twenty-five rooms in 1857. Initially Point Cook was an important segment of the expanding pastoral empire established by Thomas and his brother Andrew. As their extensive land holdings were developed substantial homesteads were later constructed at Werribee Park, Carranballac, Mount Williams and Curnong.

Due to the Chirnside brothers' deep interest in hunting, deer and foxes were introduced to Point Cook in the 1850s. As early as 1859 members of the Melbourne Hunt Club and the Geelong & District Hunt Club were invited to hunt at Point Cook. In the early 1860s Thomas Chirnside imported valuable horses for the breeding at Point Cook. The property was said to have three racetracks. The Chirnsides became one of Victoria's prominent pastoral families, entertaining the colonial gentry and organising sporting functions for their guests at Point Cook.

In 1873 the Chirnside brothers began construction of the elaborate mansion at Werribee Park. By 1877 the Werribee Park Mansion had been completed and it largely displaced the Point Cook Homestead as their families' focus.

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Wikipedia