Hoppers Crossing, Victoria

History

Until 1963, Hoppers Crossing's only notable feature was a general store. In 1963 the town started to take shape, with the first subdivision of residential land. Hoppers Crossing grew rapidly and consistently into the 1970s, and the Post Office opened on 2 June 1975. Hoppers Crossing's first shopping centre, Woodville Park, was built and in 1970, the area's first primary school, Mossfiel Primary School, had its first student intake.

Retail

In 1983, Hoppers Crossing Shopping Centre opened. It includes a Target store, a Safeway Supermarket and 10 other stores.

Werribee Plaza opened in 1985. It was modernised between 2000 and 2006. Several significant redesigns and extensions have been built. It now includes retailers such as Myer, Woolworths, Big W, Kmart, Coles, JB Hi-Fi, Adairs, a Village Cinemas complex, Best & Less and many more. The Victorian State Government announced plans of a $300 million upgrade, which will more than double the plaza's retail space. Once completed, the plaza will be slightly smaller than Highpoint, the biggest shopping centre in Melbourne's West.

A smaller shopping centre, Hogans Corner, was established in 1997-1998.

Another shopping centre, Wyndham Village, was built on the corner of Sayers Road and Morris Road in 2005. It is on the Tarneit side of the border between Hoppers Crossing and Tarneit.

There are also a large variety of warehouse and clearance sale shops on Old Geelong Road such as furniture, automotive and hardware stores.

Parks

There several parks including playgrounds and recreational areas generally 2-4 blocks of land in residential streets. Recreation reserves mostly exist along what once was a river or stream, although now serve as drainage reserves and the local Skeleton Creek.

Fauna and flora

Until recently Skeleton Creek had healthy populations of native reptiles, including;

Tiger snake

Eastern Blue-tongued Lizard

Eastern brown snake

Striped skink

Stump-tailed skink

Brush tail possum

Due to development some species are now depleting in the area. However the tiger snake and the eastern brown snake have been seen around the area recently.

State schools and colleges

Primary schools

Bellbridge Primary School

Baden Powell College

- Derrimut Heath Campus - Tarneit P-9 Campus

The Grange P-12 College

- Callistemon Campus

Mossfiel Primary School

Woodville Primary School

Camebridge Primary School

Secondary colleges

Hoppers Crossing Secondary College

The Grange P-12 College's Deloraine Campus

Suzanne Cory High School is a select entry school.

Catholic schools and colleges

Primary Schools

St Peter Apostle

St James the Apostle Primary School

Other religious and grammar colleges

Heathdale Christian College (Prep to Year 12)

Westbourne Grammar School

- Westbourne Campus (Prep to Year 12), in nearby Truganina.

Universities

Victoria University and TAFE.

- Werribee Campus

In 2006 the principal of Derrimut Heath Primary School (Now Baden Powell College), Julie Mason, was chosen as the "Wyndham Citizen of the Year" for her key role in the development of the Wyndham Community Education Plan 2004-2007 and serving as chair of the Quality Community Plan Education Committee.

Transport

Hoppers Crossing is served by the Hoppers Crossing railway station, located to the south of the suburb, on the Werribee line. The station opened in 1970 as a small station on the Geelong line, and was only served by a few diesel trains each day. In 1983 the station was relocated in conjunction with electrification of the Geelong line as far as Werribee. It was not until the mid-1990s that Hoppers Crossing started to receive train services comparable with the rest of suburban Melbourne.

In the mid-2000s a tramway was proposed for the Hoppers Crossing - Werribee area to replace bus services, but the idea was not seen as feasible by the Wyndham City Council and Victorian State Government.

Bus services in Hoppers Crossing have typically connected areas close to the station with the station, Werribee Plaza, and Werribee. As Hoppers' satellite suburbs Tarneit and Truganina grow, bus services have also been extended. Hoppers is served by various buses.

Other major roads include the Princes Highway (C109), Heaths Road (C701), Derrimut Road (C702), Hogans Road, Morris Road, Tarneit Road and Sayers Road.

Sports

Hoppers Crossing has many gyms and sports grounds. There are facilities for tennis, soccer, Australian rules football, basketball, netball and more. In 2004, the Federation Trail was opened, which links Werribee with Brooklyn, and soon Yarraville.

A new soccer complex was built at The Grange for the Hoppers Crossing Soccer Club. They previously played at Mossfiel Reserve, which is now a rugby football field. Founded in 1971, the 'Reds' have won 5 senior championships (1999, 2001, 2012, 2014, & 2015) and will compete in the Football Federation Victoria State League 2 Nth/West division in 2017. One of the most popular clubs in the region, Hoppers Crossing SC currently field 20 teams across junior, senior and masters age groups.

The Hoppers Crossing Football Club, nicknamed the 'Warriors', play at Hogans Road Reserve. The currently compete in the Western Region Football League first division, where they won senior premierships in 2002 and 2004. The Warriors are one of the biggest clubs in the league, boasting numerous junior sides as well seniors and reserves.

Hoppers Crossing Cricket Club, known as the 'Cats' was formed in 1977 and its first team was entered into the "B turf" section of the Sunshine Cricket Association in season 1977/78. The result in the club's first season was runners-up.

Hoppers Crossing is the home of Australian Olympic Gold Medalist Russell Mark and his wife Lauryn, a triple Commonwealth Games Gold Medalist.