Patterson Lakes, Victoria

Early history

After the melting of the last great ice age, sea levels were 1–2 metres higher than today. When sea levels subsided to their current levels, fresh water from the Dandenong Ranges flowed into low-lying regions. Carrum Carrum Swamp, an extensive wetlands ecosystem was created, an area encompassing some 5000 hectares from Mordialloc to Frankston and inland towards Dandenong.

Prior to European discovery, Patterson Lakes was populated by Indigenous Australians known as the Kulin people. Inhabitants in the area were from the Bunurong language group, of the Mayone-Bulluk clan. Both the Mayone-Bulluk and Ngaruk-Willam clans would meet in the area of Dandenong often to hold ceremonies and trade. These gatherings were often attended by guests from other Bunurong clans or from neighbouring tribes, such as the Wathaurung and the Wurundjeri clans from the Woiwurong. As with most indigenous people of the world, Mayone-Bulluk cultural, ceremonial and spiritual life was dictated by the seasonal availability of natural resources. Through thousands of years of observation Bunurong People were able to predict the availability of their seasonal resources by certain changes in plant growth and animal behaviour.

Europeans first set foot in nearby Frankston as early as 1803, thirty-two years before the founding of Melbourne (the first major European settlement in the then Port Phillip District). A commemorative plaque near the mouth of Kananook Creek marks the location of where Charles Grimes and his party went ashore searching for fresh water, and met with approximately 30 local inhabitants.

The foundation of Patterson Lakes

Early development was hampered by poor soils, distance from the Melbourne city centre, and the existence of a major swamp occupying much of the area between Mordialloc and Seaford.

In 1866 the Carrum Carrum Swamp was surveyed and the land between Mordialloc Creek and Keast Park in Seaford was divided into 18 allotments and sold by auction for around three pounds per acre. In 1871 the government opened it for selection. The swamp was an impediment to the settlers and there was much discussion on how to reclaim the land, the first contracts for drainage works commenced in 1873. Attempts to reclaim the lower swamplands were ineffective. In 1876 it was decided to cut a 10 metre wide channel to Port Phillip Bay. It was to be known as ‘Patterson Cut’ and had been named after a State Parliamentarian - the Hon. J.B. Patterson. In 1876 the area that is now occupied by Patterson Lakes was owned by Len Woodward, who used the area for holding pastures for livestock. In the early 1970s some 200 acres of this area was subdivided into Melbourne's first subdivision around artificial lakes. Other occupants of the area were the Priestly family who had landholdings either side of the Patterson River and ran a marina just east of what is now Pier One Drive. The Fitzgerald family ran a horse riding centre on the north-east corner of Thompsons Road and Old Wells Road on land that is now owned by Melbourne Water. The Walker family also owned some of the southern most land bordering Eel Race Creek at one stage.

The suburb of Patterson Lakes was to be located in Carrum on what was originally part of the Carrum Carrum Swamp. The Carrum Carrum Swamp was drained in 1879 when the Patterson Cut, and other drainage measures were undertaken to prevent flooding of the Eumemmering Creek, which overflowed into the Carrum Carrum Swamp. The mouth of the Patterson Cut was mostly only open during the Winter months, so heavy Spring and Summer rains often caused flooding to properties on the edge of the swamp area. Flood damage as far north as Edithvale often occurred. The only remnants of the Carrum Carrum Swamp now form the Edithvale-Seaford Wetlands (a Ramsar Wetland of International Importance.)

The Carrum Cowboys

The Carrum Cowboys were a group of teenagers, who rode their horses around Carrum and the surrounding areas in the late 1950s and 1960s. The name was a tag given to the group by the local police. The Cowboys rode on footpaths and were often riding too fast at the beach, which would lead to a number of complaints from local residents. On several occasions members of the Cowboys were pursued by police, which led to court action and fines being imposed. The local AFL team of Patterson Lakes and Carrum is called the Carrum Cowboys.

The development of Patterson Lakes

The decision to go ahead with what was originally going to be called Gladesville took place in 1973. The development of residential areas adjacent to canals and waterways had been carried out successfully in many places. No-one had attempted to do this in Victoria unlike in other states. When Donald Cameron looked closely at the land adjoining the Patterson River, he saw the possibility of a development. If it proved to be feasible and practicable, it would give home owners access to Port Phillip from their "back door". A large part of the area to the east of Carrum had flooded in the 1930s and 1950s, but to the engineers investigating the land, the important issues were why this occurred and how it could be prevented from occurring again. A common misconception was that the area was all swamp and mud. Extensive drilling found that only a surface layer of peat-like material was unsuitable. Underneath this layer was fine dense sand. The engineers realised that once the unsuitable material was removed (and used to strengthen levee banks and create landscaped areas and reserves) they would then be able to excavate to form lakes and canals, and use the excavated sand in forming residential sites. By using this fine, dense, carefully compacted sand, all the proposed residential sites would be brought to a level above that required by the authorities. The first soil was turned in 1974 in the north-east corner of Patterson Lakes around Iluka Island (Lake Legana.) Originally the plans were to build high rise towers of up to 15 stories in height. Patterson Lakes was rezoned from rural to residential. Central sites were planned for a shopping centre and for a marina which would have a second access to the river via flood gates. Sites for housing and apartments overlooking the marina and the river were identified. Sites for a primary school and for community facilities were also incorporated into the overall plan. Also the project was "different", in that more than a hundred non-lake, residential sites were created to further the concept of a new community having a mix of socio-economic groups.

Other history

Facilities

Patterson Lakes is serviced by the following shopping complexes: Lakeview Shopping Centre, Harbour Plaza Shopping Town & Medical Centre, Gladesville Shopping Centre and The Glade.

Sports and hobby facilities

Other facilities

Education

Patterson Lakes is serviced by a government primary school, Patterson Lakes Primary School, which operates within Patterson Lakes and a government secondary school, Patterson River Secondary College, which operates from Seaford on the southern boundary of Patterson Lakes. The closest private secondary school to Patterson Lakes is the Cornish College in Bangholme and Haileybury in Keysborough.

Transport

Patterson Lakes is serviced by the Carrum Railway Station on the Frankston Line operated by Metro Trains Melbourne.

Access to the area by road is from the Nepean Highway, EastLink, Mornington Peninsula Freeway and Peninsula Link. Patterson Lakes has freeways at its door-step with a travel time to the CBD of 30–35 minutes. Patterson Lakes is accessible by a number of Metlink bus routes servicing the area, which includes the 857 and 708.

Fame

The filming at Kath Day-Knight and Kel Knight's "townhouse" (in the fictional suburb of Fountain Lakes), in the Australian comedy television series Kath & Kim, is shot in Patterson Lakes in Lagoon Place. Kath & Kimderella was also filmed at the same location as the original Day-Knight house of the TV series.

Former Prime Minister of Australia John Howard has visited Patterson Lakes Primary School to speak on their radio station, as have Bert Newton, the hosts of former radio show Get This, Tony Martin and Ed Kavalee. Patterson Lakes is also home to NBA player Andrew Bogut and his family, who own a double-storey property on the Tidal Canal.

State Politics

Since the state election on 29 November 2014, the suburb of Patterson Lakes has been represented, as part of the District of Carrum in Victoria's Legislative Assembly, by the Labor MP Sonya Kilkenny. The current MLC's for the South Eastern Metropolitan Region include; Gavin Jennings (ALP), Gordon Rich-Phillips (LIB), Adem Somyurek (ALP), Inga Peulich (LIB) and Nina Springle (AG).

Members for Carrum:

MLC's for South Eastern Metropolitan Region

Regions

Lake Carramar, Lake Illawong and Lake Legana are collectively known as the Quiet Lakes region. The canal system that runs through most of Patterson Lakes is known as the Tidal Canal. Landmarks inside the Tidal Canal include Clipper Island, Mariners Island, Staten Island, Rhode Island, Barellen Harbours and Schooner Bay.

Other landmarks of Patterson Lakes include Wannarkladdin Wetlands, Patterson River and Eel Race Drain (later becomes Kananook Creek.) Patterson Lakes Marina has facilities at the Town Centre (Inner Harbour), Runaway Bay (Middle Harbour) and Whaler's Cove (Western Harbour.) Patterson River is managed by Parks Victoria. The Tidal Canal system and the Quiet Lakes are managed by P.L.A.C (Patterson Lakes Advisory Committee) and Melbourne Water.

Climate

Patterson Lakes has a temperate climate similar to that of Melbourne, however it is usually 2 °C cooler than the Melbourne CBD. In many cases, Patterson Lakes is one of the first areas of the greater Melbourne area to feel the effect of the cool change weather effect that occurs during the Summer season.

Walking & cycling trails

Parks

Flora

Indigenous floral species include the silver wattle, lightwood, blackwood, black she-oak, river red gum, spike wattle, hedge wattle, scrub she-oak, jagged fireweed, silver top wallaby grass, Australian salt grass and the blue tussock grass. Non-indigenous floral species include the sheep's burr, angled onion, lesser joyweed, broom spurge, common swamp wallaby grass, pointed centrolepis, common spikerush and small spikerush.

Fauna

Reptile species found in Patterson Lakes include the Bougainville's skink, grass skink, tree dragon, copperhead snake and tiger snake. Aquatic species include the striped marsh frog, water rat, platypus, bream, flathead, tupong, Australian salmon, leatherjacket, yelloweye mullet, silver trevally, black crab, spider crab, eel, bass yabbies, mussels and pippies. Bird species include the nankeen (rufous) night heron, white-faced heron, chestnut teal, straw-necked ibis, pacific black duck, pacific gull, silver gull, magpie-lark, Australian pelican, little pied cormmorant, royal spoonbill, masked lapwing, whiskered (marsh) tern and the caspian tern.

Fishing

The Patterson River abounds with fish. Considered that there have been several reports of illegal fishing over the last few years, the fish always seem to fight back in this popular waterway. A number of charter companies operate from Patterson River. Bream and a few other varieties of fish can be sourced from the Tidal Canal and Patterson River systems.