Frankston Karrum Karrum (Boonwurrung)
Suburb
Frankston Pier and Central Business District viewed from the base of Olivers Hill in 2015.
Frankston
Interactive map of Frankston
Coordinates:38°8′0″S145°7′0″E / 38.13333°S 145.11667°E /-38.13333; 145.11667
Country	Australia
State	Victoria
City	Melbourne
LGA	Frankston City
Location	54 km (34 mi) south-east ofMelbourne central business district 21 km (13 mi) south-west ofDandenong 11 km (6.8 mi) north-east ofMornington 21 km (13 mi) north-west ofHastings 17 km (11 mi) south-west ofCranbourne
Established	29 May 1854
Government
• State electorate	Frankston
• Federal division	Dunkley
Area
• Total	20.8 km2 (8.0 sq mi)
Elevation	11 m (36 ft)
Population
• Total	37,331 (SAL2021)[2]
Time zone	UTC+10 (AEST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+11 (AEDT)
Postcode	3199
County	Mornington
Suburbs around Frankston Port Phillip Seaford Frankston North Port Phillip Frankston Langwarrin Port Phillip Frankston South Langwarrin South

Frankston (/ˈfræŋkstən/ ^ⓘFRANK-stən) is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Located 54 km (34 mi) south-east of theMelbourne central business district via the Monash Freeway and EastLink, it is in thelocal government area of theCity of Frankston and serves as itsadministrative andactivity centres.^[3]

Positioned on the eastern shoreline ofPort Phillip, Frankston became a popularseaside destination of Melbourne in the 1880s.^[4] Itsbeach continues to be one of the most frequented in Victoria,^[5][6] and is recognised as one of the cleanest in Australia.^[7][8] Due to its proximity to the north of theeponymous wine and tourism region, the suburb is also referred to as the "gateway to theMornington Peninsula".^[9]

Thetraditional custodians of the lands on which Frankston is situated are theBoonwurrung people of theKulin nation, to which it was an important source of fish and meeting place of the Mayone-bulluk clan for around 40,000 years.^[10]Colonisation of the area byEuropeans began at approximately the same time as thefoundation of Melbourne in 1835 and started as an informalfishing outpost supplying the growing settlement.^[4] It was formally established in 1854, when officialland sales for a new village first took place on 29 May,^[4] and has subsequently given its name to its broader local government area since 1893.^[11]

Neighbourhood areas within the suburb are Frankston Central,^[12] Frankston East, Frankston Heights,^[13]Karingal,^[14] Long Island, Mount Erin andOlivers Hill. At the2021 census, Frankston had a population of 37,331.^[15] Itsdemonym isFrankstonian.^[16]

Thetoponymic origins of Frankston are subject to conjecture, and of which there are four popular theories. One of the earliest of these theories (published in theVictorian Historical Magazine in March 1916) is that it was named after one of its earlyEuropeansettlers, Frank Liardet,^[4][17] who also became one of its first officialland owners.^[4][17][18] The Liardets were prominent pioneers of early Melbourne and arrived aboard theWilliam Metcalfe from England in 1839.^[19][20]Liardet's father, Wilbraham, founded what is now the Melbourne inner suburb ofPort Melbourne and the family established and managedhotels around Melbourne as well as the firstmail service of the early township.^[19][20]

Frank Liardet settled in the Frankston area in 1847,^[4][21] after taking out a 300-acredepasturing license for land that is now the Frankston locality ofKaringal.^[22] During this time, Liardet built the first wooden house in the Frankston area—which would later become part of his Ballam Parkestate after the formalland sales of 1854.^[4][21] Prior to settling in the area, Liardet had also worked on thecattle run of the firstPostmaster of thePort Phillip District,^[4]Captain Benjamin Baxter, which was located over what are now theCity of Frankston suburbs ofLangwarrin andLangwarrin South.^[23] By the time Liardet had taken out his depasturing license for the Frankston area in 1847 an unofficialfishing village was also developing around itsforeshore.^[4][24]

Considering Frank Liardet's early presence in the Frankston area, and his connections to the early mail services of Melbourne, it is plausible that "Frank's Town" becamenomenclature for describing the area and its unofficial village. As a consequence it is possible that the name of "Frankston" was further adapted from it when officially naming the village for its formal land sales in 1854.

However, in a letter to the editor ofThe Argus newspaper (published on 30 May 1916) a member of the Liardet family said that this was in fact not true.^[18] In the letter was excerpts of correspondence between the Liardet family and theVictorian state Department of Lands and Survey which refuted the theory.^[18] Instead, it puts forward the theory that Frankston was named after the Irish-born settler Charles Franks; who was the first European to be killed byIndigenous Australians in Melbourne.^[18]

Charles Franks arrived in Melbourne aboard theChampion fromVan Diemen's Land in 1836 and made asquatter's claim to land on the western side ofPort Phillip nearMount Cottrel (northeast of what is now the Melbourne outer-western suburb ofWyndham Vale).^[18] Franks' land neighboured that of the early Melbourneexplorer andsurveyorJohn Helder Wedge, which was managed by his nephewCharles Wedge—prior to him gaining a pre-emptiveright to land license of his own for the Frankston area.^[18] The correspondence with the Department of Lands and Survey states that, at the time of surveying the area for the land sales of 1854, the name "Frankston" was probably suggested to honour the Wedge's deceased former neighbour.^[18]

Another theory—that has becomefolklore—is that Frankston was named after apub named "Frank Stone's Hotel".^[4][25] In 1929 the authorDon Charlwood, a student ofFrankston High School at the time, compiled a history of Frankston using both local records and oral sources supporting the theory (published inThe Frankston & Somerville Standard newspaper on 8 February 1930).^[25]

The pub to which Charlwood refers was originally named the Cannanuke Inn and was the first permanent building in the Frankston area.^[24] It was built by the pre-emptive Frankston settler James Davey in the 1840s.^[4][24] TheVictorian Heritage Database states that it was located on the present site of the FrankstonMechanics' Institute; at 1 Plowman Place in the Frankston Central Business District (CBD).^[26][27] According to Charlwood, it was purchased by a "Mr. Stone" in the early-1850s who, after the birth of his son, "Frank", renamed it "Frank Stone's Hotel" and around which the village developed and also had its name adapted from for its formal land sales in 1854.^[25]

As there appear to be nolicensing records for the Cannanuke Inn, it is difficult to determine if this is in fact true. However, Charlwood does mention that Stone had purchased the Cannanuke Inn from "a man named Standring".^[25] Licensing records state that Benjamin Standring was the owner of the Frankston Hotel from 1857 to 1860.^[28][29] Also, according to the terms of his pre-emptive right to land licence,^[30][31] Davey did not have the right to sell or sub-let the Cannanuke Inn.^[32] It is therefore unlikely that Stone purchased or leased the Cannanuke Inn from Davey or Standring before the formal land sales for Frankston in 1854—and after which the name "Frankston" was already in use.^[33][34][35]

A more recent theory, put forward by the author and historian Michael Jones in his local history bookFrankston: Resort to City (published in 1989), is that Frankston was named after the heroicBritish armygeneral SirThomas Harte Franks.^[4] The theory is strengthened by the fact that a number of places near Frankston also have names that are derived or adapted from those of British army generals and statesmen (such asCranbourne,Hastings,Lyndhurst,Mornington andPakenham). Jones states that theSurveyor General of Victoria from 1853 to 1858, SirAndrew Clarke, named all of these places.^[4]

Prior to thefoundation of Melbourne byEuropeans in 1835, the area surroundingPort Phillip was originally populated byIndigenous Australians of theKulin nation for an estimated 31,000 to 40,000 years.^[36] Particularly, the Frankston area was inhabited primarily by the Mayone-bullukclan from theBunurongtribe of the Kulin nation.^[10][36][37]

The tribes of the Kulin nation were anomadic people with nosedentarysettlements.^[10] As a result, there is minimal physical evidence of their past.^[10] The Bunurong tribe in particular were mainlyhunter-gatherers that maintained anecologicallysustainable tradition of travelling between areas of seasonally abundantresources.^[10] For the Mayone-bulluk clan; Kananook and Sweetwater creeks and the formerswamps andwetlands of the Frankston area were rich sources offish andeel as well assummerfruit andvegetables.^[10][38][39] An important meeting place for the Bunurong tribe clans of the greaterMornington Peninsula region was the present site of the FrankstonMechanics' Institute, at 1 Plowman Place in the Frankston Central Business District (CBD), which was used forcorroborees and as a trading place.^[40]

Bunurong territory, of which Frankston is a part, stretches from theWerribee River in the westernmetropolitan area of Melbourne east toWilsons Promontory inGippsland and was referred to asmarr-ne-beek ("excellent country") amongst the Kulin nation tribes.^[37][40] According to theIndigenous Australian mythology of theDreamtime, the Bunurong territory was created by theancestor spiritLohan.^[37]Patrilineally, all Bunurong tribe members are considered directdescendants ofLohan.^[37] The creator of the Kulin nation-proper was thedeityeaglehawk spiritBunjil, and the protector of itswaterways and keeper of thewind was thetrickstercrow spiritWaa.^[37]

Bunjil andWaa are the twomoiety totems that govern thekinship system of the Kulin nation tribes.^[37] The Mayone-bulluk clan of the Frankston area was closely linked throughmarriage to theWurundjeri-balluk clan of theMelbourne central business district, from the neighbouringWoiwurrung tribe, based on this system.^[37] Twowoodensculptures of eagles, inspired byBunjil, by artistBruce Armstrong; a 5-metre version on Mayone-bulluk clan land, erected on Young Street in Frankston in 2001,^[41] and a 25-metre version on Wurundjeri-balluk clan land, erected onWurundjeri Way inMelbourne Docklands in 2002,^[42] are representative of this link.

The earliest recorded encounter of the Bunurong tribe with Europeans in the Frankston area was in early 1803, whenCaptainCharles Robbins sailed hisship theCumberland into Port Phillip on thesurveying expedition headed byCharles Grimes.^[43] On 30 January, Grimes went ashore atKananook Creek in search offresh water and made peaceful contact with "around 30 of the natives"—most likely members of the Mayone-bulluk clan.^[43]

Another possible encounter of the Mayone-bulluk clan with Europeans in 1803 was in late-December, with threeconvicts that had escaped from thefailed settlement by CaptainDavid Collins atSorrento on the southernMornington Peninsula.^[44] Among the escapees wasWilliam Buckley, who later lived with the Wadawurrung-balug clan from the neighbouringWathaurong tribe of the Kulin nation for 32 years.^[44] After travelling north up theMornington Peninsula for two days, Buckley describes coming to acreek that ran "near to the bay"—most likely Kananook Creek and Long Island in the Frankston area—where they encountered a "large tribe of the natives...armed with spears" but did not make direct contact.^[44]

The number of Bunurong tribe members at the time of contact with Europeans in the 1800s was estimated to be 300.^[45] James Fleming, a member of Charles Grimes' surveying expedition in early 1803, reported observingsmallpoxscars on members of the Kulin nation tribes he had encountered—indicating that anepidemic had affected them prior to 1803.^[43][45] Smallpox arrived in Australia with theFirst Fleet in 1788 and reached the Port Phillip area in 1790, via the firstEuropean settlement in Australia atPort Jackson, claiming at least half the population of the combined Kulin nation tribes.^[36]

Following permanent European settlement in 1835, another smallpox epidemic reduced the number of Bunurong tribe members to 83 by 1839.^[45] Aninfluenza epidemic during the 1840s further reduced their number to 28 by 1850.^[45] The last full-blood member of the Bunurong tribe,Yam-mer-book, also known as Jimmy Dunbar (from the Ngaruk-Willam clan, which was geographically close to the Mayone-bulluk clan) who lived to the north of Frankston nearMordialloc,died of natural causes in 1877.^[45]

Fishermen were among the earliestEuropeans tounofficially settle the Frankston area following thefoundation of Melbourne on 30 August 1835.^[4] Living intents andwattle and daubhuts on itsforeshore and around the base ofOlivers Hill, they would travel byboat to the earlyMelbourne township to sell their catches.^[4][24][46]

James Davey arrived in the Frankston area in 1840, gaining a 640acre pre-emptiveright to land license over what are now the suburbs of Frankston andFrankston South fromOlivers Hill south toDaveys Bay.^[4][46] Davey built the Cannanuke Inn in the mid-1840s, which was the first permanent building in the Frankston area,^[4][26] and was located on the site of the present FrankstonMechanics' Institute at 1 Plowman Place in the Frankston Central Business District (CBD).^[27] He built the first permanentwoodenhouse in the southern Frankston area located near Daveys Bay on Olivers Hill in 1851—which was originally known as "Old Man Davey's Hill".^[47][48]

In 1843 Frank Liardet, the eldest son of the early MelbournesettlerWilbraham Liardet, took out a 300-acredepasturing license for what is now the Frankston locality ofKaringal.^[22] Liardet built the first permanent wooden house in the eastern Frankston area in 1847—which would later become part of his Ballam Parkestate after the formalland sales of 1854.^[21]

Davey later partnered in thecattle run ofCaptain Benjamin Baxter, the firstPostmaster and formerClerk ofPetty sessions for thePort Phillip District, during the early-1850s.^[46] Their run covered the majority of what are now theCity of Frankston suburbs ofLangwarrin andLangwarrin South.^[23] The fisherman James Oliver built his house on northern Olivers Hill around this time, so he could keep watch forschools of fish in the waters below, and after whom the locality is now known by its current name.^[4] The explorer andsurveyorCharles Wedge also arrived around this time, gaining a pre-emptive right to land license over what are now the City of Frankston suburbs ofCarrum Downs andSeaford.^[46][49][50]

Thomas and Grace McComb arrived in the Frankston area in 1852.^[46][51] Thomas assisted with the development of the localfishing industry, and Grace was the first nurse and midwife in the area.^[4][46][51] Thomas Ritchie arrived in 1854 and established abakery that same year on what is nowNepean Highway in the Frankston CBD.^[52]

The central Frankston area wassurveyed by Thomas Hanbury Permein for theVictorian colonial government in early 1854.^{[24][25][27][4]} The only pre-existing permanent building in Permein's survey is the Cannanuke Inn.^[27] The plan for the newvillage of Frankston was drawn by James Philp from the Office of theSurveyor General of Victoria on 1 May 1854—with the Cannanuke Inn as a central point and located on Lot 1 of a block bordered to the west by Bay Street, to the north by Davey Street, to the east by Wedge Street (now Young Street) and to the south by a public reserve (now Plowman Place andFrankston Park).^[33] Philp's plan consisted of 29 standardlots, 49 suburban lots, nine country lots of 430 acres, and also reserved place for a village centre that would eventually become the Frankston CBD.^[24][33]

The first formalland sales for the newvillage of Frankston took place on 29 May 1854.^[24][4][34] Frankston was gazetted in late-April of that year as being "well watered withsprings...the odour and flavour of the water being remarkable".^[34][35] The road to Melbourne was extended fromBrighton to Frankston (now theNepean Highway) withbridges over Kananook Creek and Mordialloc Creek in late 1854.^[53]

Liardet became one of the first officialland owners in Frankston after the formal land sales—establishing his Ballam Parkestate on the land that he had a depasturing license for.^[20] There is a populartheory (published in theVictorian Historical Magazine in March 1916) that Frankston was named after Liardet due to his earlier presence in the area.^[4][17]

Following the first formalland sales for the new village on 29 May 1854, on 12 December, Samuel Packham was granted the licence to establish the Frankston Hotel.^[54] Licensing records (and newspaper articles) suggest that it was located on what is now the northwest corner of Davey Street and Nepean Highway (the present site of the Pier Hotel).^{[55][56][57][58]} Packham advertised the Frankston Hotel as a country retreat, and employed akangarootracker and organisedgame hunting expeditions from the hotel.^[59]

Charles Wedge established his Banyan sheep station on his pre-emptive right to land over what are now theCity of Frankston suburbs ofCarrum Downs andSeaford after the formal land sales of 1854,^[49][50] and James McMahon purchased lands over what are now the City of Frankston suburbs ofSandhurst andSkye at this time.^[60]

The first permanentbrickhouse in Frankston was built at Ballam Park in 1855 and replaced the 1847wooden house on the site.^[21] It was built by Frederick Liardet, the younger brother of Frank, and was designed in aFrench ColonialGothic Revival style by their fatherWilbraham.^[20][21] The house is listed on theVictorian andAustralian heritage registries through theNational Trust of Australia.^[21][61] It is now managed by the Frankston Historical Society which conducts tours of the house and also maintains a localhistory museum at the estate.^[62]

A site for aChurch of England (Anglican) was reserved after the formal land sales.^[63] Located on the corner of what is now Bay Street and High Street in the Frankston CBD, the two acre site also included an area for a school as well as a temporaryburial ground.^[63] A temporary hall was built in 1856 and served as both aplace of worship and as a school (which later became theWoodleigh School).^[63][64] The firstpost office in Frankston opened on 1 September 1857 which also initially operated from the hall.^[47][65]

Frankston's fishing industry was further developed with the assistance of Thomas McComb, who funded the construction of Frankston Pier in 1857.^[4][48][66] Following a petition by residents, to the Victorian colonial Department of Public Works, the pier was extended into deeper water in 1863.^[48][66] A gaslamp was installed at the end of the pier and a lamplighter was also employed.^[48] Frankston Fish Company was founded in 1867, by a consortium of local businessmen including Thomas Ritchie,^[67] in order to transport the catches of local fishermen in bulk to thefish markets of the Melbourne city centre.^[48]

In 1870, Ritchie established his first general store on what is now the southwest corner of Playne Street and Nepean Highway in the Frankston Central Business District (CBD).^[67]Ritchies Stores is now the largest independent grocery chain in Australia—with its headquarters still located in the Frankston area.^[67][68]

On 15 November 1873, William Davey Jr., grandson of pre-emptive Frankston settler James Davey, applied for the license to establish the Bay View Hotel, on what is now the northeast corner of Davey Street and Nepean Highway (the present site of The Grand Hotel) in the Frankston CBD.^[69] It was constructed with a guest house which Davey had shipped fromJersey.^[26][46]

Following a petition by residents to the Victorian colonial Department of Education in 1873, headed by Grace McComb, the first government school in Frankston was built on Davey Street in 1874.^[70] The No. 1464 Frankston School (Which later became Frankston Primary School) opened on 1 November of that year with an initial enrolment of 45 students.^[70]

Mark Young purchased the Frankston Hotel on 13 August 1875 for £380,^[71] and renamed it the Pier Hotel (under which name it continues to operate).^[72] Young spent an estimated £3700 on improvements to the hotel, making it one of the finest in the colony of Victoria at the time.^[26][47]

In 1879, following a conference of city councils in inner-Melbourne, the Frankston area was chosen as the preferred site to replace theMelbourne General Cemetery.^[73] The roughly 3000 acre Crown land site was bordered to the north by Charles Wedge's Banyansheep station (over what are now the City of Frankston suburbs of Carrum Downs and Seaford),^[49][50] to the south by Frank Liardet's Ballam Park estate (in what is now the Frankston locality of Karingal),^[21][74] and is now the suburb of Frankston North. Its south-west corner is described as being "about a mile [1.6 km] north of the village of Frankston, and the same distance east of the beach".^[74]

Frankston Mechanics' Institute was established on the former site of the Cannanuke Inn, at what is now 1 Plowman Place in the Frankston CBD, in 1880.^[47][75][76] Its construction was funded by public donations, headed by a residents' committee, and supported byfriendly andtemperance societies including a Frankston group ofFreemasons and theIndependent Order of Good Templars,Independent Order of Rechabites andManchester Unity of Oddfellows.^[77] Its foundation stone was laid by committee president Mark Young on 22 March of that year,^[77] and the building was opened on 24 May at a cost of £280.^[76]

On 16 March 1881, the Colonial Bank of Australasia (later theNational Bank of Australia) was the first bank to open a lending branch in Frankston.^[78] It was located next to Mark Young's Pier Hotel on what is now Nepean Highway.^[4] The firstlibrary in Frankston, the Frankston Free Library, opened at the Mechanics' Institute to mark its first anniversary.^[76] The first 400 books of the new library were a donation from the bankerH.D. Larnach.^[79]

To service the proposed new metropolitan cemetery the railway line to Melbourne was extended from Caulfield to Frankston between 1881 and 1882.^[80][81][82] The first section from Caulfield to Mordialloc opened on 19 December 1881.^[80] The second section from Mordialloc to Frankston opened on 29 July 1882.^[83] The course of the railway line was directly influenced by the location of the proposed cemetery.^[81][82] From Mordialloc to Seaford it runs adjacent to what is now Nepean Highway—which was built over a 1000-year-old sand dune that once ran parallel to the coastline.^[84] After Seaford it curves inland eastwards to where a "mortuary station" was to be located (now Kananook railway station) near the border of the proposed cemetery,^[83] then continues to Frankston.^[81][82]

Due to concerns from undertakers about sandy soil and underlying granite at the Frankston site,^[73][85] the proposed cemetery was abandoned—which was later established in the Melbourne southeastern suburb of Springvale in 1901.^[86] It was also briefly considered as one of the possible sites to replace the Melbourne Benevolent Asylum in 1887—which was later established in the southeastern suburb of Cheltenham in 1911.^[87][88]

Despite not becoming the site of the new metropolitan cemetery, Frankston benefited from its new railway line. The travel time to the Melbourne city centre was reduced from several hours by horse-drawn carriage to 90 minutes by steam train, making it a popular seaside destination for excursionists and weekend holidaymakers from the mid-1880s.^[4][80]

Mark Young constructed enclosed sea baths in 1883,^[89][90][91] on a bed of granite located roughly 100 metres off the coastline of Frankston Beach, at a cost of £950.^[92] They were connected to the coastline by a wooden pathway that led to a suspension bridge over Kananook Creek to Young's Pier Hotel.^[39][93]

During this time, an article inThe Argus newspaper on the growth of outer Melbourne (published 4 October 1884) describes Frankston as "going ahead rapidly" with "50 to 60 new houses...[in] the last three years" as well as having "two hotels, a wine shop, four boarding-houses, three general stores, an ironmonger, two saddlers' shops [and] five brick-yards".^[90] Frankston's Market Gardeners' and Fruit Growers' Association was founded around this time, in order to transport the produce of local farmers by steam ship to New South Wales and Tasmania, and the majority of trade for the Mornington Peninsula and Phillip Island, as well as south-west Gippsland, is also described as passing through Frankston.^[90]

On 8 December 1884, John Storey Petrie was granted the license to establish a third hotel in Frankston, the Prince of Wales Hotel, on what is now the southwest corner of Davey Street and Nepean Highway (the present site of Davey's Bar and Restaurant) in the Frankston Central Business District (CBD).^[94] It was designed in theVictorianQueen Anne style and was constructed of bluestone and locally made bricks.^[89][95]

The intersection of Davey Street and Nepean Highway with Young's Pier Hotel (northwest corner), Davey's Bay View Hotel (northeast corner) and Petrie's Prince of Wales Hotel (southwest corner), became known as a "hotel corner" from the 1890s,^[96] and contemporarily as "pub corner".^[26] Around 100 years later, in the mid-1990s, they were joined by a nightclub on its southeast corner.^[97]

Frankston Brick Company was founded in 1886,^[98] by a consortium of local businessmen including William Davey Jr. and Thomas Ritchie—most likely in order to capitalise on the Melbourne land boom during the mid-1880s—and was later publicly floated.^[99] It was the first large-scale employer in Frankston, consolidating the existing local brick-yards onto a single site close to Frankston Pier,^[48] and producing approximately 50,000 bricks a week.^[100]

The Victorian colonial government established a large military camp in what is now the City of Frankston suburb of Langwarrin in 1886, which aided in the growth of the Frankston area.^[101][102] The entrance to the Langwarrin Military Camp was located on the corner of McClelland Drive and Robinsons Road,^[101] and it is now the Langwarrin Flora and Fauna Reserve.^[102]

By the mid-1880s, No. 1464 Frankston School was classified as a "class 4" school (approximately 250 pupils) and had previously been expanded with an extension to the existing wooden school house in 1880.^[70] Due to its growing enrolments, and following a petition by residents to the Victorian colonial Department of Education, an additional 20 x 30 feet brick school house was built in 1889.^[70][103] The brick school house is now operated as an education history museum by the Frankston Historical Society.^[104]

A new Anglican church building was opened on 5 February 1887.^[63] It was designed in a VictorianGothic Revival style by theecclesiastic architectLouis Williams and built at a cost of £474.^[105][106] TheSt. Paul's Church of England was formally licensed as a place of worship on 21 February 1888, and the Frankston Parish of St. Paul was officially established on 7 February 1889.^[63]

The firstRoman Catholic church,St. Francis Xavier's, was officially opened by ArchbishopThomas Carr on 15 December 1889.^{[107][108][109]} Its initial site on Davey Street in the Frankston CBD cost £60.^[108] It was designed in a VictorianFree Gothic style byarchitectural firm Tappin, Gilbert and Denchy and was constructed of locally made bricks.^[108] It was originally administered by the Dandenong Parish of St. Mary and later the Mornington Parish of St. Macartan.^[108][109]

On 20 October 1893, the broader Frankston area along with the eastern Mornington Peninsula riding of the oldShire of Mornington was incorporated as theShire of Frankston and Hastings local government area, with the eastern Mornington Peninsula riding becoming the new Shire of Mornington.^[11][110] Early council meetings of the new shire were held at the Frankston Mechanics' Institute and the inaugural shire president was Cr. Edward McGurk.^[111]

The firsthospital in Frankston opened at the turn of the 20th century, as the privateday surgery andhospital of the Britishdoctor and former Director of theMelbourne Pharmacy School Sidney Plowman.^[112][113] It operated from Dr Plowman's residence, known as The Lofts (also known as the Plowman Residence),^[113] at 20 Davey Street in the Frankston Central Business District (CBD), until his death in 1937.^[112][113] The Lofts was designed as aQueen Anne styleCalifornia bungalow by Blackett & Rankin Architects and constructed of locally made bricks.^[112][113] It is listed is on theVictorian andAustralian heritage registries through theNational Trust of Australia,^[113] and was restored and incorporated into the design of Frankston's Australian Government Building, which was built around it in the 1990s. It currently houses the Frankston offices of theAustralian Electoral Commission and themember of parliament in theAustralian House of Representatives for theDivision of Dunkley (of which Frankston is a part).^[114][115]

From 1909 the former proposed metropolitancemetery site near Frankston was repurposed as apineforest plantation by theVictorian state Forestry Commission.^[84] When most of the plantation was destroyed by a fire on 2 January 1955,^[116] the state Housing Commission established the Pine Foresthousing estate (locally called "The Pines") in 1958, and is now theCity of Frankston suburb ofFrankston North.^[117]

The new Commonwealth Postal Service (nowAustralia Post) opened its firstoffice in Frankston on the southeast corner of Davey Street and Main Street (nowNepean Highway) on 12 September 1910.^[118][119] It was designed in anEdwardian style by the Victorian state Department of Public Works and constructed of brick.^[118] It was later remodelled with the addition of atelephone exchange in 1927, and expanded again in 1941.^[118] It ceased operation as a post office and telephone exchange in the mid-1980s, after which it was operated as arestaurant.^[118] Since the mid-1990s it has been operated as anightclub.^[97] In 2013, its exterior was partly restored to its 1941 design.^[97]

Following the declaration ofwar on theGerman Empire by theBritish Empire, on 8 August 1914 (GMT), the firstsoldier to enlist from Frankston wasSergeant William Polglase on the same day (AEST).^[120] Of the soldiers from Frankston that werekilled in action inWorld War I, 16 are listed on the Roll of Honour at theAustralian War Memorial.^[121]

At the beginning of World War I the Langwarrin Military Camp near Frankston was used to detain around 500 Germanprisoners of war.^[102][122] Amilitary hospital was later established at the camp in order to treat Australian soldiers returning withvenereal disease fromEgypt andFrance.^[102][123] Most of the prisoners of war were later transferred toHolsworthy Barracks in Sydney in 1915, however, some also stayed to work at the hospital and settled in Frankston upon their release.^[122] Between 1915 and 1916 research at the hospital halved the duration of venereal disease treatment and its cost.^[123] It also advanced the burgeoning field ofoccupational therapy in Australia by involving its patients ingardening and music.^[123] It became a state-of-the-artrehabilitation hospital, during this time—and also hadpet animals, landscaped gardens andshrubbery, art and musical equipment as well as aband for its patients.^[123] The hospital closed in 1919, with the base eventually following in the 1970s.^[122] It is now the Langwarrin Flora and Fauna Reserve.^[102] The ruins of the hospital's fountain can still be found in the reserve.^[102]

The Frankston Mechanics' Institute was expanded in 1915, with a 22 x 50 feet brick addition to its street frontage, at a cost of £529.^[75][124] The 1915 brick addition is now the oldest extant part of the building after the 1881 hall section had to be rebuilt in 1956 due to fire safety concerns.^[75] It became the eighth building to receive ablue plaque from the Mechanics' Institute of Victoria in 2004.^[125][126] In 2009, Frankston City Council undertook a A$2.5 million restoration of the building to its 1915 design.^[127]

On 17 February 1916, following a poll of residents, the Frankston Gas Company was granted permission by the shire's council to establish "electric light and power" across the Shire of Frankston and Hastings.^[128]

Frankston's reputation as a holiday destination increased particularly after theelectrification of the railway line on 27 August 1922, which reduced the average travel time from 90 to 62 minutes. During this time, the broader Frankston area developed into a playground for Melbourne's affluent and a regional capital for the greaterMornington Peninsula region.^[4] In part due to an increase in visitors during this time, the FrankstonLife Saving Club was established on Frankston Beach in 1924.^[129][130]

On 2 February 1923, theRt. Hon.Stanley Bruce, themember of theParliament of Australia representing theDivision of Flinders (of which Frankston was a part at the time) and theTreasurer of Australia, who lived at Pinehill (also known as Bruce Manor) in Frankston,^[131][132] was elected the eighthPrime Minister of Australia following the resignation of the Rt. Hon.Billy Hughes.^[133] Pinehill was built in 1926 and designed in aSpanish Mission style byarchitectural firm Prevost, Synnot & Rewald withRobert Bell Hamilton.^[131][132] It is listed on theVictorian andAustralian heritage registries through theNational Trust of Australia.^[131][132]

TheRoman Catholic Parish ofSt. Francis Xavier in Frankston was officially established on 4 November 1926.^[108][109] The old church was doubled in its size and apipe organ built byGeorge Fincham & Sons was installed in 1927.^[108] A school was also established the following year (which later became St. Francis Xavier Primary School).^[109]

St. Paul'sChurch of England was substantially enlarged in 1933, at an estimated cost of £3500.^[63][106] New north and southtransepts, achancel,sanctuary,vestries, and a chapel ofSt. Richard, were all added in a sympatheticGothic Revival style by its original architectLouis Williams.^[106] The design incorporated the 1887nave of the church, and also planned for a tower at its western end.^[106] Itsfoundation stone was laid byArchbishopFrederick Head.^[106]

In 1935, the Frankston area was chosen to host the firstAustralian Scout Jamboree.^[4] It was the only Australia jamboree attended by the founder of theScouting movement SirRobert Baden-Powell. A number of streets in the Frankston area are named after the jamboree. The original jamboreegrandstand remained atFrankston Park for over 70 years until it was destroyed by a fire on 12 February 2008 (areplica of the old grandstand was later built on its site in 2010).^[134] Following the jamboree, the Frankston Yacht Club was officially established in 1937.^[135]

The firstpublic hospital in Frankston, the Frankston Community Hospital, was established at 2 Hastings Road in 1941.^[136] Now namedFrankston Hospital, it is the largest of four hospitals in the suburb and is also the chief provider ofacute secondary and tertiary care in the broaderCity of Frankston area and the greater Mornington Peninsula region.^[136]

DuringWorld War II, theCommander of theFirst Australian Army in thePacific theatre (from 1940 to 1945) and theCommander-in-Chief ofAustralian Military Forces inoccupied Japan (from 1945 to 1950) was the Frankston-bornLieutenant General SirVernon Sturdee.^[137]

In 1946, J. R.W. "Bill" Pratt established his firstgrocery store in Frankston that would later become one of the largestsupermarket chains in Australia as a subsidiary of American-ownedSafeway Inc.^[138] Pratt was studyingengineering atRMIT when he took a summer job at a grocery store in Frankston in 1945.^[139] He eventually bought the store the following year, renaming it Pratt's Stores, and developed it into one of the firstsupermarkets in Australia in the 1950s.^[139] He also expanded to two more supermarkets in nearbyMornington andChelsea during this time.^[139][140] It was the opening of his Chelsea supermarket that caught the attention of representatives from Safeway, who were in Australia sourcing apples, as it was officially opened by media personality (and Frankston resident)Graham Kennedy.^[139][140] Safeway entered Australia by merging with Pratt's Stores in 1962.^{[138][139][140]} Asmanaging director ofSafeway's Australian subsidiary, Pratt grew the chain to 126 supermarkets across eastern Australia by 1985.^[139][140] It was then bought by Australian-ownedWoolworths Limited in 1985, who retained the successful Safeway brand in Victoria for 23 years, before rebranding all its stores asWoolworths in 2008.^{[138][139][140]}

The population of the broader Frankston area boomed during and after World War II increasing from 12,000 in 1947 to 82,000 by 1982 (according to the former 1893Shire of Frankston and Hastings borders). This was in part due to the establishment ofgovernment housing estates in the area to house the families of Australian Military Force personnel stationed at the Langwarrin Military Camp in theCity of Frankston suburb ofLangwarrin as well as at the Balcombe Army School inMount Martha and theFlinders Naval Depot nearHastings.^[4] Theplastics manufacturerNylex also established its operations in Frankston in 1947,^[141] and became one of the largest employers in the area for 50 years, until its operations were downgraded in the mid-2000s.^[142]

During the early 1950s, Frankston was briefly home to the Hartnett Motor Company. Following his resignation asmanaging director ofGeneral Motors-Holden (GMH) in 1948,Laurence Hartnett was approached by thenPrime Minister of Australia theRt. Hon.Ben Chifley to establish an Australian-ownedcar company to compete with American-owned GMH in Australia.^[143] At GMH, Hartnett was "the father ofthe Holden"—the first Australian-made car.^[144] 70 acres betweenSeaford and Frankston was selected for the site of thefactory with the support of theVictorian state government in 1949.^{[145][146][147]} TheHartnett Tasman was afront-wheel drive two doorsedan based on a design byJean Grégoire.^[143] The company planned to produce 100 cars a month at its Frankston factory.^[148] However, due to the delayed delivery of parts from the Australian Government's Commonwealth Engineering Company, production was also severely delayed.^[149] The first Hartnett Tasman was dispatched from the factory in March 1952.^[148] 125 Tasmans and itsconvertible version, the Hartnett Pacific, were dispatched before the company went intoreceivership due to its delays in September 1952.^{[143][150][151]} The rare Frankston-made cars are nowcollector's items.^[151]

On 7 October 1954, a new 600-seat St. Francis Xavier's Roman Catholic Church was officially opened by ArchbishopDaniel Mannix.^[107][109] It was designed in aPost-WarModern style by architect Alan G Robertson and was constructed of smooth-faced brick.^[107] Its Modernist style was designed to emphasise its twostained glass windows created by artistAlan Sumner.^[107][152] The main north window was reputed to be the largest in theSouthern Hemisphere at the time of its installation.^[107] The 1927 George Fincham & Sons pipe organ was refurbished in 1977.^[107][108] The old church was used as classrooms for St. Francis Xavier's school until it was demolished in the 1970s.^[107]

On 26 October 1957, St. Paul's Church of England was extensively damaged by fire, leaving only its sanctuary intact.^[63][153] Designs for the re-building of the damaged sections of the church was again completed by its original architect Louis Williams.^[153] However, he decided to use a more restrained GothicArts and Crafts style for the rebuild.^[153] The transepts, chancel, sanctuary, vestries and chapel from the 1933 design were retained, but the 1887 nave was beyond repair and was demolished.^[153] The new designs included a nave with multiplegabledbay windows with stained glass designed by mural artist Christian Waller (wife ofNapier Waller) and a restrained version of the tower from the 1933 design.^[152][153] The foundation stone for the rebuilt church was again laid by Archbishop Frederick Head, and it was constructed ofclinker brick in 1959.^[153]

In the summer of 1959,On the Beach, one of the first majorHollywood films to be made in Australia, was partly filmed in Frankston.^{[154][155][156]} The film was adapted from the best-sellingnovel of the same name, by popular authorNevil Shute (who lived in theCity of Frankston suburb ofLangwarrin).^[155][156] The name "Falmouth" is used to describe Frankston in the novel, but its actual name is used in the film.^[157] Scenes withlead actorsGregory Peck andAva Gardner were filmed atFrankston railway station and on Young Street in the Frankston CBD,^[154] and at Frankston Beach with mainsupporting actorsFred Astaire (in his first dramatic film role),Anthony Perkins, andDonna Anderson.^[154][156] Famously, when asked to "give us a few steps" by an onlooker at Frankston railway station, the off-duty Fred Astaire danced across the length of theforecourt up to the station ramp.^[155]

On 19 October 1960, the eastern riding of the old Shire of Frankston and Hastings was incorporated as the Shire of Hastings, with the central riding becoming the Shire of Frankston.^[158] The shire was proclaimed a city on 24 August 1966, and incorporated as theCity of Frankston.^[158]

The Frankstonflotilla of theVolunteer Coast Guard was established in 1961, as one of the eight founding flotillas in Victoria.^[159]

In 1969, poet Annie May (Nan) McClelland bequeathed the land known as Studio Park in the City of Frankston suburb ofLangwarrin to establish the Harry McClelland Art Gallery and Cultural Hall in honour of her artist brother Harry McClelland.^[160] The McClelland siblings were at the centre of a bohemian artists group based in the Frankston locality of Long Island during the 1920s, which included artists and writers such as SirDaryl and LadyJoan Lindsay,Percy Leason andWilliam Beckwith McInnes.^[160] Located at what is now 390 McClelland Drive. on the border of Frankston and Langwarrin, it opened in 1971.^[160] During its first 40 years of operation its governor wasphilanthropist DameElisabeth Murdoch.^[161] To support the acquisition of new works, the Elisabeth Murdoch Sculpture Foundation was established in 1989.^[162] Now named theMcClelland Gallery and Sculpture Park, it is the leadingsculpture park in Australia,^[163][164] and has over 130,000 visitors annually.^[165]

In 1986, theAustralian filmFrog Dreaming (which was retitled asThe Go-Kids in the UK andThe Quest in the US) was filmed in Frankston and at nearbyMoorooduc Quarry inMount Eliza (which was in the former 1966 City of Frankston borders at the time).^[166]

The borders of theCity of Frankston were redrawn in 1994,^[167][168] excising its southern suburbs ofBaxter andMount Eliza to the newShire of Mornington Peninsula,^[169] and gaining the north-eastern suburbs ofCarrum Downs andSkye from theCity of Casey and the formerCity of Springvale.^[170] The proposed name of the new city was initially "City of Nepean", but the historic name of Frankston (which had been used for itslocal government areas for over 100 years) was ultimately kept.^[11][171]

Following nearly a decade of campaigning by residents, in 1995, Frankston City Council opened aA$18.5 millionarts centre.^[172] Originally named the Frankston Cultural Centre, it houses an 800-seat theatre with the second largestproscenium arched stage in Victoria.^[173] It also houses the Frankston Library, exhibition spaces, and a 500-seatfunction hall.^[174] Designed by architectDaryl Jackson, and located on the corner of Davey Street and Young Street in the Frankston CBD, it was opened on 20 May by thenPrime Minister of Australia theHon.Paul Keating.^[172] A flexible 194-seat theatre named Cube37 withstudios and a wetworkshop was also built adjoining the northeast corner of the centre in 2001, and was opened on 30 March by then Prime Minister of Australia the Hon.John Howard.^[172] Now named the Frankston Arts Centre, it serves over 250,000 patrons annually.^[174]

At the turn of the 3rd millennium, Frankston City Council prepared a comprehensive scheme to develop key zones on the Frankstonforeshore.^[175] The scheme was delivered in stages and included: a new waterfront area with public amenities and avisitor centre; a raised timberforeshoreway and apedestrian bridge over the mouth of Kananook Creek; and newlife saving andyacht club houses—and were primarily constructed over existing sites and car parking areas.^[175]

The first stage of the scheme, named the Frankston Waterfront, was undertaken in the mid-2000s, and included:landscaping withpublic art (around Frankston Pier north to the mouth of Kananook Creek); erection of the pedestrian bridge over the mouth of Kananook Creek (next to the existing Frankston Yacht Club house); construction of the café, restaurant and visitor centre building (next to Frankston Pier); installation of a largeplayground (between the new visitor centre and existingFrankston Volunteer Coast Guardflotilla); as well as the southern stretch of the foreshoreway, named the Frankston Boardwalk (from Frankston Pier to near the base ofOlivers Hill).^[175]

TheA$1 million Frankston Visitor Information Centre at the Frankston Waterfront opened in 2007.^[176] The centre has since won the Victorian Tourism Award and Australian Tourism Award for its "visitor information services" in 2012, 2013 and 2014.^[176] It was also inducted into the Victorian and Australian Tourism Hall of Fame in 2014 (after which it is no longer eligible for awards).^[177]

In 2007, Sand Sculpting Australia made the Frankston Waterfront the home of its annualsand festival.^[178][179] Held over four months from 26 December, it is the largest exhibition ofsand art in Australia and one of the largest in theSouthern Hemisphere—with approximately 3,500tonnes ofsand used during the 2014 festival.^{[178][180][181]}

The second stage of the foreshore development scheme was undertaken in the late-2000s, and included: construction of the new Frankston Life Saving Club house (north of the Frankston Waterfront), and the northern stretch of the Frankston Boardwalk foreshoreway (between the new Frankston Life Saving Club and existing Frankston Yacht Club houses).^[175]

In 2010, scenes for theHollywood filmKiller Elite were shot in Frankston.^[182][183]Lead actorJason Statham spent five days in July filming at a house onOlivers Hill withsupporting actorsAden Young andLachy Hulme.^[184] In the film, the house doubles as an Omanimansion overlooking theArabian Sea.^[185]

In 2012, the majorwater utility providerSouth East Water announced its intention to consolidate its business operations (700 staff spread across three office locations at the time) in a new A$70 million headquarters in Frankston.^[186][187] The site of the building on Kananook Creek Boulevard (along the eastern bank of Kananook Creek) in the Frankston Central Business District (CBD) cost A$4 million.^[188] The eight-storey 11,000 m² building also includes around 550 m² ofcafé and retail space, that fronts apedestrian promenade on Kananook Creek.^{[187][188][189]} It opened in 2015 and was designed by architectural firmBVN Donovan Hill.^[186][189]

In 2014, Frankston City Council opened a A$49.7 million health and aquatic recreation centre located on the corner of Cranbourne Road and Olive Grove near the Frankston CBD.^[190] Named the Peninsula Aquatic Recreation Centre (FrankstonPARC), it has four swimming pools, including anOlympic-size pool (50 metres); an aquatic playground and twowater slides (byWhiteWater West); a gym and ahealth and wellness centre as well as other related facilities.^[191] It was designed by architectural firm William Ross Architects.^[192]

The third and final stage of the foreshore development scheme saw the construction of a new A$7.5 million Frankston Yacht Club house,^[193] as well as beachfrontpromenade,^[175] and was completed in 2016 at a total cost of A$10.7 million.^[194] It was designed by architectural firm Taylor Cullity Lethlean.^[193]

The suburb is at the southernmost end ofBeaumaris Bay on the easterncoastline ofPort Phillip; a 22 km continuous stretch of beaches, broken only by Mordialloc Creek, thePatterson River, and Kananook Creek, beginning atsandstone cliffs in the Melbourne southeastern suburb ofBeaumaris and ending atOlivers Hill in Frankston.

The suburb of Frankston covers a large geographic area compared with other Melbourne suburbs. It also envelopes a number of localities (with the postcode 3199), which are not independent suburbs, including: Frankston Central Business District (CBD), Frankston East, Frankston Heights,Karingal, Long Island, Mount Erin andOlivers Hill.

Frankston is bordered to the west by thePort Phillip coastline; to the north by property fronting Overton Road and Skye Road, as well as the Long Island and Peninsula Kingswood country clubs (bordering theCity of Frankston suburbs ofFrankston North andSeaford); to the east by theMornington Peninsula Freeway/Peninsula Link (bordering the City of Frankston suburb ofLangwarrin) and to the south by property fronting Robinsons Road, Golflinks Road, Towerhill Road, Overport Road, Jasper Terrace and Warringa Road, then continuing down from Olivers Hill toward the coastline (bordering the City of Frankston suburb ofFrankston South).^[195]

The central and northern areas of Frankston are generally flat at around 10 to 12metres above sea level (32 to 40 feet). The suburb then rises gradually towards its east, and sharply atOlivers Hill towards its south. The southern uplands of the suburb are at the northern end of an uplift area which is in aHorst-Graben structure that extends down theMornington Peninsula.^[84] Similarplutonic intrusive uplifts occur again on the peninsula atMount Martha andArthurs Seat.

Twofault zones run under the southern uplands of Frankston and continue down the Mornington Peninsula.^[84][196] Named the Manyung Fault and the Selwyn Fault, they are mostly inactive. However, some minor earthquakes and tremors have historically been experienced.

Earthquakes withepicentres in or near the suburb of Frankston have occurred in 1932, 1978, 1980, 2009, 2014, and 2022.^[197][198] The most recent, on 17 September 2022, measured 2.4 on theRichter magnitude scale.^[199] The largest, on 22 September 2009, measured 3.0 on the Richter scale.^[200]

Olivers Hill is the most prominent elevation in Frankston which rises to 55 metres above sea level (180 feet) at its highest point in the suburb. Its origins date to approximately 415 to 360million years ago. Its base is Mount Eliza Granite dating from theDevonian period, which was covered inlava tuffs in thePaleogene period.^[196] During theMiocene epoch in theNeogene period, the Frankston area was entirely flooded by the sea resulting in a mix of Balcombe Clay (at deep levels) and Baxter Sandstone (at shallow levels) covering thebasaltic (lava) level.^[196] Fluctuating ice ages of thePleistocene epoch in the currentQuaternary period caused sea levels to rise and fall dramatically and forsedimentary rock andsand to be deposited on the surface of the hill.^[196]Aeolian processes in the currentHolocene epoch, in whichPort Phillip has periodically dried up (as recently as 1000 years ago), has caused further sand to be deposited.^[196]

With panoramic views across Port Phillip, Olivers Hill is home to the most expensive real estate in Frankston. It is considered to have one of the top ten residential views in Melbourne.^[201] Property in the locality has sold for between A$3 and A$4 million in 2015,^[202] at the same time as the median house price in the suburb of Frankston being A$390,000.^[203]

Due tofluvial processes on its levels ofclay andsand and with ongoingproperty development,landslips on Olivers Hill are historically common.^[204] The first recorded landslip was in 1854 with at least one occurring again every decade up to the present day.^[204] A landslip once occurred in the 1960s during a live radio show hosted by media personalityGraham Kennedy from his house on Olivers Hill, where he and his co-hostMike Walsh described how hisdriveway was "slipping down the slope", as they spoke on air.^[204][205] The most recent serious landslips occurred in 2007, 2012 and 2015.^[204][205] In all three of the occurrences, the fallen debris has blocked lanes onNepean Highway.^{[204][205][206]}

The suburb is at the southernmost end ofBeaumaris Bay on the easterncoastline ofPort Phillip; a 22 km continuous stretch of beaches, broken only by Mordialloc Creek, thePatterson River and Kananook Creek, beginning atsandstone cliffs in the Melbourne southeastern suburb ofBeaumaris and ending atOlivers Hill in Frankston.

Frankston Beach is continually rated as one of the cleanest in Australia. It won theKeep Australia Beautiful Victorian Clean Beaches Award in 2008, 2011 and 2012 (the final year of the award), and also represented Victoria for the Australian Clean Beach Award in those years.^{[7][207][208]} On days of storm withgale-force westerly winds Frankston becomes one of the few areas of Port Phillip withwave swell of a size that allows forsurfing—usually around two metres.^[209] As a result, Frankston Beach is one of the most popular among both locals and visitors in Victoria.^[5][6]

Threesand bars are located off the coastline of Frankston Beach. The first bar is located relatively close theshore which creates shallow troughs in a rhythmic fashion every 150 metres.^[6][209] The second is located 100 metres offshore and also alternates rhythmically, although less than the 150-metre fashion of the first.^[6][209] The third is straight and located 200 metres into the bay.^[6][209]

Frankston City Council also has strict protection policies with regards to thesand dunes and nativeflora along the Frankstonforeshore, and has regularly received commendations for its litter prevention and coastal rehabilitation programs.^[8][208] As a result, its coastline has retained much of its natural element. A raised timberforeshoreway named the Frankston Boardwalk winds through large areas of the foreshore (including the Frankston Foreshore Reserve) in order to protect it whilst allowing it to be enjoyed by visitors.^[210]

Only key zones on the foreshore at the Frankston Waterfront have been developed.^[175] Around Frankston Pier north to the mouth of Kananook Creek islandscaped withpublic art, and has acafé andrestaurants, aplayground, the Frankston Visitor Information Centre,^[176] Frankston Yacht Club,^[135] and FrankstonVolunteer Coast Guard.^[211] North of it is the FrankstonLife Saving Club.^[129]

Kananook Creek runs close to the coastline of Port Phillip Bay, leaving a narrow strip of coast several kilometres long almost completely surrounded by water, giving the locality the name Long Island. It is not technically an island, as the creek does not flow into the bay at any point other than its mouth near Frankston Beach. However, in 1984 thePatterson Lakes, which connect to the bay, were joined to Kananook Creek via an undergroundaqueduct, and apumping station was built to pump salt water from the lakes into the creek to improve the water quality in the creek.^[212]

A substantial sand dune, which was formed over 1000 years ago, once ran parallel to the majority of the Frankston coastline and provided the course for theFrankston railway line (betweenMordialloc andSeaford) and for theNepean Highway (toOlivers Hill).^[84]

Frankston is generally a leafy suburb with a wide variety of natural heritage elements.^[84] There are hundreds offloral species that areindigenous to the Frankston area, including over 20 species oforchid (some of which are alsoendemic to the area), and can be found in largenatural reserves as well as formalpublic gardens in the suburb.^[84]

The Frankston Spider Orchid (Caladenia robinsonii) is a rare species of orchid that is endemic to the Frankston area.^[213] It produces a 4 cm red and creamy-yellowflower, with fivesepals, that exudes a scent which mimics thepheromones of theThynnidwasp female in order to attract males topollinate it.^[213] It is athreatened species.^[213][214]

Frankston City Council has a variety of programs aiming to betterenvironmentalsustainability in the suburb.^[215] It won the Bronze Award for its "management of environment, and enhancement of quality of life" at the LivCom International Awards for Livable Communities in 2004.^[215] TheCity of Frankston has also won theKeep Australia Beautiful Victorian Sustainable Cities Award in 2008.^[207][215] It was named the overall Victorian Sustainable City of the Year in 2015.^[216]

Large natural parks and reserves in the suburb are: Bunarong Park,^[217] Frankston Foreshore Reserve,^[210] Lower Sweetwater Creek Reserve,^[218] and Paratea Reserve.^[219] Large formal public parks and gardens in the suburb are: Ballam Park,^[220] Beauty Park,^[221] Frankston Waterfront,^[222] and George Pentland Botanic Gardens named after former City of Frankston Shire Secretary and Town Clerk George Pentland.^[223]

Ballam Park estate, located on Cranbourne Road in the Frankston locality of Karingal, is home to the first brick house in the Frankston area.^[21] The house was built in 1855 for Frank Liardet, by his younger brother Frederick, and was designed in aFrench ColonialGothic Revival style by their fatherWilbraham.^[20][21] It is listed on theVictorian andAustralian heritage registries through theNational Trust of Australia.^[21][61] It is managed by the Frankston Historical Society which conducts tours of the house and also maintains a localhistory museum at the estate.^[62]

The 500-metre Frankston Pier is a local landmark of the suburb.^[209] Originally built in 1857, it has been both extended as well as repaired a number of times over the years.^[48][66] Near Frankston Pier is the archedpedestrian bridge over the mouth Kananook Creek, erected in 2003 as part of the Frankston Waterfront development,^[175] which is also lit in a variety of colours at night.

Frankston Mechanics' Institute, located at 1 Plowman Place in the Frankston Central Business District (CBD), which was established in 1880, is the oldest public building in the suburb.^[47][75][76] It was expanded in 1915 with an addition to its street frontage, which is now the oldest extant part of the building.^[75] According to theVictorian Heritage Database, it was once the site of the first permanent building in the Frankston area, apub named the Cannanuke Inn, built in the mid-1840s.^[27] The use of the site as a meeting place also pre-dates European settlement of Frankston, and was used by theIndigenous Australian clans of theBunurong tribe on theMornington Peninsula forcorroborees and as a trading place.^[40]

McClelland Gallery and Sculpture Park is a major publicart gallery in Frankston and on the Mornington Peninsula. Established in 1971,^[160] and located at 390 McClelland Drive on the border of Frankston and theCity of Frankston suburb ofLangwarrin, it is also the leadingsculpture park in Australia.^[163][164] It has over 130,000 visitors annually.^[165]

The 12-storey Peninsula on the Bay, located at 435Nepean Highway in the Frankston CBD, is the tallest building in Frankston and on theMornington Peninsula.^[224] Built in 1973 as a shopping centre and offices complex named the Peninsula Centre and designed in abrutalist style, it was once called "the worst building in Australia" by comedianBarry Humphries.^[224] It remained mostly vacant during the 2000s,^[224] until it was redeveloped as a luxuryserviced apartments and offices complex by Asian Pacific Group in 2013.^[225]

Frankston Arts Centre is the largestart centre in Frankston and on the Mornington Peninsula, as well as one of the largest in themetropolitan area of Melbourne, and is a major landmark of the suburb.^[174] Built in 1995 on the corner of Davey Street and Young Street in the Frankston CBD, it was designed by architectDaryl Jackson.^[172] It serves over 250,000 patrons annually.^[174]

Frankston has a temperateoceanic climate, the same as the rest of themetropolitan area of Melbourne; however, the suburb is usually around 2–3 °C cooler than theMelbourne central business district. Frankston is one of the last areas of Melbourne to experience thecool change weather effect that occurs during summer.

According to the2021 census there were 37,331 people in Frankston, with 1.5% beingIndigenous Australian, 70.6% of people were born in Australia. The most common countries of foreign birth were England 5.1%, New Zealand 2.4%, China 1.2%, India 1.1% and the Philippines 0.9%.^[15]

47.9% of Frankston residents have parents that are both born in Australia, 29.4% have parents that are both born overseas, and 8.4% have only a father and 6.6 have only a mother that is born overseas. The most commonancestries in the suburb areEnglish 39.6%, Australian 33.5%,Irish 11.3%,Scottish 10.7% andGerman 4.1%. 80.8% speak English at home and the most commonlanguages other than English spoken includedMandarin 1.4%, Greek 1.0%, Russian 0.6%, Spanish 0.6% andMalayalam 0.5%.^[15]

Themedian age in the suburb is 39, with 17.8% of residents being over the age of 65 and 16.6% being under the age of 14.^[15] Anaging population in the suburb is balanced by several newhousing developments in the neighbouring suburbs of theCity of Frankston.

The most common responses for religion in the 2021 Census in Frankston were No Religion 50.1%, Christianity 24.5^% (Catholic 16.3% and Anglican 8.2%).^[15]

Places of worship in the suburb of Frankston are predominantly churches ofChristiandenominations. Of the most common religions, theRoman Catholic Church has two parishes in the suburb: St. Francis Xavier's in the Frankston Central Business District (CBD), which was established in 1926 (first church built in 1889),^{[107][108][109]} and St. John the Evangelist's in Frankston East,^[228][229] and theGreek Orthodox Church has its parish of Theofania in Frankston East.^[230] TheAnglican Church has two parishes in the suburb: St. Paul's in the Frankston CBD, which was established in 1889 (first church built in 1856),^[63] and St. Luke's in Frankston East.^[231][232]

The Uniting Church has two congregations in the suburb, in Frankston andKaringal.^[233][234] TheLutheran Church also has its parish of St. Peter in Karingal, which is closely linked with the Karingal Uniting Church congregation.^[235] Of the member-churches which did not join the Uniting Church, there arePresbyterian Church andReformed Presbyterian Church congregations in the neighbouringCity of Frankston suburbs ofFrankston North andFrankston South respectively.^[236][237]

There are twoChurches of Christ in Frankston; one which is part of theChurches of Christ Conference in Australia and another which iscongregationalist.^[238][239] The unassociatedChurch of Christ, Scientist, has aChristian Science Reading Room in the Frankston CBD.^[240] Other large churches in the suburb are theSeventh-day Adventist Church, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latterday Saints and thePentecostal Jubilee Church, as well as smallerBaptist,Evangelical andnon-denominational churches.^{[241][242][243]}

Places of worship for a number of other religions are located in the neighbouring suburbs of the City of Frankston. TheAhmadiyya Muslim community has a mosque inLangwarrin;^[244] theBrahma Kumaris have a centre forspiritual retreat in Frankston South;^[245] theSerbian Orthodox Church has its parish of St. Stefan Decanski inCarrum Downs;^[246] the Hindu community has its Shri Shiva Vishnu Temple in Carrum Downs, which is also the largest in Victoria;^[247] and theOriental Orthodox Church has itsJacobite Syrian parish of St. Mary in Frankston North.^[248]

A dominant suburban element in the Frankston area means its residential property mix is not as diverse as areas that are closer to theMelbourne central business district—as the suburb has minimal multi-storey development. However, as the economic hub as well as gateway to theMornington Peninsula, Frankston has been defined as one of the nineactivity centres in themetropolitan area of Melbourne in variousVictorian state government planning policies—which aim to increase multi-storey property development in the Frankston Central Business District (CBD).^[3][249]

According to the 2021 Australian census, 25.7% of Frankston residents own their property; 32.6% are purchasing their property with a mortgage; and 39.1% are renting their property. 73.4% of occupied private dwellings were separate houses; 6.1% were apartments, flats or units; and 20.3% weresemi-detached houses.^[15]

Frankston consists mostly of traditional quarter-acre blocks colloquially referred to as the "Australian Dream", and 40% of houses in the suburb consist of three or more bedrooms.^[15] A concentration of apartments, flats and units are also centred around the Frankston CBD. Being one of the southernmost suburbs of themetropolitan area of Melbourne, Frankston is also one of its most affordable. As of the March quarter of 2015, the median house price in the suburb is $390,000.^[203] Comparatively the median house price of the metropolitan area of Melbourne overall is $638,445,^[250] and the median house price of Australia generally is A$576,100.^[251]

Some real estate in Frankston, however, routinely sells for well above the median house price for the suburb.^[202][252] For example, properties in thecatchment area ofFrankston High School, which is one of the most reputablestate government schools in Victoria,^[253] sell on average for 16.9% more than the median house price.^[252] The locality ofOlivers Hill, with its panoramic views acrossPort Phillip, is home to the most expensive real estate in Frankston.^[202] Property in the area has sold for between A$3 and A$4 million in 2015,^[202] at the same time as the median house price in the suburb of Frankston being A$390,000.^[203] Olivers Hill is considered to have one of the top ten residential views in Melbourne.^[201]

TheCity of Frankstonlocal government area is divided into nine wards, with each of the wards represented by one councillor, which are: Ballam Ward, Centenary Park Ward, Derinya Ward, Elisabeth Murdoch Ward, Kananook Ward, Lyrebird Ward, Pines Ward, Wilton Ward, and Yamala Ward. Mayor Kris Bolam JP leads the city council, with Cr Steffie Conroy as the Deputy Mayor.^[254]

Frankston is located in theSouth Eastern Metropolitan Region for theVictorian Legislative Council.^[255] The region is represented by five members; two from theVictorian Labor Party, one from theVictorian Liberal Party, one from theLibertarian Party, and one from theLegalise Cannabis Party.^[255] TheDistrict of Frankston is the state government district for theVictorian Legislative Assembly that Frankston is located in.^[256] The seat has been held by the Victorian branch of the Australian Labor Party since 2014, and the sittingmember of parliament is firefighter and former teacherPaul Edbrooke.^[256]

At the federal level, Frankston is part of theDunkley electorate.^[257] The seat has been held by theAustralian Labor Party since 2019. Following the2024 Dunkley by-election, the sitting member of parliament for Dunkley isJodie Belyea.

The state and federal electorates that Frankston is located in are often referred to as part of the "Melbourne Sandbelt" in the media.^[258][259] The term was coined to describe an area from the Melbourne inner-southeastern suburb ofSandringham south to Frankston that has a large amount ofgolf courses,^[260][261] but is also used to describe the electorates of the area during state and federal government elections.^[258][259]

Frankston's main economic activities are in the health care, retail,hospitality, and education industries.^[262][263] Two hospitals, numerous health care providers, two regional shopping centres, ahard goodsretail park, a university campus, a largeTAFE institute as well as various secondary and primary schools are all located within the suburb and are a significant source of employment.

According to the 2011 Australian census, 7.6% of Frankston residents are employed in the health care industry (hospital/residential care services)—making it the largest industry of employment for the suburb.^[262] It is followed by 6.8% of residents that are employed in the retail/hospitality industry and 4% in the schools/education industry.^[262]

Gross regional product (GRP) of the broaderCity of Frankston area wasA$4.7billion in 2014.^[263] A$251.9 million of GRP was also generated directly from tourism in the Frankston area in 2010,^[264] and is a contributor to the A$2.2 billion tourism industry of the greater Mornington Peninsula region.^[265] Frankston became a popular seaside destination of Melbourne in the 1880s.^[4] And, since the early-2000s, tourism is being reestablished as a key industry in the area.^[264] Frankston City Council prepared its first tourism strategy for the area in 2003, which continues to have a focus on its beach and waterfront,cultural andnatural heritage, major events and festivals, performing andvisual arts, as well as restaurants andshopping—with the majority of which being located within the suburb of Frankston.^[264]

Currently the suburb of Frankston is defined by theVictorian state Metropolitan Planning Authority as one of nineactivity centres in themetropolitan area of Melbourne.^[3] It is also under consideration to be redefined as a "national employment cluster" for its industry strengths in health care and education, as well as for being both an economic hub and a tourism destination within the greaterMornington Peninsula region.^[265][266]

Bayside Shopping Centre is a super-regional shopping centre, and the largest in Frankston and on theMornington Peninsula. It is owned byVicinity Centres (after merging withNovion Property Group in 2015).^[267] It has over 250 speciality stores, restaurants and food outlets.^[267][268] It opened in the Frankston Central Business District (CBD) as three separate malls but slowly came under one jurisdiction. It additionally has an entertainment precinct on Wells Street.

Karingal Hub Shopping Centre is a regional shopping centre serving the locality ofKaringal and neighbouring locations, being the second largestmall in Frankston. It is owned and managed by Industry Superannuation Property Trust (ISPT).^[269] It encompasses a double-storey mall with an entertainment precinct, also featuring a 'Town Square' designed to bring its locality together. It opened in 1978 on the intersection of Cranbourne Road and Karingal Drive.

Just outside of Bayside Shopping Centre, the biggestshopping street in Frankston is Wells Street. It has a variety ofboutiques, independent retailers,cafés and food outlets and used to feature afarmers' market on every Thursday morning on an adjacent street, which doesn't run anymore.^[270][271] In the middle of 2015, Frankston City Council spent A$3.5 million on upgrades to the road.^[272]

Off of Wells Street, to the north (leading to the southern entrance of Bayside Shopping Centre), Shannon Mall is apedestrian mall run by Bayside Shopping Centre that additionally has a number of independent retailers and cafés.

Many restaurants are located in the Frankston CBD, with a large concentration on theNepean Highway, and cover a variety of cuisines which include:Australian (modern),Chinese (Cantonese,dumplings and modern),French,Indian (North andSouth),Italian,Japanese (includingsashimi/sushi andteppanyaki specifically),Mediterranean (Greek and modern),Middle Eastern,North American (Mexican and modern grill),South American (Argentine and modern),Southeast Asian (fusion),Thai,Vegetarian andVietnamese (includingPho specifically).^[273][274]

TheFrankston Power Centre is a regionalhard goodsretail park owned by SPG Investments.^[275] It has 20 large format stores mainly retailinghousehold goods andelectronics as well as play centre and food outlets.^[276] It is located between the Frankston CBD and Karingal, near the corner of Cranbourne Road and McMahons Road.

The northwest of the suburb has a number of automotive dealerships, mainly located on Dandenong Road.

Theintersection of Davey Street andNepean Highway in the Frankston Central Business District (CBD) has been known as a "hotel corner" since the 1890s,^[96] and contemporarily as "pub corner".^[26] The hotels and pubs on its northwest, northeast and southwest corners, have been operating continuously from this time. Around 100 years later, in the mid-1990s, they were joined by a nightclub on its southeast corner.^[97]

The first pub in the Frankston area, the Cannanuke Inn,^[24] was located near the southeast corner of the intersection (on the present site of the Frankston Mechanics' Institute at 1 Plowman Place).^[27] It was built by pre-emptive Frankston settler James Davey in the mid-1840s.^[4][26] The first hotel on a corner of the intersection, the Frankston Hotel, located on its northwest corner, was licensed on 12 December 1854.^[54] The second, the Bay View Hotel, located on its northeast corner, was licensed on 15 November 1873.^[69] It was built by James Davey's grandson William Davey Jr.^[69] The third, the Prince of Wales Hotel, located on its southwest corner, was licensed on 8 December 1884.^[94] They have all been remodelled or demolished and rebuilt over the years.

Its southeast corner has had a chequered history. It was the site of Frankston's Commonwealth Post Office which was built in 1910, and later remodelled with atelephone exchange in 1927 and expanded again in 1941.^[118] It ceased operation as a post office and telephone exchange in the 1980s, after which it was remodelled as Chinese restaurant and later as a Captain Americatheme restaurant. It was remodelled again as anightclub named The Saloon during the mid-1990s, and Monkey Bar during the 2000s, and even became astrip club briefly,^[97] before being remodelled as an upmarket pub in 2013.

McClelland Gallery and Sculpture Park is a major publicart gallery in Frankston and on theMornington Peninsula. It was established in 1971, through the bequest of poet Annie May (Nan) McClelland, in honour of her artist brother Harry McClelland.^[160] Located at 390 McClelland Drive on the border of Frankston and theCity of Frankston suburb ofLangwarrin, it is the leadingsculpture park in Australia.^[163][164] It is set in 16hectares of formal park and natural reserve with a permanent collection of over 100 large-scale sculptures by artists such asPeter Corlett,Inge King,Clement Meadmore,Lenton Parr andNorma Redpath.^[160][162] During its first 40 years of operation its governor wasphilanthropist DameElisabeth Murdoch,^[161] and it has been supported by the Elisabeth Murdoch Sculpture Foundation since 1989.^[162] As of 2015, its current director is John Cunningham.^[164] It has over 130,000 visitors annually.^[165]

Four artists groups are also based on the grounds of McClelland Gallery and Sculpture Park,^[277] which are the McClelland Guild of Artists,^[278] McClelland Spinners and Weavers,^[277] Frankston Lapidary Club,^[279] and Peninsula Woodturners Guild.^[280]

The largest and oldest artists group in Frankston and on the Mornington Peninsula is the Peninsula Arts Society which has its ownstudios and gallery inFrankston South and was founded in 1954.^[281] Other artists groups in the suburb are Frankston Photography Club which is one of the largest in the metropolitan area of Melbourne and was founded in 1955,^[282][283] and theIndigenous Australian artists' collective Baluk Arts which was founded in 2009.^[284]

Frankston also has over 50 sculptures in public places.^[285] Most are located around the Frankston Central Business District (CBD) and at the Frankston Waterfront. Larger additions areSentinel, a 5-metre wooden sculpture inspired by thedeityeaglehawk spiritBunjil (from the Indigenous AustralianDreamtime mythology) on Young Street by artist Bruce Armstrong;^[41]The Power of Community in Beauty Park bymosaic artistDeborah Halpern;Sightlines along Frankston Pier by installation artist Louise Laverack, which consists of 22nautical flag-themedweather vanes and light panels that reflect the movement of the waves below;^[286] and a life-sizebronze statue of Dame Elisabeth Murdoch by sculptor Peter Corlett in the foyer of theFrankston Arts Centre.^[287]

Southern Way, the operator of thePeninsulaLinkfreeway, has a partnership with McClelland Gallery and Sculpture Park to place sculptures at the intersection of Cranbourne Road.^[288] The sculptures are replaced every two years with the previous being transferred to McClelland Gallery and Sculpture Park until 2037.^[288][289] The first was a wind-activatedkinetic sculpture named theTree of Life by artistPhil Price, which was installed in 2012 and immediately became popular with residents and motorists.^[289] It was replaced in 2015 with a controversial 9-metrechrome-coloured sculpture of agarden gnome namedReflective Lullaby by artist Gregor Kregar.^[290][291]

In addition to permanent sculpture, Frankston is also home to Sand Sculpting Australia's annualsand festival.^[178][179] Held over four months from 26 December at the Frankston Waterfront, it is the largest exhibition ofsand art in Australia and one of the largest in the Southern Hemisphere.^{[178][180][181]}

Frankston has a number of performing arts groups, including:amateur theatre companies, amateur and professionalchoirs, aconcert band, an orchestra and acircus troupe. The largest of these groups is the Frankston Music Society which was founded by concert pianistVera Bradford in 1967.^[292] It incorporates theFrankston Symphony Orchestra which was established in 1968, and the Mornington Peninsula Chorale which was established in 1979.^[292] Frankston City Band is the oldest music group in the suburb and was founded in 1949.^[293] Frankston is also home to theAustralian Welsh Male Choir which was founded in the suburb in 1974.^[294]

Frankston Theatre Group is the oldest dramatic theatre company in the suburb and was founded in 1942.^[295] There are also two musical theatre companies in the suburb, Peninsula Light Operatic Society (PLOS) and Panorama Theatre Company, which were founded in 1960 and 1979 respectively.^[296][297] Smaller theatre companies include: theyouth theatre company People's Playhouse which was founded in 1995,^[298] and the contemporary theatre company Little Theatre which was founded by actorKaarin Fairfax in 2009.^[299] Frankston is also home to the Hip Cat Youth Circus troupe which was founded at the Frankston Arts Centre in 2006.^[300]

TheFrankston Arts Centre is the largestart centre in Frankston and on theMornington Peninsula, as well as one of the largest in themetropolitan area of Melbourne, which is owned by Frankston City Council.^[301] Located on the corner of Davey Street and Young Street in the Frankston Central Business District (CBD), and designed by architectDaryl Jackson, it opened in 1995.^[172] It houses an 800-seat theatre with the second largestproscenium arched stage in Victoria.^[173] Along with its 194-seat flexible theatre named Cube37, it also houses exhibition space, astudio andworkshop and a 500-seatfunction hall.^[174] It plays host to both state and national performing arts companies including regular shows by theMelbourne Symphony Orchestra andVictorian Opera and as a tour venue for theAustralian Opera,Bell Shakespeare Company,Melbourne International Film Festival,Sydney Dance Company, and a number of other major production companies.^[302] It serves over 250,000 patrons annually.^[174]

The George Jenkins Theatre is a 426-seat theatre, and the second largest in Frankston, which is owned byMonash University.^[303] It is located at thePeninsula campus, on McMahons Road in Frankston, and is a theatre of the Monash Academy of Performing Arts (MAPA), but is also used by local performing arts groups.^[304] It opened in 1973 as part of the former Frankston Teachers' College (which was located on the site of the Peninsula campus) and was named after its long-serving principal.^[305]

A strong contemporary music scene is centred around "pub corner" (the hotels and pub at theintersection of Davey Street andNepean Highway) in the Frankston CBD, anda number of successful musicians and bands have come from the suburb, such as28 Days,^[306]The Basics,^[307]Lee Harding,^[308]Madison Avenue,^[309]Superheist,^[310] andthe Belair Lip Bombs.^[311]

The Christmas Festival of Lights has been held annually in early December since 1998,^[312] and is the largest in Frankston's events calendar. It takes place outside the Frankston Civic Centre andFrankston Arts Centre on the corners of Davey Street and Young Street (which are closed to traffic during the festival) in the Frankston central business district (CBD).^[313] The festival includes:carnival rides, community activities and exhibitions,food stalls, livecarols and music,parades and aSanta Claus procession.^[312][313] The festival culminates with the lighting of the 100 ft and 100-year-old Norfolk pine tree (Araucaria heterophylla) outside the Frankston Civic Centre and is followed by a largefireworks display.^[312][313] The festival night attracts over 45,000 people.^[312]

Frankston Waterfront Festival is a celebration of Frankston's seaside location that is held annually over a weekend in mid-January.^[314] The festival takes place at the Frankston Waterfront precinct and includes: carnival rides, community activities and exhibitions, fireworks display, afood and wine market, live music andwater activities along Frankston Beach and Kananook Creek.^[314][315] The festival also coincides with Sand Sculpting Australia's annual exhibition,^[314][315] which is the largest display ofsand sculpting annually in Australia.^[180][181]The exhibition attracts Australian and international artists who sculpt 3,500tonnes ofsand into artwork according to an annual theme. It opens onBoxing Day each year and runs till the end of April. The Frankston Waterfront Festival weekend attracts around 25,000 people,^[316] and the Sand Sculpting Australia exhibition attracts over 230,000 people during its four-month run.^[317]

Ventana Fiesta is boutique festival celebrating Latin American, Portuguese and Spanish culture held annually since 2006.^[318] It is staged over a month between February and March.^[318] It takes place at sites around Frankston andCarrum Downs, and includes: Ventana Arte – an art andcraft market;^[318] Ventana Film – a film festival;^[318][319] Ventana Musica –traditional music performances;^[318] FEVA Cup – abeach soccer tournament;^[318][320] and culminates with the Ventana Street Fiesta – a live music anddance party held in Wells Street Plaza in the Frankston CBD.^[318] Frankston is also asister city toSusono in Japan, and the Frankston-Susono Friendship Association stages a Japanese Cultural Fair annually at the Frankston Arts Centre.^[321]

TheGreek Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia's Blessing of the Waters ceremony is a Christian religious event held at Frankston Beach.^[322] According to localGreek Orthodox customs, a wooden cross is thrown intoPort Phillip from Frankston Pier and swimmers then race to retrieve it.^[323] The swimmer who retrieves the cross is said to be blessed with 12 months of prosperity and good luck.^[322][323] InEastern Christian tradition, the event is held to commemorate thebaptism of Jesus in theJordan River, and takes place onEpiphany Day (6 January).^[322] Frankston was the first place in the state ofVictoria to stage the ceremony, which has been held at Frankston Beach for over 50 years.^[322] A Greek cultural celebration at the Frankston Waterfront follows the ceremony, which includes: traditional music, dancing and food.^[322]

Good Friday in Frankston is a Christian religious event that has been held at the Frankston Waterfront since 2005. It is staged by City Life Church and the Frankston Ministers' Network.^[324] In Christian tradition, the event is held to commemorate thecrucifixion of Jesus, and takes place onGood Friday (Western Christian date observance). The "Road to Jerusalem" is a procession that reenacts theSanhedrin trial,carrying of the cross and crucifixion of Jesus which takes place during the event.^[324][325] It proceeds through the streets of the Frankston CBD to the Frankston Waterfront and is followed by a celebration, which includes:Christian music and community activities and exhibitions.^[325]

The suburb of Frankston is at the centre of a large health care industry within the broaderCity of Frankston area—which is a health care hub for the greaterMornington Peninsula region.^{[3][263][265]} Health care is also the largest industry of employment for the suburb, with 7.6% of Frankston residents being employed in the hospital/residential care services sector.^[262] Four hospitals providingsecondary,tertiary and specialist care are located in the suburb supported by numerousprimary care providers in the surrounding area.

According to Australian Government data collected from the formerMedicare Local system; between 2011 and 2012, 84% of residents in the combined City of Frankston andShire of Mornington Peninsulacatchment area rated their health as being either "good" or higher.^[326] This is close to the average of 85% in Australia, according to theOrganisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)Better Life Index,^[327] which is correlated from the Medicare Local system data.^[328]

Advancements in health care have taken place in Frankston and have been led by Frankston people for over a hundred years. First duringWorld War I, when amilitary hospital was established in theCity of Frankston suburb ofLangwarrin in order to treatAustralian soldiers returning withvenereal disease fromEgypt andFrance.^[102][123] Between 1915 and 1916, research at the hospital led to reducing the length of venereal disease and halving the cost of its treatment.^[123] It also advanced the burgeoning field ofoccupational therapy in Australia, during this time.^[123]

In the second half of the 20th century; the FrankstonvirologistRuth Bishop lead the research team that discovered therotavirus in 1973,^[329] and the Frankstonmicrosurgeon Graeme Miller lead the surgical team that performed the world's first successful scalp replantation in 1976.^[330][331] At the turn of the 21st century, research intobotulinum toxin injection therapy forparalysis atFrankston Rehabilitation Hospital by therehabilitation specialist Nathan Johns resulted in astroke victim standing and walking again in 2009 after being paralysed for 20 years.^[332][333]

Further information:Frankston Hospital andSt John of God Frankston Rehabilitation Hospital

Frankston Hospital is a major 340 bedpublic hospital, and the largest in Frankston and on the Mornington Peninsula, which is a part of the Peninsula Health Care network. It is the chief provider ofacute secondary and tertiary care for the broaderCity of Frankston area and the greater Mornington Peninsula region. It opened in 1941 at 2 Hastings Road in Frankston, and has been significantly expanded over time. Its most recent expansion included anA$81 millionemergency department in 2015—which is one of the largest and busiest in Victoria. It is ateaching hospital affiliated with nearbyMonash University as well asDeakin University.

Peninsula Private Hospital is a 166-bedprivate hospital, and the second largest hospital in Frankston, owned by Australian Unity and a part of theRamsay Health Care network. It provides acute secondary and some tertiary care and also has a number of primary care providers. The original hospital opened in 1976 and was located on Cranbourne Road in the Frankston locality ofKaringal. The current hospital, at 525 McClelland Drive in Karingal, was built in 1999. It was expanded with a newintensive care unit in 2012, and a A$55 million emergency department in 2016. It is also a teaching hospital.

Frankston Rehabilitation Hospital is a 69-bed privaterehabilitation hospital, and the largest in Frankston and on the Mornington Peninsula, owned by theSt John of God Health Care network. It is a major provider ofspecialist physical andneurological rehabilitation care in the broader City of Frankston area and the greater Mornington Peninsula region.^[334] It opened in 2000 and is located at 255–265 Cranbourne Road in Karingal—the former site of the Peninsula Private Hospital.^[334]

Frankston Private Day Surgery is a 27-bed privateoutpatient surgery owned by Generation Health Care and a part of theHealthscope and Genesis health care networks.^[335][336] It providessurgical andoncological procedures and also has some primary care providers.^[336] It opened in 2006 and is located at 24–28 Frankston-Flinders Road in Frankston.^[336] In 2015, Healthscope announced plans to expand the outpatient surgery to an inpatient hospital named Frankston Private Hospital.^[337] The hospital is to be built in three stages and will have an additional 150 beds.^[337] The first stage, initially providing an additional 60 beds, will cost A$35 million.^[337]

Frankston City Council's Peninsula Aquatic Recreation Centre (Frankston PARC) is the largest health and aquatic recreation facility in Frankston and on the Mornington Peninsula.^[190] It has four swimming pools, including anOlympic-size pool (50 metres) and one of the largest warm-water exercise and rehabilitation pools in Victoria;^[338] a gym and ahealth and wellness centre as well as other related facilities; and providesfitness programs and is home to a number of swimming squads.^[191][339] It opened in 2014 and is located on the corner of Cranbourne Road and Olive Grove near the Frankston Central Business District (CBD).^[190]

Monash Peninsula Activity and Recreation Centre (Monash PARC) is another large health and recreation facility, and the second largest in Frankston, which is owned byMonash University.^[340] It includes the Peninsula Health and Fitness Centre;^[341] anexercise physiology lab as well as a movement and performance studio; and is associated with thephysical education,occupational therapy andphysiotherapy programs of the university.^[340] It is located at thePeninsula campus of Monash University on McMahons Road in Frankston and is open to the public.^[340]

The suburb of Frankston also supports a number of community level clubs forAustralian rules football, cricket, golf, rugby league, basketball, netball, soccer and tennis, as well as baseball, hockey, badminton, volleyball, gymnastics, athletics and croquet clubs. The beach area supports a yacht club, a surf lifesaving club and the state's oldestAustralian Volunteer Coast Guard flotilla. Frankston also boasts one of the largest public skate parks in Australia, and urban skateboarding is popular.

Football (soccer) has fast become one of the most popular sports played at a junior level in the Frankston area with playing numbers increasing every year.Langwarrin Soccer Club andFrankston Pines are the leading clubs in the Frankston area both participating in theVictorian State League 1. Other teams in the area are Seaford United, Peninsula Strikers, Skye United and Baxter.

Australian rules football is popular in the suburb, and is played at both a regional and state level. The Frankston Bombers, Karingal Bulls and Frankston Y.C.W. Stonecats play in the regionalMornington Peninsula Nepean Football League (in the Peninsula and Nepean Divisions respectively). The state club in the suburb is theFrankston Football Club, which plays in the Victorian Football League. In previous years, Frankston was the recruiting zone for professionalAustralian Football League clubs,Hawthorn, and laterSt Kilda, and many star players from each team were recruited from Frankston (seeList of people from Frankston).

The St Kilda Football Club signed a deal with theCity of Frankston in 2007 to relocate its training base to Belvedere Park inSeaford.^[342] The deal included a $10 million development of a training and administration facility which was completed in 2010, based on the facilities of the UK'sChelsea andAston Villa football clubs.^[343]

Indoor and outdoor beach volleyball is also becoming increasingly popular in the suburb of Frankston. 2008 marked the inauguration of the Frankston Beach Volleyball Series (part of theVirgin Blue Beach Volleyball Series) which attracted A-list players, including OlympianTamsin Barnett. The event was also broadcast on national television and, on the first day, theNine Network'sToday broadcast live from the event.^[344]

Frankston Raiders play rugby league in NRL Victoria.

Frankston South Community & Recreation Centre is home to Mornington Peninsula Badminton Inc.

Many sporting fields and some small stadiums exist in the suburb. The historicFrankston Park (home of theVictorian Football League'sFrankston Football Club) and the Frankston Basketball Stadium (home of theAustralian Basketball Association'sFrankston Blues). There are three golf courses in Frankston, the 1912-established Frankston Golf Course, Centenary Park Golf Course and the Peninsula Country Club (with two more in the greaterCity of Frankston). Also, the City of Frankston Bowling Club (lawn bowls) once hosted the World Bowls Tournament in 1980.^[345] The men's singles event was won byDavid Bryant.

Variousinstitutions are located in Frankston that support each level of education—early/kindergarten, primary, secondary,special development,technical and higher/university. Education is also the third largest industry of employment for the suburb, with 4% of Frankston residents being employed in the schools/education sector.^[262]

There are 11 primary schools in the suburb; eight of which areVictorian stategovernment schools, and three that areCatholic-aligned independent schools. There are four secondary schools in the suburb;Frankston High School,McClelland College andMount Erin College are state government schools,^{[346][347][348]} andJohn Paul College is a Catholic independent school.^[349] There are also two special development schools in the suburb; Frankston Special Development School and the Naranga School, which are state government schools, and provideK–12 (early, primary and secondary) education to students with varyingintellectual disabilities.^[350][351]

Frankston Primary School (No. 1464) on Davey Street in Frankston is the oldest school in the suburb—continually operating at its original site—which is a state government school and was established in 1874.^[70] Its old school house dates from 1889 and is now operated as an education history museum by the Frankston Historical Society.^[70][104] TheWoodleigh School is the oldest school in the broader City of Frankston area, which is asecular K–12 independent school and was established in 1856.^[64] It was formerly located in the suburb of Frankston, on High Street, until it relocated its junior campus toFrankston South in 1970 and its senior campus toLangwarrin South in 1975.^[64]

Frankston High School is one of the most reputable state government schools in Victoria with an excellent academic record attained through a range of extension programs.^[253] Admittance to the school is determined by residing within itscatchment area.Real estate agents market residential properties as being near the school more often than any other, exceptBalwyn High School, in the Melbourne inner-eastern suburb ofBalwyn North.^[252] Research from the Real Estate Institute of Victoria (REIV) also identified that properties in the catchment area of the school sell for 16.9% more than others in Frankston compared with 4% more in Balwyn North.^[252]

The Frankston campus ofChisholm Institute is the largest provider oftechnical and further education (TAFE) in Frankston and on theMornington Peninsula.^[352] Established at the turn of the 20th century, it was initially named Frankston Technical School, (no it wasn't, was originally Frankston High School 12 Feb 1924^{[citation needed]}) and was one of the first in Victoria.^[352][353] It later became the Frankston College of TAFE in 1974, before merging with a number of other colleges of TAFE in the southeastmetropolitan area of Melbourne to form the Chisholm Institute in 1998.^[352] The institute takes its name from the former Chisholm Institute of Technology, which had a campus in Frankston before merging withMonash University in 1990, and had taken its name from the 19th century humanitarianCaroline Chisholm.^[352] It is located on Fletcher Road in the Frankston Central Business District (CBD).^[352]

The fifth largest campus of Monash University is located in the suburb, on McMahons Road in Frankston, and was established in 1990.^[305] Named thePeninsula campus, it is unique among Monash University campuses in that it focuses on the industry strengths specific to area it is located in. For Frankston, this includes: commerce, education andhealth (with an emphasis oncommunity andemergency health).^[354] It is also affiliated with nearbyFrankston Hospital.^[355] The campus is located on the site of the former Chisholm Institute of Technology, which was founded in 1983, and merged with Monash University in 1990.^[305] It was also the Frankston Teachers' College from 1959 to 1973, as well as the State College of Victoria from 1974 to 1982.^[305] Before becoming an academic campus in 1959, the site was a residential property named Struan.^[305] AnArts and Crafts stylecountry house built on the property dates from 1924, and now serves as the postgraduate students' centre of the campus.^[305]

Being one of the southernmost suburbs of themetropolitan area of Melbourne, as well as the gateway to theMornington Peninsula, Frankston is extensively serviced by both railway androadway. In particular, theFrankston railway line (named so becauseFrankston railway station is the last metropolitan station on the line) connects the suburb directly with theMelbourne central business district. The regionalStony Point railway line then runs from Frankston and connects it with the eastern suburbs and towns of theShire of Mornington Peninsula.

A public transportterminus, with Frankston railway station at its centre, is located on Young Street in the Frankston Central Business District (CBD). From the terminus, local bus services run throughout the suburbs of the broaderCity of Frankston area, and connect it with the suburbs of the neighbouring cities ofCasey,Dandenong andKingston. Regional bus services also run from the terminus, and connect the suburb with the western suburbs and towns of the Shire of Mornington Peninsula. All rail lines and bus services use theMykiticketing system, and the suburb is located in Zone 2 of theMelbourne public transport network.^[356]

By road, theA$2.5billionEastLinktollway, which opened in 2008, connects the suburbs of the City of Frankston directly with the suburbs of the neighbouring City of Dandenong, as well as the cities ofMaroondah andWhitehorse.^[357] The A$759 millionPeninsulaLink freeway, which opened in 2013, connects with EastLink at the City of Frankston suburb ofSeaford in the north and ends at the Shire of Mornington Peninsula town ofMount Martha in the south.^[358] The freeway also includes a 50 kmshared use path, which connects with the EastLink path at the neighbouring City of Kingston suburb ofPatterson Lakes in the north, and ends at the Shire of Mornington Peninsula town ofMoorooduc in the south.^[359]

In addition to themajor media services of Melbourne, Frankston is also served by a weekly local newspaper theFrankston Times, published by Mornington Peninsula News Group.^[360] TheNews Limited weekly local newspaperFrankston Standard Leader ceased publication in 2020 and is now an online-only publication.^[361]

• Notable people from Frankston
• 
  The Rt. Hon.Viscount Bruce of Melbourne, 8thPrime Minister of Australia
• 
  Lt. Gen. SirVernon Sturdee,Chief of the Australian Army duringWorld War II
• 
  DameElisabeth Murdoch,philanthropist
• 
  Graham Kennedy, "king of Australian television"
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  Prof.Ruth Bishop,virologist who discovered therotavirus
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  Leigh Matthews,Australian rules football "player of the century"

Tones and I, Singer-Songwriter

Wikimedia Commons has media related toFrankston, Victoria.

• City of Frankston (former) – Frankston was previously within this former local government area.
• Karingal andOlivers Hill – localities within the suburb of Frankston.
• Melbourne – themetropolitan area of which the suburb of Frankston is a part.