Hoppers Crossing, Victoria

Hoppers Crossing is a suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 23.1 km south-west of Melbourne's Central Business District, located within the City of Wyndham local government area. Hoppers Crossing recorded a population of 38,701 at the 2016 Census.

The suburb is named after the family of Stephen Hopper (1832-1908), who were residents in the area. In the late 19th century, Hopper's wife, Elizabeth, was the gatekeeper at the level crossing where Hoppers Lane (Old Melbourne Road) crossed the Geelong-Melbourne railway, adjacent to the present Hoppers Crossing railway station.

History

Until 1963, the only notable feature of Hoppers Crossing was a general store. In 1963, the first subdivision of residential land took place. Hoppers Crossing grew rapidly into the 1970s, and the Post Office opened on 2 June 1975.
The suburb's first shopping centre, Woodville Park, was built and in 1970, its first primary school, Mossfiel Primary School, had its initial student intake.

Population
In the 2016 Census, there were 38,701 people in Hoppers Crossing. 58.8% of people were born in Australia. The next most common countries of birth were India 5.9%, New Zealand 2.7%, Philippines 2.6%, England 2.2% and Myanmar 1.8%. 60.5% of people spoke only English at home. Other languages spoken at home included Arabic 2.6%, Punjabi 2.0%, Italian 1.9%, Mandarin 1.7% and Hindi 1.6%. The most common responses for religion were Catholic 27.4%, No Religion 22.4% and Anglican 8.1%.

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

Werribee Plaza opened in 1985. It was modernised between 2000 and 2006. Several significant redesigns and extensions have been built. It now includes retailers such as Myer, Woolworths, Big W, Kmart, Coles, JB Hi-Fi, Adairs, a Village Cinemas complex, Best & Less and many more. The Victorian State Government announced plans of a $400 million upgrade, which has more than doubled the plaza's retail space. The plaza is slightly smaller than Highpoint, the biggest shopping centre in Melbourne's West.
A smaller shopping centre, Hogans Corner, was established in 1997-1998. 

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

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

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

Fauna and flora

Until recently Skeleton Creek had healthy populations of native reptiles, including;
 Tiger snake
 Eastern Blue-tongued Lizard
 Eastern brown snake
 Striped skink
 Stump-tailed skink
Brush tail possum

Due to development the numbers of some species are declining in the area. However, tiger snakes and eastern brown snakes have been seen around the area recently.

Education

State schools and colleges
Primary schools
 Bellbridge Primary School
 Baden Powell College, formerly Derrimut Heath Primary School
 - Derrimut Heath Campus
 - Tarneit P-9 Campus
 The Grange P-12 College
 - Callistemon Campus
 Mossfiel Primary School
 Woodville Primary School
 Cambridge Primary School

Secondary colleges
 Hoppers Crossing Secondary College
 The Grange P-12 College's Deloraine Campus
 Suzanne Cory High School is a select entry school.

Catholic schools and colleges
Primary Schools
 St Peter Apostle
 St James the Apostle Primary School

Other religious and grammar colleges
 Heathdale Christian College (Prep to Year 12)
 Westbourne Grammar School
 - Westbourne Campus (Prep to Year 12), in nearby Truganina. 
Thomas Carr college

Universities
 Victoria University and TAFE.
 - Werribee Campus

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

Transport
Hoppers Crossing is served by the Hoppers Crossing railway station, located to the south of the suburb, on the Werribee line. When opened in 1970, it was a small station on the western side of the Old Geelong Road level crossing on the Geelong line, served by only a few diesel-hauled trains each day. In 1983, the station was relocated to the eastern side of the level crossing, in conjunction with electrification of the line to Werribee. It was not until the mid-1990s that Hoppers Crossing started to receive train services comparable with the rest of suburban Melbourne. 

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

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

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

A new railway line opened in 2015, the Regional Rail Link, travels from West Werribee through Tarneit to Deer Park and includes a new railway station at Tarneit. The new station, built near the north east corner of Derrimut and Leakes Roads, provides a much faster service than the current Werribee railway line, which must pass through Altona and Footscray. It has car parking with 1,000 spaces, ensuring Tarneit becomes a prime regional area for those who commute to the city on a regular basis. Regional Rail Link also connects the Melton and Werribee railway lines and re-direct Geelong V/Line trains from the Werribee Line. Regional Rail Link opened on 21 June 2015, with Tarneit railway station coming under metropolitan zone 2.

Sports

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

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

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

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

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

References

Category:Suburbs of Melbourne