View source for Cockatoo, Victoria

{{more footnotes needed|date=August 2019}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2019}}
{{Use Australian English|date=August 2019}}
{{Infobox Australian place | type = town
| name     = Cockatoo
| city     = Melbourne
| state    = vic
| image    = cockatoo102.jpg
| caption  = McBride Street
| alternative_location_map = Australia Victoria metropolitan Melbourne
| coordinates = {{coord|37.935|S|145.492|E|display=inline,title}}
| pushpin_label_position = left
| pushpin_map_caption = Location in metropolitan Melbourne
| lga      = Shire of Cardinia
| postcode = 3781
| pop      = 4,408
| pop_year = {{CensusAU|2021}}
| pop_footnotes = <ref name="abs">{{Census 2021 AUS | id = SAL20600 | name = Cockatoo (Vic.) (Suburbs and Localities) | accessdate = 9 July 2022 | quick = on}}</ref> 
| est      = 
| elevation= 158
| maxtemp  = 29.43
| mintemp  = 14.7
| rainfall = 658
| stategov = [[Electoral district of Monbulk|Monbulk]]
| fedgov   = [[Division of La Trobe|La Trobe]]
| dist1    = 48
| location1= [[Melbourne]]
| dist2    = 17
| location2= [[Belgrave, Victoria|Belgrave]]
| near-nw  = [[Avonsleigh, Victoria|Avonsleigh]]
| near-n   = [[Macclesfield, Victoria|Macclesfield]]
| near-ne  = [[Nangana, Victoria|Nangana]]
| near-w   = [[Emerald, Victoria|Emerald]]
| near-e   = [[Gembrook, Victoria|Gembrook]]
| near-sw  = [[Dewhurst, Victoria|Dewhurst]]
| near-s   = [[Mount Burnett, Victoria|Mount Burnett]]
| near-se  = [[Mount Burnett, Victoria|Mount Burnett]]
| local_map = yes
| zoom      = 11
}}

[[File:cockatoosign.jpg|thumb|Sign along Pakenham Road]]

'''Cockatoo''' is a town in [[Victoria (Australia)|Victoria]], [[Australia]], 48&nbsp;km south-east of [[Melbourne|Melbourne's]] [[Melbourne central business district|central business district]], located within the [[Shire of Cardinia]] [[Local government areas of Victoria|local government area]]. Cockatoo recorded a population of 4,408 at the [[2021 Australian census|2021 census]].<ref name=abs/>

Cockatoo is named after Cockatoo Creek, which runs through the town, and which the town was previously named.

==History==

Cockatoo was named after Cockatoo Creek. It was first settled in the 1870s but progress was tardy as the land was difficult to clear.

A Post Office was not opened until 1 November 1901 when the railway arrived and was known as Cockatoo Creek until 1917.<ref name = "a">{{Citation| last = Premier Postal History  | title = Post Office List | url = https://www.premierpostal.com/cgi-bin/wsProd.sh/Viewpocdwrapper.p?SortBy=VIC&country= | accessdate = 2008-04-11 }}</ref>

Shortly after the end of the [[World War I]], a large number of immigrants went to live in Cockatoo while working in Melbourne. The most significant wave was made by Italians. Timbergetting was the major source of employment and this industry received a considerable boost when the [[Narrow gauge lines of the Victorian Railways|narrow-gauge railway]] from Upper Ferntree Gully to Gembrook was completed in 1900. Moreover, the railway brought leisure-seeking Melburnians into the area and a market for subdivision arose. The [[Heritage railway|railway]] is operated today as the [[Puffing Billy Railway]].

Cockatoo was one of the worst-hit townships during the disastrous 1983 [[Ash Wednesday Bushfires]], where over 300 buildings were destroyed and 6 lives lost.

==Present day==

Cockatoo has a community shopping centre which includes supermarket, hairdressing salon, smokehouse, pharmacy, yoga studio, opportunity shop, cafés and various takeaway stores. Cockatoo has recently built a town centre garden square.

===Services===

A mobile library service is available at the Community Hall carpark on Thursday evenings. The town has a community garden site at Elma Treloar Reserve growing various fruit and vegetables. Cockatoo Primary School, near the town centre, recently celebrated its centenary.

Other services in the town include:
* Kindergartens
* Youth & Health Centres
* Bendigo Bank Branch
* Licensed Post Office
* Church
* Charity Store
* Country Fire Authority (CFA) Station
* [[Returned and Services League of Australia|RSL]] Club
* Child Care Centre
* Veterinary  clinic

===Community organisations===
* Cockatoo Neighbourhood House
* Hills Community Gardens
* [[Men's shed]]

===Sporting===

Cockatoo has two main sporting areas: Mountain Road reserve, which has a [[Australian Rules Football|football]] oval, netball courts, indoor YMCA Stadium and Little Athletics Course; and Bailey Road tennis courts. The Josie Bysouth reserve is a smaller ground mainly used for equestrian events and pony club. The main sport of the town is [[Australian Rules Football]] with the Gembrook-Cockatoo Football Club or "Brookers" representing the town in both the local senior and junior leagues in the [[Yarra Valley Mountain District Football League]].<ref name="d">{{Citation|last=Full Points Footy |title=Gembrook-Cockatoo |url=http://www.fullpointsfooty.net/Gembrook_Cockatoo.htm |accessdate=2008-07-25 |url-status=usurped |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20080430063200/http://www.fullpointsfooty.net/gembrook_cockatoo.htm |archivedate=30 April 2008 }}</ref>

The town's other sporting teams include netball, cricket, tennis, equestrian, basketball, athletics and soccer.

A BMX track was constructed along Alma Treloar Reserve where it was opened to the public in 2020.

===Township Committee===

Cockatoo has a committee that lobbies local and state governments for funding and local recognition of the town; the committee meets monthly and discusses local issues and projects.

==Transport==

[[File:Bus stop on Bailey Road, Cockatoo, Victoria, Australia (2006).jpg|thumb|Bus stop on Bailey Road]]

The area is served by [[List of Melbourne bus routes|bus route]] 695 operated from [[Belgrave, Victoria|Belgrave]] by [[Ventura Bus Lines]].<ref>{{cite PTV route|695}}</ref> This service is extended to [[Westfield Fountain Gate]] shopping centre on Friday/Saturday (695F) and to Dandenong Market on Tuesdays.<ref>{{cite PTV route|695F}}</ref> This route is about to undergo an extensive overhaul including operating to a 40-minute frequency on weekdays until 10 pm. Other improvements include a new Sunday timetable and a Saturday timetable operating from 6 am to 10 pm. Cockatoo is indirectly served by route 838 ([[Emerald, Victoria|Emerald]] to Fountain Gate Shopping Centre via [[Berwick, Victoria|Berwick]]) provided by [https://web.archive.org/web/20180316073250/http://www.grenda.com.au/ Cardinia Transit], which connects with route 695 at Emerald.<ref>{{cite PTV route|838}}</ref>

Cockatoo has a [[Cockatoo railway station, Melbourne|railway station]] on the [[Puffing Billy Railway]]. The Puffing Billy service generally runs once or twice daily and continues from Cockatoo to Gembrook. Cockatoo station consists only of a platform with a small (non-original) station building which is usually unstaffed.

==Wright Forest==

[[File:Entrance to Wrights Forest, Cockatoo, Victoria, Australia.jpg|thumb|Entrance to Wright Forest]]

Wright Forest, often referred to locally as Wright's Forest, a 161-[[hectare]] reserve to the northwest of the town, is managed by [[Parks Victoria]] and is a fauna sanctuary. The forest has scars of the [[Ash Wednesday fires]] that swept through the area in 1983 with some trees still showing charred bark. The forest is home to many animal species such as the [[Common brushtail possum|brushtail possums]], [[wombat]]s and many bird species. The forest has many tracks for [[Hiking|bush]] walkers, the main one being the [[Emerald, Victoria|Emerald]] to [[Gembrook, Victoria|Gembrook]] trail. This recently came under fire for its title as a beginners' walking trail; lack of signage left some walkers lost and its steep gradients resembled an experienced walking track. Other trails wind through the forest and are colour-coded.

==See also==
* [[Shire of Pakenham]] – Cockatoo was previously within this former local government area.
* [[Cockatoo railway station, Melbourne|Cockatoo railway station]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*[https://easterndandenongranges.com/ Eastern Dandenong Ranges]
* [http://svc015.wic028p.server-web.com/1park_display.cfm Wright Forest]{{Dead link|date=July 2019 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} (Parks Victoria)
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20050719044931/http://www.arts.monash.edu.au/ncas/multimedia/gazetteer/list/cockatoovic.html Australian Places - Cockatoo]
* [https://www.cockatoops.vic.edu.au/ Cockatoo Primary School]

{{Shire of Cardinia suburbs}}

{{authority control}}

[[Category:Towns in Victoria (state)]]
[[Category:Shire of Cardinia]]