Dandenong

Dandenong is situated around 30 kilometres from Melbourne in the city's south-eastern suburbs.

Dandenong was originally a separate city, but it was eventually absorbed into Melbourne's metropolitan area during urban sprawl of the 1960s. Despite this, Dandenong maintains its own identity and character as a major commercial and industrial area. It has since developed as a highly multicultural city with around half of its residents having been born overseas and representing a diverse range of ethnic groups.

Major shopping facilities in Dandenong include the Dandenong Square shopping Centre and the vibrant Dandenong Market. An extensive collection of on-street shops front the wide boulevard of Lonsdale Street and within the block bounded by Robinson Street, Foster Street and McCrae Street. In Dandenong North, local shopping facilities are situated in Outlook Drive, Brady Road and Menzies Avenue.

Dandenong is home to Melbourne's only recognised Afghan and Indian precincts. The Afghan Bazaar stretches along Thomas Street between Scott Street and Walker Street, while Little India is located along Foster Street between the railway station and Thomas Street. Each of these cultural precincts has a selection of grocery shops, fashion retailers, entertainment and restaurants.

One of the city's famous landmarks is the Dandenong Town Hall which was built in 1890. Located at the corner of Lonsdale Street and Walker Street, it was redeveloped as the Drum Theatre and became the home of the Dandenong Theatre Company in 2006.

Extensive parkland is located within Dandenong. The centrally located Dandenong Park in Pultney Street features the Rotary Club's water wheel, the Stan Prior Soundshell, a playground, sporting facilities and picnic and BBQ areas. Greaves Reserve in Bennet Street is also known as the Dandenong Showgrounds and is home to a variety of sporting clubs and includes picnic areas and pockets of native bushland. Along Dandenong's eastern edge are large expanses of parkland which follow Dandenong Creek and feature wetlands, picnic areas, walking and bicycle tracks.

Dandenong's location makes it a handy base for exploring the nearby lush forests of the Dandenong Ranges in the east and the beautiful beaches of the Mornington Peninsula to the south.