Frankston Back Then

How a quiet coastal village grew into the Frankston we know today.

Frankston’s story began long before the beach huts, the station, or the foreshore playgrounds. This part of the bay has been lived on, walked across and cared for for thousands of years. What we know today as a city first grew as a small settlement by the water, shaped by its coastline, its creek, and the people who depended on both

The First People

Before European arrival, the land we now call Frankston belonged to the Bunurong people of the Kulin Nation, specifically the Mayonebulluk clan. They lived, gathered and travelled along this coastline, caring for Kananook Creek, the surrounding bushland and the wide sweep of the bay. Their deep connection to Country remains an important part of Frankston’s identity today.

The First Arrivals

The first Europeans to set foot here arrived on 30 January 1803. Led by Surveyor-General Charles Grimes, the party came ashore near the mouth of Kananook Creek in search of fresh water. They encountered about thirty Bunurong people, marking one of the earliest recorded meetings between Europeans and Traditional Owners in this region.

This moment took place more than thirty years before Melbourne was founded.

By the mid 1800s, settlers began establishing small farms and cottages. Families such as the Liardets, Daveys and Olivers left their mark on the district.
Frank Liardet later established the Ballam Ballam estate in what is now Karingal, one of the earliest officially recognised settlements in the wider region.
Another early settler, Thomas McComb, bought large parcels of land and helped develop the local fishing industry, an important part of Frankston’s early economy.

How Frankston Got Its Name

The origin of the name Frankston has been debated for decades. The popular story about a publican named Frank Stone has no evidence behind it.

Historians believe the name was most likely chosen by Surveyor-General Andrew Clarke, who often named towns after British generals. Nearby places such as Mornington, Cranbourne, Hastings and Pakenham follow the same pattern.

This suggests Frankston was named after General Sir Thomas Harte Franks. The name first appeared on official documents in the 1850s and has been used ever since.

The Pier and the Birth of a Village

In 1857 Frankston’s first pier was built, giving the small coastal village a safe place for boats to land. Before the railway existed, almost everything arrived by water. The pier became a lifeline, where fishing boats unloaded their catch and supply vessels brought goods for the growing community. Families even stepped off small passenger boats to enjoy a day by the sea.

Between the 1850s and the 1880s, Frankston added the pieces that turn a settlement into a community: a church, a school, a post office and the Mechanics Institute and free library in 1880. Children walked along sandy tracks to school. Fishermen lined their boats along the beach. Visitors came for the quiet and the open spaces.

A Seaside Destination

Everything changed on 1 August 1882 when the railway arrived. Suddenly Frankston was a daytrip from Melbourne and soon became a popular seaside resort. Bathing boxes, sea baths, picnic grounds and guesthouses filled the foreshore. Families came for holidays and the beach became the true heart of the town.

When the train line was electrified in 1922, travel became even easier and Frankston grew as the gateway to the Peninsula.

In 1935 Frankston hosted Australia’s first National Scout Jamboree, opened by Sir Robert Baden-Powell.

Later, in 1959, scenes from the Hollywood film On the Beach were shot at Frankston Station, briefly putting the town on the world stage. The novel was written by Nevil Shute, who lived in what is now Langwarrin, giving the story a surprising local connection.

Frankston Rising

After World War II, Frankston changed rapidly. Defence families and new residents filled the expanding suburbs. From the 1950s to the 1980s, the area grew into a true regional centre with schools, shops, parks, markets and a busy town hub. The postcard holiday town became a thriving community with its own character and momentum.

Each generation added something new.

Frankston has never stopped evolving, shaped by the people who lived, worked and gathered here.

Written by Sally Syle – Editor Gotta Love Frankston