Паттерсон-Лейкс: История и происхождение пригорода Мельбурна

Patterson Lakes is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, south east of Melbourne's Central Business District, located within the City of Kingston local government area. Patterson Lakes recorded a population of 7,793 at the 2021 census.

After the melting of the last great ice age, sea levels were 1–2 metres higher than today. When sea levels subsided to their current levels, fresh water from the Dandenong Ranges flowed into low lying regions. Carrum Carrum Swamp, an extensive coastal wetland, was created, encompassing an area some 5,000 hectares from present day Mordialloc to Frankston and inland towards Dandenong. Prior to European discovery, the Patterson Lakes area was populated by Indigenous Australians known as the Kulin people. Inhabitants in the area were from the Bunurong language group, of the Mayone Bulluk clan. Both the Mayone Bulluk and Ngaruk Willam clans would meet in the area of Dandenong often to hold ceremonies and trade. These gatherings were often attended by guests from other Bunurong clans or from neighbouring tribes, such as the Wathaurung and the Wurundjeri clans from the Woiwurong. As with most indigenous people of the world, Mayone Bulluk cultural, ceremonial and spiritual life was dictated by the seasonal availability of natural resources. Through thousands of years of observation Bunurong People were able to predict the availability of their seasonal resources by certain changes in plant growth and animal behaviour. Europeans first set foot in nearby Frankston as early as 1803, thirty two years before the founding of Melbourne (the first major European settlement in the then Port Phillip District). A commemorative plaque near the mouth of Kananook Creek marks the location of where Charles Grimes and his party went ashore searching for fresh water, and met with approximately 30 local inhabitants.

Early development was hampered by poor soils, distance from the Melbourne city centre, and the existence of a major swamp occupying much of the area between Mordialloc and Seaford. In 1876 the area that is now occupied by Patterson Lakes was owned by Kate and Henry Woodward,(HRW Woodward and Sons) who used the area for holding pastures for livestock. In the early 1970s some 200 acres of this area was subdivided by the Woodward family into Melbourne's first subdivision around artificial lakes. Other occupants of the area were the Priestly family who had landholdings either side of the Patterson River and ran a marina just east of what is now Pier One Drive. The Fitzgerald family ran a horse riding centre on the north east corner of Thompsons Road and Old Wells Road on land that is now owned by Melbourne Water. The Walker family also owned some of the southernmost land bordering Eel Race Creek at one stage. The suburb of Patterson Lakes was to be located in Carrum on what was originally part of the Carrum Carrum Swamp. The Carrum Carrum Swamp was drained in 1879 when the Patterson Cut, and other drainage measures were undertaken to prevent flooding of the Eumemmering Creek, which overflowed into the Carrum Carrum Swamp. The mouth of the Patterson Cut was mostly only open during the winter months, so heavy spring and summer rains often caused flooding to properties on the edge of the swamp area. Flood damage as far north as Edithvale often occurred. The only remnants of the Carrum Carrum Swamp now form the Edithvale Seaford Wetlands (a Ramsar Wetland of International Importance.)

The Carrum Cowboys were a group of teenagers, who rode their horses around Carrum and the surrounding areas in the late 1950s and 1960s. The name was a tag given to the group by the local police. The Cowboys rode on footpaths and were often riding too fast at the beach, which would lead to a number of complaints from local residents. On several occasions members of the Cowboys were pursued by police, which led to court action and fines being imposed. The over 50s AFL team for Patterson Lakes and Carrum is called the Carrum Cowboys.

Patterson Lakes is serviced by the following shopping complexes: Lakeview Shopping Centre, Harbour Plaza Shopping Town & Medical Centre, Gladesville Shopping Centre and The Glade.

Patterson Lakes is serviced by the Carrum railway station, located in Carrum, approximately two kilometres to the west of Patterson Lakes, on the Frankston Line operated by Metro Trains Melbourne. Access to the area by road is from the Nepean Highway, EastLink, Mornington Peninsula Freeway and Peninsula Link. Patterson Lakes has freeways at its door step with a travel time to the CBD of 30–35 minutes. Patterson Lakes is accessible by a number of PTV bus routes servicing the area, which includes the 857 and 708.

The filming at Kath Day Knight and Kel Knight's "townhouse" (in the fictional suburb of Fountain Lakes), in the Australian comedy television series Kath & Kim, is shot in Patterson Lakes in Lagoon Place. Kath & Kimderella was also filmed at the same location as the original Day Knight house of the TV series. Former Prime Minister of Australia John Howard has visited Patterson Lakes Primary School to speak on their radio station, as have Bert Newton, the hosts of former radio show Get This, Tony Martin and Ed Kavalee. Patterson Lakes was previously the home to NBA player Andrew Bogut and his family, who used to own two homes in Coral Island Court on the Tidal Canal.

Lake Carramar, Lake Illawong and Lake Legana, collectively known as the Quiet Lakes, are three interconnected (via pumps and underground drains) but tidally isolated ponds at the suburb's northern neighbourhoods. The canal system that runs through most of Patterson Lakes is known as the Tidal Canal. Landmarks inside the Tidal Canal region include Clipper Island, Mariners Island, Staten Island, Rhode Island, Barellen Harbours and Schooner Bay. Other landmarks of Patterson Lakes include Wannarkladdin Wetlands, Patterson River and Eel Race Drain (later becomes the Kananook Creek.) The Patterson Lakes Marina has facilities at the Town Centre (Inner Harbour), Runaway Bay (Middle Harbour) and Whaler's Cove (Western Harbour). The
Patterson River is managed by Parks Victoria, while the Tidal Canal system and the Quiet Lakes are managed by Melbourne Water.

Patterson Lakes has a temperate climate similar to that of Melbourne, however it is usually 2°C cooler than the Melbourne CBD. In many cases, Patterson Lakes is one of the first suburbs of the Greater Melbourne area to feel the effect of the cool weather change that occurs during the summer season.

Indigenous floral species include the silver wattle, samphire, lightwood, blackwood, black she oak, river red gum, spike wattle, hedge wattle, scrub she oak, jagged fireweed, silver top wallaby grass, Australian salt grass and the blue tussock grass. Non indigenous floral species include the sheep's burr, angled onion, lesser joyweed, broom spurge, common swamp wallaby grass, pointed centrolepis, common spikerush and small spikerush.

Reptile species found in Patterson Lakes include the Bougainville's skink, grass skink, tree dragon, copperhead snake and tiger snake. Aquatic species include the striped marsh frog, water rat, platypus, bream, flathead, tupong, Australian salmon, leatherjacket, yelloweye mullet, silver trevally, black crab, spider crab, eel, bass yabbies, mussels and pippies. Bird species include the nankeen (rufous) night heron, white faced heron, chestnut teal, straw necked ibis, pacific black duck, pacific gull, silver gull, magpie lark, Australian pelican, little pied cormorant, royal spoonbill, masked lapwing, whiskered (marsh) tern and the caspian tern.

The Patterson River abounds with fish. Considered that there have been several reports of illegal fishing over the last few years, the fish always seem to fight back in this popular waterway. A number of charter companies operate from Patterson River. Bream and a few other varieties of fish can be sourced from the Tidal Canal and Patterson River systems.