The original Main Street is some distance from present-day central Narre Warren, beside the railway line, causing development to occur away from the original settlement, and the building in which the general store also served as the post office, still exists as a local landmark, established 1857. Narre Warren Post Office, located on what is now Heatherton Road, opened on 21 January 1869. In 1900 it was renamed Narre Warren North, and Narre Warren Railway StationPost Office was renamed Narre Warren. The locale of Webb Street is named after Sydney James Webb, founder of a newsagency there.
Demographics
The most common ancestries in Narre Warren were Australian 21.9%, English 20.6%, Irish 5.1%, Scottish 5.1% and Indian 3.6%. 62.7% of people were born in Australia. The most common countries of birth were India 3.6%, England 3.2%, Sri Lanka 2.7%, Afghanistan 1.9% and New Zealand 1.9%. The most common responses for religion were Catholic 28.8%, No Religion 19.6%, Anglican 10.9%, Islam 5.6% and Buddhism 3.9%. 66.7% of people spoke only English at home. Other languages spoken at home included Dari 10%, Sinhalese 1.9%, Arabic 1.5%, Spanish 1.4% and Hindi 1.3%.
Residential development
Over the years Narre Warren has grown from a semi-rural residential town to become a part of a major growth corridor in the southeast of Melbourne. In recent years a multitude of new housing developments have seen Narre Warren expand to such an extent that it now adjoins neighbouring suburbs such as Berwick.
Education
Schools in Narre Warren include , , Maramba Primary School, , Mary Mackillop Primary School, Fountain Gate Secondary College, Alkira Secondary College, Fountain Gate Primary School, Dandenong Valley Special School and Fleetwood Primary School, Narre Warren South P-12 College and . Narre Warren Station Primary School was closed at the end of 2001 and moved to Narre Warren South where it became Hillsmeade Primary School. There is also a large community education centre, Narre Community Learning Centre Inc., located in Malcolm Court.
Retail and civic development
is at the heart of the main commercial precinct in Narre Warren. It is one of the largest shopping centres in Australia, housing many of Australia's major retailers. The centre has been made famous by the popular Australian television show Kath & Kim, parts of which were also filmed at Westfield Southland. There is also a local shopping strip around the railway station in Webb Street. The civic precinct is located outside the boundary of Westfield, and includes the City of Casey municipal offices, Narre Warren Library and the Casey ARC. This precinct has recently finished a $300 million redevelopment by the Casey Council, an entertainment precinct by the name of Bunjil Place.
