Sandringham formed part of the early estates in the parish of Moorabbin purchased by Josiah Holloway in 1852. Named Gipsy Village, lots were sold between 1852 and 1854 notwithstanding little settlement taking place at the time. Bluff Town Post Office opened on 1 April 1868, closed in 1871, reopened in 1873 and was renamed Sandringham in 1887.
Today
Sandringham is one of Melbourne's bayside suburbs, located beside Port Phillip at the end of the Sandringham railway line. Sandringham is a popular location for beachgoers, sightseers, walkers, picnickers, photographers, cyclists and shoppers. It has a quaint village atmosphere with a number of cafes, coffee shops and restaurants, take-away food outlets, gourmet food outlets, clothing stores, boutique homewares, hairdressers, professional offices, multi-story apartments, real estate agents, bakeries, a modern bookshop, a news agency, Coles supermarket, a health food store, a chemist, an award-winning library, a historical society, a large modern police station, a medical centre, a Life Saving club, a hardware store, a wine store, a bank, a large modern hotel with a balcony overlooking the bay, a bike track and a coastal walking track. The trip by train to and from Melbourne city takes 27 minutes. Buses travel between the Sandringham railway station and St Kilda, Westfield's Southland, Chadstone shopping centre and other places. The Sandringham Yacht Club is host to a number of Sydney to Hobart yacht race winners. The main streets are home to some elegant old buildings, including the railway station. In the 2011 census the most common ancestries in Sandringham were English 29.3%, Australian 25.8%, Irish 9.7%, Scottish 9.3% and German 3.1%.
Education
Sandringham Primary School, that opened in 1855, is one of the oldest schools in Victoria. Sandringham Primary partially burned down on in the early morning of February 1, 2020 Sandringham College - a State secondary college - has two campuses in east Sandringham, one on Bluff Road and one on Holloway Road. Private schools in the area include Firbank Girls' Grammar School junior school and Sacred Heart Parish School. Another school in the area is Sandringham East Primary, which celebrated its 80th anniversary in 2011. Former Brighton Mayor and Brighton Icebergs Founder John Locco once taught at Sandringham East Primary. The Melbourne International School of Japanese, a part-time Japanese education programme, once held its classes at Sandringham East Primary.
Sports
The Sandringham Football Club, known as the Zebras, of the Victorian Football League, has had a number of players go on to play in the AFL, including Trevor Barker, Ian Cooper, radio personalityRex Hunt, Andrew Krakouer, Paul Dimattina, Matthew Warnock, Ted Richards and Tom Langdon. Its games record holder is Nick Sautner. The club's home ground is the Trevor Barker oval on Beach Road. Based at the RG Chisholm Reserve, Duncan Street, the East Sandringham Boys Cricket Club features in suburban competitions throughout the cricket season. The club has developed cricketers particularly at a junior level, notably Shane Warne who has on occasion returned to play for his junior club. The R G Chisholm Reserve is also home to the East Sandringham Junior Football Club, which produced future Brownlow Medallists Chris Judd and Jobe Watson. The city also hosts the Sandringham Soccer Club, which features both a men's and a women's team. The city also hosts the Sandringham Amateur Athletic Club which was founded at a meeting held on 8 April 1930. The first recorded event was an 880 yards handicap at the Beach Oval.
Bob Hawke, Prime Minister of Australia from March 1983 to December 1991, lived in Keats Street, Sandringham, from 1958 to 1964. Hawke then moved to Royal Avenue, Sandringham in 1964.
