RCW36 at a distance of 700 pc within the Vela C molecular cloud consists of an H II region with a cavity of ionised gas surrounded by molecular gas, a star cluster inside, and a dust lane that crosses the cavity. An embedded cluster (~350 members) with the most massive star being a type O8 or O9 is located within the cavity. The cluster extends over a radius of 0.5 pc, with a stellar surface number density of 3000 stars pc^-2 within the central 0.1 pc. Herschel studies suggest that the bipolar morphology is an evolution of its filamentary beginnings under the impact of ionisation.