BAILUP

This rural locality derives its name from Bailup Creek, and a Police Station and Inn established on the Toodyay Road in the 1840’s. The name is Aboriginal unknown origin.


BALCATTA

The area now known as Balcatta was once contained in the northern half of Perth Shire location Au granted to T.R.C. Walters on the 10th March 1840. The name Balcatta was recorded by Alexander Forrest in 1877 as being the Aboriginal name for the northern position of Careniup Swamp and the name was used on an offer of sale by Mr Mews in 1888. A later owner, James Arbuckle, named his house Balcatta after the area it overlooked.


BALDIVIS

This suburb was one of the State Government's Group Settlement schemes which was implemented in the 1920's to alleviate unemployment. A school building was completed and was given the name "Baldivis" a name coined by local settlers after three ships that brought them to WA in 1922, the "BALRANALD", the "DIOGENES" and the "JERVIS BAY". The most coincidental item is that all three ships were built in the same place and in the same year. Also all of the vessels made their maiden voyage to WA within six weeks of each other.


BALGA

"Balga" is an Aboriginal word for the grass tree Xanthorrhoea commonly known as "black boy" trees. The name was chosen in 1954 for a portion of what was then known as the "Mirrabooka Project Area". This was a State Housing Commission subdivision between Yokine and Wanneroo which also contained the suburbs of Nollamara and Yirrigan. Work commenced on the laying out of streets in Balga in 1959.


BALLAJURA

Ballajura is the name of the farm originally pioneered by Kerruish and Eaton and was held by Kerruish until his death in 1947. E.M. Kerruish migrated to Australia in 1903. The property was located about 5km south-west of the present suburb. The farm was actually named "Ballajora" after Kerruish's birth place, a small village on the Isle of Man.


BANKSIA GROVE

Formerly part of Neerabup then named Cockman in December 1998, Cockman was renamed Banksia Grove on the 3rd of June 1999. The name is descriptive of the prominent vegetation in the area and the surrounding terrain.


BANJUP

Surveyor James Oxley in 1889 recorded the names of two water features as "Lake Bangup" and "Bangdown Swamp". Exactly who gave these features their unusual names is unknown and only one of these names was shown on maps, ie. "Bangup Lake". Land for the Armadale - Jandakot Railway link was resumed in 1907 and a station was constructed. The station was located 3.6 km north of "Bangup Lake" and was named "Banjupp". This is presumed to be a corruption of the original name of the lake. The name "Banjupp" was used until the 1930's when the spelling was amended to Banjup.


BARRAGUP

Barragup is the Aboriginal name of the place in the Serpentine River where the Aborigines constructed a "mungur" or fish trap. Early setters would buy fish from the Aborigines here as they caught them in abundance when the first winter rains flushed them out of the river. The meaning of the name is not known.


BASKERVILLE

This suburb takes its name from "Baskerville", the name given by William Tanner to Swan Location 5, his estate in the Swan valley. Tanner, a prominent Perth citizen and landowner, took up the land in 1831. Although the area was widely known as Baskerville, the name was not approved for the suburb until 1992.


BASSENDEAN

The name "Bassendean" was first recorded by Surveyor J.W. Gregory in 1841 as the name of 1455 acres for Mr. P. Brown, who had his homestead on the West Bank of Swan River. Peter Brown (or Broun) was WA's first Colonial Secretary in 1832 and apparently named his property on the Swan River after a family property in England, Bassendean in Berwickshire. This area was also previously known as West Guildford. A competition to choose a new name for the area was held in 1922, 2 school children nominated the name "Bassendean" after Peter Brown's property.


BATEMAN

The name is taken from Bateman Road which was itself named after the Bateman family. The name of "Bateman" is that of a well known Perth merchant firm. The company began business in 1857, but the family arrived in the colony on the "Medina" in 1830. John Bateman built a store in Fremantle dealing in merchandise of many kinds and became postmaster at Fremantle in 1833. He also took part in the establishment of a whaling business at Fremantle and after his death in 1855, his sons took over the family business and form a company in 1857.


BAYSWATER

"Bayswater" was the name of a property in the vicinity of Slade Street advertised for sale in the Morning Herald, 31st July 1885 and was purchased by a Mr Gribble. It is presumed to be named after the London suburb of the same name. Bayswater, London is derived from a corruption of "Baynard's Watering Place" and is a part of London lying to the north of Kensington Gardens and was a hamlet near what is Gloucester Terrace.


BEACONSFIELD

Named after a property known as "Beaconsfield" which was located in the area in the 1880's and the name was officially adopted for the Post Office on the 1st August, 1894. The origin is unknown, but probably named after the town in England of the same name or the Earl of Beaconsfield, Benjamin Disreali, the ex Tory Prime Minister of England in 1881, who died in April 1882, he was created Earl of Beaconsfield in 1879.


BECKENHAM

Subdivision of this area took place around the turn of the century, most of the streets being named after towns near London. The Gosnells Road Board's suggested, "Beckenham" (also a town near London and a street name within the area).


BEDFORD

The area was called "Bedford Park" following subdivision by the International Investment Land and Building Co. Ltd. of Sydney and Gold Estates of Australia (an English company). The name honours Admiral Sir Frederick George Denham Bedford, Governor of Western Australia from 1903 to 1909. This suburb was a product of the WA Gold Boom of the 1890's and early 1900's.


BEDFORDALE

Named after Admiral Sir Frederick Denham Bedford, Governor of Western Australia from 24th March 1903, to the 22nd April 1909. Governor Bedford chose the street names to commemorate several famous Admirals.


BEECHBORO

This name has been in use since 1892 when Henry Brockman of Gingin, the owner of part of Swan Locations M and M1, first subdivided that land into farmlets. A number of estate names were used by Brockman and "Beechboro Park" was one of them. It is the name of an ancestral home of the Brockman family in Kent, England.


BEECHINA

"Beechina" is the Aboriginal name of a nearby white gum valley, further north-east. It was first recorded by surveyor P Chauncy in 1847, when he was carrying out the survey of the first road to Northam.


BEELIAR

"Beeliar" is the Aboriginal name for the southern metropolitan region. R M Lyon recorded the name in 1833, referring to it as "the district of Midjegoorong" (an Aboriginal leader). The name was approved for the suburb in 1993.


BELDON

The suburb name Beldon is named after A W Beldon whose name appears in a list of early landowners and surveyors of Wanneroo. Little is known of Beldon. The suburb was originally proposed to be named Albert Grove in 1974 after Sir Albert V Jennings a founder of the Company Jennings Industries, which was the co-partner in the development. Beldon was approved as the name in 1975.


BELHUS

this suburb takes its name from "Belhus", the name given to the Swan valley property acquired by Edmund George Barrett-Lennard in 1897. Formerly known as "Ellen's Brook", Barrett-Lennard renamed it after the family estate in England. Barrett-Lennard was one of the pioneers in the table grape industry and when establishing the vineyard, incurred great expense in irrigation from the old mill weir on the property. He also visited Spain to study cultivation and conditions.


BELLEVUE

The name is a variation of "Belle View" which was used as the property name by Edward Robinson when he built a homestead in the area in 1887. The name Bellevue was used by the Railways Department on a time table on the 25th May 1897.


BELMONT

Most of the suburb of Belmont island was assigned to Captain Francis Henry Byrne in 1931. It is believed that Byrne named his land "Belmont" after his estate in England. The land was not developed, until 1882 when Shepherd Smith of Sydney purchased it and it was Smith in 1897 and 1898 who instigated the major subdivision of the area. For many years the lots were quite large due to the development of the area for training racehorses and because of the proximity to the Belmont Park Racecourse.


BENTLEY

The Canning Road Board, in April 1940, proposed the name "Bentley Park" for the suburb because an area within the proposed district had been locally known as "Bentley Hill" for over 70 years. Enquiries as to the origin of the name indicated that there was a considerable camp established on this hill when the Albany "Block" Road was being constructed about 1870 and that the Warder in Charge of the men was named "Bentley". John Bentley was an enrolled Pensioner Guard, formerly a Private of the 7th Regiment and served in the Crimean War. He arrived in the colony aboard the "York" on the 31st December 1862. The suffix Park was dropped from the name in 1967.


BERTRAM

A new suburb in the Town of Kwinana, Bertram derives its name from a Group Settler of the 1920’s who owned land in the area.


BIBRA LAKE

The suburb of "Bibra Lake" takes its name from the extensive lake within its boundaries. The existence of the lake was first reported by A C Gregory during a survey of George Robb's land in May 1842. Gregory recorded the Aboriginal name of the lake as "Walubup". During the following year, Benedict Von Bibra, surveying his own selection on the southern shores of the lake, recorded the name as "Walliabup" and the latter version was used exclusively on maps for more than half a century. In 1877, it was found the Von Bibra's association with "Lake Walliabup" was apparently still recalled by locals who referred to the feature as "Bibra's Lake". This alternative name was added to plans and eventually in 1967, adopted in place of the Aboriginal name.


BICKLEY

In the 1890's a siding in this area was known as "Heidelburg" or "Heidelburg Grove" it being the name given to his property by George Henry Palmateer who held 300 acres in the area in 1893. In 1915, because of World War I, the Railway Department was asked to change the name to something not of German origin. The Under Secretary for Lands proposed the name "Bickley" after a pioneer in the area and a member of the first Legislative Assembly - Samuel Wallace Alexander Walsh Bickley or Wallace Bickley, as he was more commonly known, was the original owner of 640 acres on the Canning River in 1843 and the brook which entered the Canning River at the corner of the land was known as "Bickley's Brook".


BICTON

The present suburb of "Bicton" once comprised four grants taken up in 1830 by Alfred Waylen, Joseph Cooper, William Habgood and John Hole Duffield respectively. Bicton was the name of Duffield's estate in his home village in South Devon, England. The vineyard he established upon his death in 1859 was also given this name.


BOORAGOON

Booragoon is the Aboriginal name for the lower reaches of the Canning River and was chosen as a suburb name in the early 1950's by the then Melville Road Board from a list published in the West Australian on 3rd January 1925.


BOYA

To supply the stone required to build the groynes at Fremantle Harbour, a Government quarry was established in the hills a little south-west of Darlington. A spur line was run into the quarry from the existing railway and, by July 1901, dozens of iron and hessian huts housing approximately 150 workmen were clustered near the site. In August of 1901, construction began on a railway siding for the use of this settlement and the first name proposed was "Yan-Yeen". This was rejected because of a duplication in Victoria and the Aboriginal word "Boya", appropriately meaning rock/stone, was chosen instead. It was later found that the correct Aboriginal name for the area was "Nyeedoup" but Boya remains appropriate as the Aboriginal sub-tribe who once inhabited the hills were known as "Boya-Ngoora".


BRENTWOOD

Named after a town north-east of London in England. This was the birthplace of John Bateman Junior who adopted the name for his homestead. Subdivision of the area was begun by the State Housing commission in the early 1950's and the name was adopted at the request of the Bateman family.


BRIGADOON

This area was named after the Pastoral Company which owned the land prior to subdivision. "Brigadoon", according to Websters 20th Century Dictionary in its section on noted names in fiction, mythology and legend, is the name of a Scottish village in a musical play of the same name by A J Lerner in 1947. The village is said to come to life for one day in every one hundred years.


BROOKDALE 

Brookdale derives its name from the location of the suburb. Wungong Brook flows through it, and adjoining suburbs end in "Dale" (Forrestdale, Armadale, Bedfordale). The name was approved in 1997.


BULL CREEK

Named after the creek within its boundaries. The name was adopted by the City of Melville Council in December 1968. The creek was named after an early settler, Lt Henry Bull.


BULLSBROOK

The name originates from the railway station, established during the construction of the Midland Railway in the 1890s and named after an adjacent watercourse, Bull's Brook. The watercourse may have been named after Lt Henry Bull who was granted Swan Location 1 about 8km south on the 15th May, 1831. Another possibility is that the watercourse was named after Richard ("Bull") Jones, one of Henry Bull's servants, who resided in the region for many years.


BURNS BEACH

This suburb in the City of Wanneroo is located on land originally owned by the Midland Railway Company. In 1908 the Wanneroo Road Board, following a request by 50 residents of the district, applied for a 50 acre reserve for camping and a health resort at the beach. The request was granted, and by the late 1920’s the area was well used by locals and referred to by them as “Burns Beach” after a farmer who ran sheep in the area.


BURSWOOD

Burswood is derived from "Burrs-Wood", the name given to his property by the original land holder of the area, Henry Camfield. Camfield named his property "Burrs-Wood" (two 'r's) after his fathers farm in England. The area became known as Burrswood Island in 1841 when a canal was cut through the peninsula so as to shorten the trip to Guildford. The present accepted spelling of "Burswood" is the result of a spelling error by the men who painted the sign for the first railway station in the area (now Rivervale station).


BUTLER

This suburb name was chosen by the City of Wanneroo in 1979. The name honours John Butler who is the first recorded explorer of the area (1834). Butler settled in the Claremont area, and Butler's Swamp, now renamed Lake Claremont, was named after him.


BYFORD

In 1906, Surveyor A.W. Canning commenced laying out a number of Townsite lots in the area and "Beenup Townsite" was declared in May that same year. By 1919, dissatisfaction with the towns name was general amongst the residents, and the Progress Association requested that the town be renamed "Lynwood". This request was refused because of a duplication in Queensland. A further request in early 1920 expressing a preference for the name "Byford" was acceptable and the name was changed. The name is believed to have been chosen because it is 'by a ford' on Beenyup Brook.

CALISTA

Similar to the adjoining Kwinana suburbs, Calista is named after a ship. The "Calista" was one of the first ships to bring settlers to the Swan River Colony. She arrived with 73 passengers on the 5th August 1829 under the command of Captain S. Hawkins. Two of the most notable passengers on the ship were Lionel and William Samson.


CANNING MILLS

All of the names which containing "Canning" relate to the Canning River which is named after George Canning, the Prime Minister of England in 1827 who instigated the expedition by James Stirling to examine the west coast of Australia for a suitable site for a colony. Canning Mills was originally the name of a railway station on the Upper Darling Range Railway between Pickering Brook and Karragullen.


CANNING VALE

Another name derived from the Canning River. The suburb of Canning Vale was locally known as North Jandakot until 1925. The name is descriptive, the place being a low lying area situated south-west of the Canning River.


CANNINGTON

This name was given according to the English practice of adding the term "ton" to a name, denoting a town. Subdivision of the suburb of Cannington began in 1882. A railway station was constructed there in the early 1890's and was named Cannington. The area surrounding this station soon became known by this name.


CARABOODA

This name was adopted for a suburb near Wanneroo in 1982 and takes its name from the lake in the area. Original spelling as recorded by J.W. Gregory in January 1843 was Karroborup when marking Swan Location 113 for M. MacDermott, but by 1867, the current spelling was in use.


CARDUP

In 1844, Surveyor Robert Austin recorded that Cockburn Sound Location 22 was called Cardoup. The brook joining the northern boundary of this location was shown variously as Cardoup or Cadup Brook. In 1851, the location was purchased by H. Mead, who gave his address as Cardup and this spelling was used for the brook on most subsequent plans and surveys. By 1927, a railway siding had been erected nearby and was called Cardup after the brook and although the siding is no longer in use, the place still retains the name. Cardup is an Aboriginal name said to mean "place of the racehorse goanna"(Kurda).


CARINE

This suburb was formerly included in Hamersley and Waterman. The name "Carine" was suggested by the Stirling City Council and the name was approved in December 1973. It is derived from two swamps in the area, the larger having been recorded as Carine Swamp by R Quin during 1865 - 1866. These swamps are now known as Big Carine Swamp and Little Carine Swamp.


CARLISLE

Following the opening of the Perth-Pinjarra Railway on the 2nd May 1893, Haydon's Siding was constructed near the foundry of that name to the east of Victoria Park. From 1893 to 1912, the area was gradually settled and a station was built near the siding and it was first known as Mint Street but later changed to Victoria Park East. Following a meeting of ratepayers in May 1919, the name "Carlisle" was chosen for the station. Although it is said that the station was named after the railway town in England near the Scottish border as it was considered that the area was on the border between Perth and its suburbs, it is interesting to note that manager of the South West Timber Hewers Co-operative, which purchased the land and a rail spur here in 1919 was named Carlisle.


CARMEL

The area was originally known as "Green's Landing" after a siding on the timber line. Levi Green, a well known Perth businessman, had moved into the district in 1844 and the siding was named after him. The name "Carmel" was formally adopted for the siding in 1915 and for a Townsite in 1918. The name was probably first suggested by Edward Owen who had established an orchard and founded a Methodist community near Green's property. It is a Hebrew word meaning 'park' or 'garden of God' and is also the name applied to a mountain ridge in Palestine.


CARRAMAR

Carramar is an Aboriginal word meaning "shade of trees", and was approved as a suburb name in 1997.


CASUARINA

This is another suburb of Kwinana named after a ship. The "Casuarina" was a 30 ton cutter used in the French exploration of the WA coast in 1802-03 and also because a type of casuarina tree is found in the area. The cutter was commanded by Louis De Freycinet.


CAVERSHAM

Land in the area was originally selected by Peter Shadwell in 1830 and he held it until 1837 when it was acquired by a surgeon Richard Hinds who had earlier that year arrived by the "Shepherd" with his wife Susannah and children Sarah and Richard. Hinds referred to his property as "Caversham Rise", and the shortened form of Caversham soon came to be recognised for the area.


CHAMPION LAKES

Formerly part of Westfield, the name Champion Lakes was chosen to identify this area with a proposed championship rowing course to be developed in the area. The name was approved in 2002


CHIDLOW

Chidlow Townsite was originally named Chidlow's Well after a small waterhole near the old Northam road. The watering place had been known to travellers for many years and was named after a pioneer family of Northam. Settlement began in 1883 when it became known that Chidlow's Well was to be the terminus of the second section of the Eastern Railway. The railway station and townsite were changed from Chidlows well to Chidlow in 1920.


CHURCHLANDS

The area which today comprises the suburb of "Churchlands" was originally granted to Henry Trigg in 1831. In September 1891, this area was acquired by the Roman Catholic Bishop of Perth, the Right Reverend Matthew Gibney. Gibney was far sighted in his acquisition of land for the Church, and this area became known as "Church Lands" as a result of it being owned by the Church. The City of Perth referred to an area just south of here as "Churchlands" as early as 1924.


CITY BEACH

In 1917, the Perth City Council purchased the Lime Kilns Estate of 1 290 acres, situated between the Endowment Lands and the City, thus linking the City with the ocean beach. The Council proposed to lay out an up-to-date seaside town near the ocean beach on garden city lines, embodying approved Town Planning principles, and making ample provision for recreation purposes. By 1928, the Council had allocated finance to commence work, and also referred to the beach as "City Beach". It appears this name developed because it was an area developed by the City Council and much more acceptable than "Ocean Beach" which was even more descriptive than City Beach.


CLAREMONT

In September 1881, a little more than six months after the official opening of the Fremantle to Guildford section of the Eastern Railway, tenders for additional platforms at East Fremantle, North Fremantle and Butler's Swamp were called for. In a timetable published on the 1st may 1883, the station formerly known as Butler's Swamp is listed as Claremont and this appears to be the earliest official use of this name. Claremont was named by Mr James Morrison, the owner of Swan Location 702, who gave his land the name of Claremont Estate after his wife Clara Charlotte (nee de Burgh) whom he had married in 1869, and on account of the hilly nature of the country.


CLARKSON

The name was proposed by the Shire of Wanneroo in 1979 in honour of an early settler who held large leases of land in the area.


CLOVERDALE

The suburb name was probably derived from "Cloverdale Estate", a subdivision in the area advertised for sale in 1910. It was officially recognised as a suburb name in 1954.


COMO

Originally the present "Como" comprised of three large land grants, Swan Locations 40, 41, and 42. Edmund Hugh Comer, a farmer of Christchurch, acquired the land by succession in February 1891. Extensive subdivision of the land was commenced in 1905 under the name Como Estate, a name thought to be derived from the owner's surname or after the town situated on the shore of Lake Di Como in northern Italy.


CONNOLLY

Name adopted for this suburb adjoining Joondalup in 1980. Named in honour of John Connolly who held land in the area in 1838. Connolly was a private in the 63rd Regiment who arrived in the colony in 1829 and who farmed at Upper Swan and Bindoon after being discharged in 1834.


COODANUP

Coodanup was approved as a suburb name in October 1970. The meaning and derivation of "Coodanup" is unknown although H.W. Bunbury, in his book "Early Days in WA." (1836), gives "Colanup" as the Aboriginal name for the mouth of the Serpentine River. This area was subdivided as "Coodanup Park Estate" 1956.


COOGEE

The suburb of "Coogee" takes its name from the lake in the area. Originally, this lake was named Lake Munster after Prince William, the Earl of Munster and later King William IV. The Aboriginal name Kou-Gee was recorded in 1841 by Thomas Watson and variously spelt as Koojee, Coojee and Coogee, which gradually gained pre-eminence over the old name.


COOLBELLUP

"Coolbellup" was recorded by AC Gregory in 1842 as the Aboriginal name of a lake in the area. Surveys by RM. King in 1877 showed the local name to be "North Lake" and both names were shown on plans. The feature is in fact the northernmost of the chain of Lakes lying between Mandurah and the Swan River. In 1954 most of the land west of the lake was resumed by the State Housing Commission and an intensive housing scheme was planned. A meeting in 1957 decided that the place should be called "Coolbellup" in preference to North Lake.


COOLBINIA

"Coolbinia" was for many years regarded as part of Mount Lawley. Development was mainly in the late 1940's and early 1950's and in 1953. The name chosen for a new school in the area in August 1953 was Coolbinia, an Aboriginal name meaning "Mistletoe" and it soon came to be adopted for the adjoining suburban area. Street names in Coolbinia commemorate many town and district names in Western Australia, eg., Carnarvon, Ardross, Marradon, Koorda etc.


COOLOONGUP

Is named after Lake Cooloongup. Lake Cooloongup was recorded by Surveyor AC Gregory in 1843. The meaning of the Aboriginal name is not known. The suburb was named in 1974.


COTTESLOE

In September 1886, the Commissioner of Crown Lands, John Forrest, announced his intention of subdividing an area of Crown Land between Perth and Fremantle into suburban lots and asked His Excellency, Governor Sir Frederick Napier Broome, to suggest a name. The Governor suggested "Cottesloe" on the 21st September after "the title lately bestowed on a member of the Fremantle family". "Cottesloe" was named after Thomas Francis Fremantle, Lord Cottesloe. 1st Baron of Swanbourne (in 1874), the older brother to Captain Charles Howe Fremantle who, on the 2nd of May 1829 raised the 1st British flag at Fremantle.


CRAIGIE

Craigie is one of the four "Whitfords" suburbs that resulted from the State Government rezoning a large area of coastal land for development in 1969. Craigie was chosen as a suburb name in 1970 and honours an early councillor of the City of Wanneroo who did much work in developing the City.


CRAWLEY

Most of the land comprising the suburb of Crawley was acquired by Henry Charles Sutherland, one of the colony's first surveyors, in 1837. Sutherland named his property "Crawley" after his mothers maiden name (Anna Crawley). The land was later purchased by Sir George Shenton who bequeathed much of it to the University of Western Australia.


CULLACABARDEE

An Aboriginal word meaning "meeting place" - derived from an Aboriginal dialect of south west Australia. Approved as a suburb name in 1981.


CURRAMBINE

Currambine was approved as a suburb name in 1980. The name was chosen by the City of Wanneroo in 1979 from a book on Aboriginal Place Names by A.W. Reed. It is an Aboriginal word from New South Wales meaning "heaps of rocks".

DAGLISH

The suburb name honours Henry Daglish who was elected to Parliament as the member for Subiaco in 1901. Daglish was Premier of the state in 1904-05 and also served as Treasurer and Minister for Works. He was Mayor of Subiaco in 1903-04 and 1906-07. A Townsite of Daglish was declared in 1928.

DALKEITH

The eastern portion of the present suburb of Dalkeith was originally Swan Location 85 of 320 acres, assigned to Adam Armstrong in 1831. Armstrong, a widower, arrived in the Colony aboard the "Gilmore" with his six children in 1829. Prior to coming, he was the manager of the Earl of Dalkeith's estate in Scotland and when he erected a cottage in 1833 on his land, he named it "Dalkeith Cottage" and raised goats and horses on the property. The Aboriginal name for the place where this cottage stood was "Katamboordup".

DARCH

Named after one of the earliest settler families of the Wanneroo area. The Darch family settled in the area in 1860, and Darch was approved as a suburb name in 1997.

DARLING DOWNS

An area of farmlet subdivision between Byford and Wungong, Darling Downs derives its name from the nature of the country and its proximity to the Darling Range. The name was first used as an estate name in 1977, and adopted as a suburb name in 1997.

DARLINGTON

The name "Darlington" is derived from adding the English suffix "ton" meaning "town" to the name of the range in the area - Darling Range - this range was first named "General Darling Range" by Charles Fraser, Government Botanist with Captain James Stirling in 1827 after the Governor of the parent colony in New South Wales - General Sir Ralph Darling. The name was first used by Dr Alfred Waylen who established the "Darlington Vineyard" here in 1883-4

DIANELLA

"Dianella" is the botanical name of a small plant which grew in profusion in the area prior to development. It flowers in spring with a star-like purple flower which develops into a blue berry. The Dianella area began developing in the late 1950's, and the name for the suburb was adopted in 1958.

DOUBLEVIEW

The suburb of Doubleview derives its name from the extensive views attainable from the higher parts of the area, both to the coast to the west and to the hills and city to the east. The name was first used by developers Dudley and Dwyer when promoting a development there about 1930.

DUDLEY PARK

A suburb of Mandurah, Dudley Park, derives its name from the estate of "Dudley Park" developed in this area in the 1950's. It was approved as a suburb name in 1989.

DUNCRAIG

This suburb name was approved in 1969. The name was first used in the area as a promotional name, and it is of Scottish origin.

EAST CANNINGTON

The name is descriptive, the district being situated east of Cannington Station. Boundaries for this suburb were first defined in 1959 Metropolitan Street Directory. Previously, East Cannington was a part of the suburb of Queens Park.


EAST FREMANTLE

This suburb name is a descriptive name as the area is situated east of Fremantle. East Fremantle was declared a Municipality (comprising the old Fremantle suburbs of "Plympton" and "Richmond") on April 2nd 1897.


EAST PERTH

Another descriptive name, this was being used for the suburb from at least the 1880's. It was approved as a bounded suburb in 1954.


EAST ROCKINGHAM

This suburb derives its name from its location east of Rockingham.


EAST VICTORIA PARK

Also a descriptive name, development of the suburb of East Victoria Park commenced in the late 1800's. An estate named Bickford was promoted there and used "Victoria Park East" to describe its location.


EDEN HILL

Eden Hill was approved as a suburb in 1954. The name is believed to come from a farm that once existed in the area. I is also said to be an estate name used by Henry Brockman of Gingin when he subdivided the land in 1892.


EDGEWATER

Edgewater was approved as a suburb name in 1974. It derives its name from its location on the western shores of Lake Joondalup.


EGLINTON

This suburb was approved in 1973. It is named after the Barque "Eglinton" which was wrecked on rocks, which now bear its name in 1852. Eglinton Rocks are located off the coast adjacent to the suburb.


ELLENBROOK

The suburb is named after the Ellen Brook, a tributary of the Swan River, which forms part of its Eastern boundary. Ellen Brook is named after Ellen Stirling, the wife of the colony's first Governor, James Stirling.


EMBLETON

The name honours an early settler, George Embleton. Embleton arrived in the colony in 1829 as a servant of Dr John Watley. Watley, who died in 1830, settled in Bayswater district.


ERSKINE

The suburb is named after Lieutenant Archibald Erskine of the 63rd Regiment. Erskine was a landowner in the Murray/Mandurah district and was appointed a Justice of the peace for the Murray district in 1831. The suburb was named in 1971.

FALCON

This suburb was named after Falcon Bay. Falcon (pronounced "Fawlkn") and was approved as a suburb name on 13th November 1967 and gazetted on 8th March 1968. Many of the streets in the adjoining estate were named after yachts and "Falcon" was the name of a yacht, the crew of which won a silver medal by coming second in the Olympic yacht races in Melbourne in 1956.


FERNDALE

Development of the suburb of Ferndale commenced in 1964 and the City of Canning proposed to name the area Shearnstead after an early landowner. The alternative name "Ferndale" coined by developers, was approved as the suburb name in 1965


FLOREAT

The Floreat area was known for many years as the Limekilns Estate. The name of Floreat was the choice of the city of Perth Town Clerk, Mr W E Bold. Floreat means "let it flourish" and is part of the City's coat of arms.


FORRESTDALE

This suburb is one of many place names in Western Australia that honours the states first Premier, Sir John Forrest. It was originally named East Jandakot, but was changed to Forrestdale in 1915 to avoid confusion with Jandakot.


FORRESTFIELD

Local folklore suggests that the name comes from Charles Hale who settled here in 1902 and planted a crop amongst the trees. A neighbour referred to him wanting a forest and a field at the same time and the name was later applied to the area. It is believed however, to honour John or Alexander Forrest, although their connection with the area has not been established. A Forrest Field Progress Association was formed as early as 1927 and the name is shown on plans as Forrestfield for 1944.


FREMANTLE

Named after Captain Charles Howe Fremantle who arrived at the Swan River Colony on May 2nd 1829, on the HMS "Challenger". Fremantle had been despatched from the Cape of Good Hope on the 20th March of that year, by Commodore Schomberg, of the Indian Squadron, and after anchoring off the mouth of the Swan River, hoisted the British flag on the South Head, and took formal possession in the name or His Majesty King George IV, of "all that p[art of New Holland which is not included within the territory of New South Wales. The name Fremantle has at times and in various records been incorrectly spelt as 'Freemantle'.


FURNISSDALE

This suburb is named after an early landowner in the area, William John Furniss. Furniss owned land here in 1929-30. The area apparently became known as Furnissdale when subdivision of the area occurred in the 1940's. The Shire of Murray sought official recognition of the name in 1968.

GIDGEGANNUP

The rural suburb of Gidgegannup derives its name from Gidgegannup Spring, which was first recorded by surveyors passing through the area in 1852. Gidgegannup is an Aboriginal word meaning 'place where spears are made'. "Gidgie' is the word for spear.


GIRRAWHEEN

Development of this predominantly public housing suburb commenced in 1970. "Girrawheen" is an eastern states Aboriginal word meaning "place of flowers".


GLENDALOUGH

The suburb of "Glendalough" was originally granted to Thomas Helms in 1837. In March 1898, the northern portion was transferred to a "Clerk in Holy Orders", Daniel O'Ryan, who gave his address as "Glendalough, Leederville". It appears that this area had earlier been designated as the parish of Glendalough by the Roman Catholic Church. Glendalough in Ireland is a famous Catholic centre in the County of Wicklow. A hermitage was established there in the 7th century by Saint Kevin. The name means "valley of the two lakes" and it is significant that Glendalough in Western Australia is situated between Lake Monger and Herdsman Lake.


GLEN FORREST

The hills suburb of Glen Forrest was first settled as a timber milling centre as early as 1877. In 1902 the Government declared a Townsite here and named in Amherst. It was renamed Smith's Mill the next year, and in 1915 changed to Glen Forrest. The name was the suggestion of a local resident, and combines "Glen" from the nature of the topography and "Forrest" from John Forrest, the first Premier of Western Australia.


GNANGARA

Gnangara is a rural suburb in the City of Wanneroo. It was approved in 1980 and derives its name from the lake located there, Lake Gnangara. Gnangara is an Aboriginal word, the meaning of which is not known, although possibly meaning "spring" (water flows into the lake from the NW corner).


GOLDEN BAY

Previously named Peelhurst, Golden Bay was approved as a suburb name in 1985. It is a developers promotional name, derived from the golden sands of the beach there.


GOOSEBERRY HILL

This suburb takes its name from the hill of this name, recorded by Surveyor Ranford in 1878. It is believed to be derived from the fact that Cape Gooseberries thrived in the area and had been used as early as 1861.


GOSNELLS

Development of the district of Gosnells dates back to 1829 when the rich soils and abundant waters of the Canning River attracted early settlers. One of the early pioneers was John Okey Davis who arrived in WA with his wife and seven children on the ship "Lotus" in 1829. Davis' land was eventually sold to Charles Gosnell in 1862. Gosnells was a director of a famous London firm of John Gosnell and Co., perfumery manufacturers, and it was from this association that the name of the area originated.


GREENFIELDS

This suburb is named after "Greenfields Estate", a promotional developers name used for the area in 1980. It was previously known as Goegrup, East Mandurah and Riverside Gardens.


GREENMOUNT

Named after Greenmount Hill, a point on the road to York referred to in colonial documents as early as 1831. The name is descriptive.


GREENWOOD

Name derived from the promotional estate name Greenwood Forest used by the Gold Land Development Corporation who began development of this area in 1969.


GUILDFORD

The history of the suburb of Guildford had its beginnings in 1827 when Captain James Stirling was despatched by Governor Darling of New South Wales to explore part of the West Coast of Australia. Whilst exploring the Swan River, Stirling was favourably impressed by the fertile alluvial flats around the area now known as Guildford, and replenished his water supplies from Success Spring at Success Hill on the west bank of the Swan River at Bassendean. The junction of the Swan and Helena Rivers was also chosen as the site for a town, and the first surveys were carried out in the Town of Guildford by H.C. Sutherland in late 1829. The name was chosen after the town of Guildford, in Surrey, England. It was probably the choice of Ellen Stirling, as she came from "Woodbridge" in Surrey.


GWELUP

The suburb of Gwelup takes its name from a small swampy lake located in the southern portion of the suburb. The feature is recorded in Lands Department records in 1878 as Gwelup Swamp and in recent years as the surrounds have been cleared and filled, it has been recorded as a lake. The Aboriginal meaning of the name has been derived from "Gwelgannow" which means to "shift the position" and "step aside" and would therefore probably be "the lake that shifted position".

HACKETS GULLY

The name of this rural suburb was approved in 1972 and derives its name from the feature of the same name. "Hackett Gully" is believed to honour Thomas Hackett (1814-1866) who established a market garden in the hills district.

HALLS HEAD

Halls Head is named after Henry Hall who was granted land in the area in the 1830's. The suburb was officially named in 1970, but had been locally known by the name for some years previously.

HAMERSLEY

The name of this suburb honours the district's first land owner, Edward Hamersley. Hamersley owned and farmed land near Guildford, and in the late 1800's built a summer home in what is now North Beach, and named it "The Castle". It was on the site of what is now the Castle Hotel.

HAMILTON HILL

The earliest known settler at Hamilton Hill was Sydney Smith, the agent of Captain George Robb. Robb arrived in Western Australia in 1830 and took up land south of Fremantle. During the next twelve months Smith was actively engaged in establishing Robb's farm. In a letter dated August 27th, 1830, he gives his address as Hamilton Hill.  The name Hamilton is derived from the Hamilton Ross Company of Cape Town which operated the "Leda", the ship that brought Robb and Smith to Western Australia. The founder of the company, Hamilton Ross, had been born in Galway, Ireland in 1775, into a family that had moved from Scotland about two generations prior to his birth. The first master of the "Leda" had been Captain John Northwood and several of Hamilton Ross's nephews were indentured to become master mariners on the "Leda", including Richard Hamilton Allen, whose son, William Hamilton Allen, later settled in Western Australia.

HAMMOND PARK

Formerly part of the rural locality of Banjup, Hammond Park is named after James Hammond, a pioneer of the Jandakot district. The suburb name was approved in 2002.

HAZELMERE

The suburb of Hazelmere is mostly contained in land which was the subject of one of the Colony's earliest grants made to Captain James Stirling in 1829. This was Stirling's "Woodbridge" grant fronting both the Swan and Helena Rivers. In 1883, James Morrison an Auctioneer of Guildford, purchased land in the area. He subdivided his property into small agricultural lots. The name chosen for the estate was Hazelmere, the reason for this choice being to link it with Guildford, as there is a Haslemere in England which is a suburb of Guildford, Surrey. The reason for the different spelling in the name as compared to the original is unknown.

HEATHRIDGE

Heathridge is a descriptive suburb name, chosen because of the heath type vegetation growing on the sand ridges in the area.

HELENA VALLEY

Descriptive name, after the valley of the Helena River where the suburb is located. The river was named in 1829, but it is not known after whom. Helena Valley was first settled by the Smith family of Clayton Farm about 1850.

HENDERSON

The suburb of Henderson comprises land resumed by the Commonwealth Government in 1915 for defence purposes. A large naval base was planned by Admiral Sir Reginald Henderson, and the was area sometimes referred to as "Henderson's Naval Base'. The name was approved for the suburb in 1973.

HENLEY BROOK

The suburb of Henley Brook takes its name from one of the earliest named areas in Western Australia. In March 1827, Captain Stirling was exploring the Swan River and when he reached the extremity of navigable water for their long boat, he made a close inspection of the country. Stirling named an area near Upper Swan "Henley Park" and this name was used as a property name in 1830 by W H Mackie and F C Irwin when they settled here. A brook flowing though the property was recorded as Henley Brook in 1842 and this name was approved as the suburb name in 1972.

HERDSMAN

This area takes its name from Herdsman Lake. The lake was first known as Great Lake, but was recorded as Herdsman Lake by the Surveyor General, J S Roe in 1836. The name is probably descriptive as the area around it provided good grazing and stock were most likely herded in the area.

HERNE HILL

William Locke Brockman, pastoralist and stockbreeder, arrived at the Swan River colony in January 1830 and took up a land grant in Upper Swan. Well to do, Brockman brought with him considerable livestock, including three rams and forty six pure merino ewes, a prefabricated house and seven servants. He named his grant "Herne Hill" and soon set to work developing it. He lived on his land at Herne Hill and was a member of many societies and served on the Legislative Council. He died at Herne Hill in 1872.

HIGHGATE

Land in the Highgate area was first taken up in ten acre farmlets around 1860. One of the early owners is believed to have named the area 'Highgate Hill' after the town of Highgate in Kent, England. St Albans Church, an early landmark in the area, was opened in 1889 and is named after St Albans Cathedral in Highgate, England.

HIGH WYCOMBE

This suburb was formerly part of Maida Vale and was officially named in 1978. The name was introduced by a subdivider "Western Agencies" in 1958. One of the partners in the firm instigated the name, which was that of a village in Buckinghamshire, England, his birth place.

HILLARYS

This suburb is named after Bertram John Hillary, a Gallipoli war veteran who died in 1957 at the age of 62, who set up the first beach shack on a lonely stretch of beach in 1930. That lonely stretch of beach eventually came to be named after its best known inhabitant, courtesy of the Army which had use of the land during World War 2. The name was suggested as a suburb name by the Shire of Wanneroo, and was approved in 1971.

HILLMAN

This suburb is named in honour of Alfred Hillman, who arrived in Western Australia in 1831 to take an appointment as colonial Draftsman. He distinguished himself as a Draftsman, Surveyor and Explorer, including early surveys in the Rockingham area. The suburb was named in 1970.

HILTON

Named after "Hilton Park", a reserve in the area. Included in a list of Postal Districts submitted by the Postmaster General in May 1954. The Postal District was shown as "Hilton Park" until May 1959 when it was agreed that the suffix "Park" would no longer be used.

HOCKING

A new suburb that was formerly part of Wanneroo, Hocking was approved in 1994. The name honours Herbert Hocking, landowner in the area, first Chairman of the Wanneroo Road Board and member of the Board, 1903-1931. He was also treasurer of the Agricultural Society in 1909.

HOPELAND

Hopeland is a farming area west of Serpentine that was formerly part of the Peel Estate Group Settlement Scheme. Group 46, formed in 1923, was named Hopeland, and the name was approved as a suburb name in 1997.

HOPE VALLEY

The suburb of Hope Valley takes its name from the property name of its first settler, George Postans. Between 1882 and 1886 a small community developed in this area, with Postans the first settler, followed by Angel de San Miguel and John Mortimer. This small band of hopeful settlers built homes and established small mixed farms, naming their community Hope Valley.

HOVEA

This suburb takes its name from a crossing loop on the Eastern Railway. Named 'Park View' in 1912 from its proximity to the National Park but, because of confusion with nearby stations, viz:- Swan View and Bellevue, it was renamed. Hovea is the name of a purple flowered native plant, a common sight in the Darling Range. It was named after AP Hove, a Polish botanist.

HUNTINGDALE

This suburb name was suggested by the Town of Gosnells in 1974. The name was a promotional name used by developers for the area.

ILUKA

Name proposed by the Shire of Wanneroo in 1979 and approved in 1980. Iluka is an Aboriginal word from an eastern states dialect and is said to mean "near the sea".

INGLEWOOD

This suburb was developed by Gold Estates of Australia during the gold boom era of the 1890's. Part of it was named "Inglewood Estate" by E W Hamer in 1895. Its origin is uncertain, but it may have been named after Inglewood in California, USA or after a Norwegian barque of that name which called at Fremantle during the 1890's.

INNALOO

The area of this suburb was originally known by the Aboriginal name "Njookenbooroo" (sometimes spelt Ngurgenboro or Noorgenboro). This name was too difficult to pronounce or spell, and in 1927 an alternative name was sought. A list of Aboriginal words compiled by Daisy Bates was provided and "Innaloo", the name of an Aboriginal woman from Dongara was chosen. The name was approved in 1927.

JANDABUP

Name proposed by Shire of Wanneroo after Lake Jandabup. Aboriginal meaning is possibly "place of little eagle". A collection of oral histories about the Wanneroo Wetlands published by the Water Authority of WA in May 1994 states that this lake was sometimes referred to as Big Dundebar Lake.


JANDAKOT

The suburb of Jandakot takes its name from Lake Jandakot which was recorded with this name as early as 1844. It is an Aboriginal word said to mean "place of the Whistling Eagle". During subsequent years the name was recorded variously as "Jandicoot", "Jandakoot" and "Jandakott" but the spelling eventually adopted was "Jandakot". The lake name was changed to Forrestdale Lake in 1973. The Government subdivided the Jandakot area into small farmlets in 1889


JANE BROOK

This suburb name was approved in 1994. Formerly part of Stratton and "Red Hill", it takes its name from the brook which flows through the suburb. Jane Brook is believed to be named after Jane Currie, the wife of Fremantle's first Harbour Master.


JARRAHDALE

Jarrahdale is a descriptive name, derived from its situation in some of Western Australia's best Jarrah forest. The place came about as a result of the granting of timber concessions here in 1872. The Jarrahdale Timber Coy constructed a railway for the transport of timber from Jarrahdale through Mundijong to Rockingham.


JINDALEE

Name proposed by the Shire of Wanneroo 29/6/1979. This is an Aboriginal word meaning "a bare hill".


JOLIMONT

Derived from Jolimont Terrace, a street name in a subdivision of Swan Loc 396, subdivided in October 1891 by the owner John Henry Maddock. John Henry Maddock was a Melbourne solicitor who acquired the land on July 2nd 1891. It is believed he named Jolimont Terrace after the Melbourne suburb of Jolimont which was in turn named after "Jolimont", the residence of Governor Latrobe, built 1839.


JOONDALUP

This suburb is named after Lake Joondalup, situated on the eastern side of the suburb. Joondalup is an Aboriginal word first recorded in 1837, and possibly means "place of of whiteness or glistening". Another account states that a 'joondal' is a creature that can only move backwards.


JOONDANNA

The first of the northern suburbs which were born in the post War period of the 1940s was Joondanna. Following the rejection of Belair, a fashionable suburb of Hollywood, California, as a suitable name for the proposed subdivision, the Perth Road Board launched a competition to find a suitable name. The competition was won by Mrs A Curtis of Donnybrook. She once lived in Osborne Park and suggested Joondanna as this was the name given by a Mr. Banks to his property. He is believed to have been the first settler and owner of land in the area. 567 entries were attracted in the competition which was held in August 1939.

KALAMUNDA

This suburb was named in 1901 following a request by 32 residents of the area for a townsite to be declared here. The residents chose the name "CALAMUNDA" as the name of the proposed townsite, combining two Aboriginal words recorded in a book on Aboriginal language by Bishop Salvado. "Cala" signifies "home, district, settlement," and "Munda" signifies "forest" and the residents hoped it would be considered an appropriate name. The name was respelt "Kalamunnda" by the Surveyor General, but later in 1901 was amended to Kalamunda.

KALLAROO

Kallaroo is one of the four "Whitfords" suburbs that resulted from the State Government rezoning a large area of coastal land for development in 1969. Kallaroo was chosen as a suburb name in 1970 and is an Aboriginal word meaning "road to the water".

KARAWARA

This suburb was formerly the southern portion of the Collier Pine Plantation. Karawara is an Aboriginal word meaning "green", and was approved as the suburb name in 1973.

KARDINYA

Kardinya is an Aboriginal word meaning "sunrise", and was first used for a road name in this area in 1955. The name was approved as a suburb name in 1961.

KARNUP

The suburb of Karnup takes its name from the townsite declared here in 1924. It is an Aboriginal name, the meaning of which is unknown, taken from nearby Karnup Brook (now known as Karnet Brook).

KARRAGULLEN

The name Karragullen has been in use for this area since 1913 when the townsite of this name was gazetted. The townsite was at the head of the Upper Darling Range Railway. Karragullen is the Aboriginal name for the Cannington area as supplied by the Aboriginal "Tommy Bimbar" in 1916. Another source claims the name means "red gully"

KARRAKATTA

The termination katta is well known, and is given as the Aboriginal word for a hill, or the top of any height, in the early Aboriginal vocabularies. The karra is more difficult as it may be derived from - Karri - a crab, Karak - the red-tailed black cockatoo, Kara - a spider, Karh-rh - an orchid with an edible root. The meaning of the combined word could therefore be the hill, or top of the hill, where the orchid with the edible root is found, or the hill frequented by the red-tailed black cockatoo, or the hill where spiders are found and so on. It is not definitely known which is the exact area called by the Aborigines "Karrakatta" but it is generally thought to be been the top of Mount Eliza.

KARRAKUP

Karrakup is a large area of forest and farm country east of Byford. It derives its name from "Karrak", the Nyoongar word for the red-tailed black cockatoo which is prevalent in the area. It was approved as a suburb name in 1997.

KARRINYUP

The development of the area today known as KARRINYUP had its beginnings in the early 1840's when Samuel Moore took up a grant of 780 acres in the northern part of the suburb. Moore's grant, Swan Location 92 was surveyed by P Chauncey in 1844 and Chauncey recorded a large swamp just to the east of Karrinyup as Careniup Swamp. This swamp is still known by this name today, and is the name from which Karrinyup is derived. When the golf course was being developed in the late 1920's the Foundation Committee altered Careniup to create Karrinyup

KELMSCOTT

This suburb was named after Kelmscott in Oxfordshire, England. An announcement was made in July 1830, that in honour of Archdeacon Scott, the town would be named after his birthplace. The Archdeacon, returning to England from New South Wales aboard the HMS "Success", was stranded at the new Swan River settlement when the ship struck a reef off Fremantle in November 1829. For two months he was the only ordained minister in the colony and, with the assistance of the settlers and the garrison, he built a temporary church at Perth where he held the colony's first Christmas service.

KENSINGTON

This suburb was named after "Kensington Park" racecourse which was situated near the Coode Street Jetty. This course was established in the 1890's as the South Perth Racecourse, but was later changed to Kensington. It is most likely that the name Kensington was adopted from that of the prestigious London suburb

KENWICK

Named after "Kenwick Park" the estate of Wallace Bickley. Bickley's original property was Canning Location 3 which he called "Craigie". He purchased other lands in the vicinity including Canning Location 11 in 1854. In 1860, he advertised for sale or lease, the "Kenwick Park and Springs Estates". Kenwick was included in a list of official postal districts compiled in May 1959 and the original boundaries were defined in the 1959 metropolitan road guide. In an article on Kenwick, it is suggested that Bickley named his homestead "after an estate in England he very much admired"

KEWDALE

This suburb is named after Kew Street, one of the first roads in the district. It is most likely named after Kew in Melbourne. The name has been in use as a suburb name since at least 1949.

KIARA

Formerly part of Lockridge, Kiara was approved as a suburb name in 1990. Kiara is an Aboriginal word for the White Cockatoo (eastern states dialect).

KINGSLEY

The suburb of Kingsley is named after the village of Kingsley which is near Winchester in Hampshire, England. The name was chosen for the historical association with the first owner of land in the area, William Kernot Shenton. Shenton was born in Winchester in 1802. The suburb name was approved in 1974.

KINROSS

Kinross is named after a village near Perth in Scotland. The name was chosen because the adjoining suburb of Burns is also a name of Scottish origin. The name was approved for the suburb in 1989.

KOONDOOLA

Koondoola is an Aboriginal word meaning 'emu', and was approved as the name for this suburb in 1970.

KOONGAMIA

The name of this suburb is derived from two Aboriginal words, "Koong" meaning "hill" and "mia" meaning "home". The suburb was formerly the Greenmount picnic reserve, and was developed by the State Housing Commission in 1955 and 1956.

KWINANA

The name "Kwinana" is taken from the wreck of the S.S. Kwinana which today lies on the shore at Kwinana Beach in Cockburn Sound. The name came from the Aboriginal word for "Pretty Maiden" and the ship was damaged by fire near Carnarvon in December 1920 and was brought to Fremantle. In May 1922 while at Careening Bay, Garden Island, she was blown ashore during a storm to the place where it rests today. The area in the vicinity of the wreck soon became known as Kwinana and in 1937, the Kwinana townsite was gazetted to cover the area now known as Kwinana Beach.

LAKELANDS

Located approx 6 km NE of Mandurah, this suburb is named because of a number of low lying swamps/lakes in the area. The suburb name was approved in 1990.


LANDSDALE

The suburb of Landsdale was approved in 1980. The name is taken from the main road through the area, Lansdale Road. The origin of the road name is not known, although it appeared on maps of the area as early as 1955.


LANGFORD

This name was submitted by the Shire of Gosnells in September 1966, having been chosen in collaboration with the State Housing Commission. The shire stated that Mr Langford was one of the oldest councillors on the road board - probably since 1925 - but had now retired and was a very old man. The name was approved in January 1967


LATHLAIN

Name derived from Lathlain Park Oval which was in turn named after Sir William Lathlain. The proposal for the renaming of parts of the localities of Victoria Park and Rivervale as Lathlain was suggested by the City of Perth, and was approved in 1981..Sir William Lathlain was Mayor of Perth 1918-23 and 1930-32, and also a member of the Legislative Council 1926-32.


LEDA

Leda is one of the Town of Kwinana suburbs named after a ship. The brig "Leda" brought settlers to the new colony in January 1830. Leda means "Swan", an appropriate name for a ship which brought colonists to the settlement on the Swan River. The suburb name was approved in 1969.


LEEDERVILLE

Leederville is named after William Leeder, the first landowner in the area. He arrived in the colony on the "Rockingham" in 1830, and in 1833 bought land near Lake Monger. Private subdivision began about 1890 and the expanding district was already known as Leederville in April 1895 when it was declared as a Roads Board District. It was gazetted as a municipality on the 3rd May 1896.


LEEMING

The name was suggested by the Melville City Council, and was approved in 1971. It originates from Leeming Road which was the southern boundary of the district. The name commemorates George Waters Leeming, a surveyor, who laid out the roads for the Jandakot Agricultural area in 1889. Leeming was born in 1857 in Melbourne and arrived here per the "Penola" in 1885 and married Margaret Ann Georgina Sweeting at Guildford in October 1889. He was a mining Surveyor in the Kimberley Goldfields in 1888 and later as a contractor and surveyor based at Guildford.


LESMURDIE

Like Kalamunda, the development of the "Lesmurdie" area is closely tied to the exploitation of the Jarrah forest in the region by the Canning Jarrah Timber Company Ltd. In 1897, Mr Archibald Sanderson, a Perth journalist commenced the acquisition of a number of these properties, with a view to building up a "rural retreat" and he named his property "Lesmurdie". Lesmurdie Cottage was a shooting-box in Banffshire, Scotland, near Dufftown and was let to Mr Sanderson's father for shooting. It was in memory of this cottage that Sanderson applied the name to his property.


LEXIA

A suburb in the Shire of Swan, located mostly in the Gnangara Pine Plantation, situated directly north of Gnangara Road. This name was derived from nearby Lexia Borefield (a local name) and Lexia Avenue. The name "Lexia" is also the name of a grape variety.


LOCKRIDGE

The suburb of Lockridge derives its name from a Swan valley property owned by the Hamersley family. The Hamersley's, a prominent colonial family owned a number of properties, and resided at Pyrton in what is now Eden Hill. Part of the Lockridge land became Pyrton Estate which the government developed for soldier settlement in the 1920's. The residential development in Lockridge was commenced by the State Housing Commission in 1969 when it purchased 240 acres for the purpose.


LYNWOOD

In November 1964, the Shire of Canning proposed that this area be named "Willetton" after Henry Willett of Willett and Co." Early landholders in the area. In August 1965 the Shire advised that the Realty Development Corporation Ltd had requested the name "Clovercrest Estate" but that neither party would object to the use of the name Lynwood instead of "Willetton". This amendment was approved in 1965 and the name "Willetton" was used for an adjoining locality.

MADDINGTON

Much of Maddington was originally selected in 1829 by Captain John Hobbs, master of the colonial brig "Thomson". This land was soon acquired by John Randall Phillips. As early as 1832, Phillips had named his property "Maddington Farm" presumably after the outer London suburb of that name. A ford across the Canning river near Phillip's farm was commonly known as Maddington Ford" in the 1850's and when it was decided to construct a railway station nearby, about the turn of the century, the obvious name was Maddington.


MADELEY

The suburb of Madeley was approved in 1998, and derives its name from a Wanneroo Road Board member of 1905 and a landowner in the area in 1914.


MADORA BAY

First approved as Madora in 1990, and amended to Madora Bay in 2003, this suburb derives its name from “Madora Beach Estate” of 1960. The estate was a development of Perry’s Estate Agency in Mandurah, and the name was derived from two Western Australian place names: Chadora, a mill and railway siding near Dwellingup, and Mandora, a cattle station between Broome and Port Hedland.


MAHOGANY CREEK

This suburb takes its name from Mahogany Creek, a picturesque tributary of Jane Brook which flows through the area. The creek was known by this name as early as 1830, and takes its name from the towering forest through which it flowed (mahogany was the early colonial name for Jarrah). This place is well known from "The Old Mahogany Inn" located here, an early colonial wayside inn, formerly known as the "Prince of Wales" Inn. The area was developed as orchard land in the 1890's, and a railway stopping place was established here in 1891.


MAIDA VALE

This area was first settled in 1873 by William Henry Mead. He built a home in the Ridge Hill area, and established an orchard named “Orangedale”. The name of Maida Vale was chosen as the district name by a public meeting of local residents in 1910, and comes from the property name of another early settler, Mr W H McCormack. It is assumed that the name was derived from that of the west London suburb of this name, which in turn is named after Maida (S. Pietro di Maida) in Calabria, Italy. The British Army defeated the French there in 1806, and in commemoration of the victory Maida Hall and Maida Vale were named.


MALAGA

The suburb name Malaga is taken from Malaga Road. This road and three others with unusual names, Truganina, Uganda and Camboon, were surveyed here in 1894. Malaga may be named after the city of Malaga in Spain, or after the Aboriginal word malaga which is the word for ironstone. When the area was promoted by Peet and Co in the 1930's, that company stated the name was of Spanish origin, but there is no evidence to support this is the origin. It was approved as suburb name in 1969.


MANDOGALUP

The area of this suburb was originally referred to as "7 Mile Camp", but when a townsite was declered here in 1923 it was named "Balmanup". Lake Balmanup was an alternative name for Mandogalup Swamp.. In 1945 it was found that the townsite was more commonly known as Mandogalup and it was changed to Mandogalup in 1946. It is an Aboriginal name, the menaing of which is unknown.


MANDURAH

Land was originally reserved for a townsite named "Peel" on the west side of the entrance to Peel Inlet in July 1831 but no development took place and most early settlers took up residence on the east shore, the Aboriginal name of which was Mandurah. Early settlers were Peel, Littleton and Creery and Thomas Peel named his residence "Mandurah House". The name is believed to be derived from the word "mandjar", meaning "trading place".


MANNING

This suburb began as a State Housing Commission project in 1948. The land had been acquired by Henry Manning of High Holburn, London, in 1856, and Manning's grandson, John Daniel Manning had a dairy here. He was a prominent citizen, and was Chairman of the South Perth Road Board in 1894, 1896-7 and 1899-1901. During subdivision the name Manning Estate was used and Manning eventually became the official name of the area.


MARANGAROO

Marangaroo is an Aboriginal word meaning "blue flowers". The suburb was named in 1977.


MARDELLA

Mardella is a variant form of the Aboriginal name of the nearby Medulla Brook. A farming area between Mundijong and Serpentine, the name Mardella has been in use in this area since 1898, when a railway siding of this name was opened here. It was approved as a suburb name in 1997.


MARIGINIUP

This suburb is named after Mariginiup Lake. The lake name was recorded by surveyors in 1844, and in 1904 a townsite was declared here. This Aboriginal name is said to possibly mean "to pull out flag leaved flax". It was named as a suburb in 1982.


MARMION

Named after Patrick Marmion of the schooner 'Pelsart', who operated a whaling station in this area in 1849. In 1970 a plaque was placed in Padbury Circle - Sorrento to commemorate Marmion. He was granted an area of land rent free and hired a jetty at Fremantle. In the 1930's Marmion beach was a popular spot with fishermen, and numerous boatsheds and shacks were built there


MARTIN

The name of this suburb was approved in 1974. It was named at the request of the Gosnells Town Council after the Martin family, pioneers of Gosnells, and in particular Mr Edward Victor Martin, in recognition of 37 years of service on the council.


MAYLANDS

The suburb of Maylands was developed in the 1890's around the railway line built through the area in the 1880's. The origin of the name is uncertain, but two possibilities have been suggested. One possible origin is that the name relates to the purchase of the land in the month of May by Mr E W Hamer, the other origin is that it was named by Mr Mephan Ferguson after his daughter, May. Ferguson ran an early business in the area.


MEADOW SPRINGS

This suburb name is derived from Meadow Springs Estate and golf course, development of which began in 1988. The suburb is located just north of mandurah, and the name was approved in 1989. It was previously known as Mandurah Park.


MEDINA

Medina was the first of the Kwinana suburbs to be named after ships. The "Medina" arrived at the Swan River colony in July 1830 with fiftyone passengers on board. The name Medina is believed to be derived from a river on the Isle of Wight, and was approved as a suburb name in 1953.


MELVILLE

The suburb of Melville is named after Melville Water on the Swan River. Melville Water was named after Robert Dundas, the second Viscount Melville, by Captain James Stirling during explorations in March 1827, two years prior to settlement at the Swan River. The area was first proposed for development in 1896 as Melville Park Estate, but it really only forged ahead after the second world war.


MENORA

The suburb of Menora grew out of a large area generally referred to as Mount Lawley.  In 1954, the Nomenclature Advisory Committee, working with the Postmaster General established suburb names and boundaries for the inner metropolitan area.  The area of Menora was considered unnamed, and Menora was chosen as the name because of the Menora Picture Theatre located in Walcott Street within the area.  Another influencing factor in the choice of name was that Menora is the name of the Jewish seven branched candlestick, one of the oldest symbols of the Jewish faith, and this area has a strong Jewish influence.


MERRIWA

The name originally proposed for this suburb by the Shire of Wanneroo was 'Hester' after one of the first land owners in the vicinity. This was approved in 1980, but the name was opposed by Australia Post on account of duplication. Because of this the Shire of Wanneroo proposed the name Merriwa ( an Aboriginal word for 'a good place'). The name was approved in 1980.


MIDDLE SWAN

Middle Swan is one of Perth's oldest suburbs, and the name was in use as early as the 1840's. It was named because the area is in the middle of the Swan valley region.


MIDLAND

Midland is named after the Midland Railway Company, which in 1886 was contracted by the state government to build a railway line to Geraldton in return for grants of land. The company established its headquarters at the present site of Midland, and the town grew around the Midland Railway and the government's Eastern Railway. A railway station of Midland Junction was opened here in 1894, but when the municipality was named in 1895 it was named Helena Vale. The railway station kept its name and so much confusion arose that the town was renamed Midland Junction in 1901 and finally shortened to Midland in 1961.


MIDVALE

The name Midvale is a composite name made up from Midland and Helena Vale. It is appropriate as the suburb lies midway between Midland and the site of the former Helena Vale Racecourse. The area was developed in the early 1950's.


MILLENDON

The name "Millendon" for a suburb in the Upper Swan area commemorates the historic property of Western Australia's first Advocate-General, George Fletcher Moore. Moore, an Irishman, arrived in the Colony in 1830 and in 1833 obtained land in the Swan Valley which he named "Millendon". Moore's land began to be subdivided in 1914, and was developed into large lots suitable for agriculture. The land is in the prime wine growing area of the State and the area today is still renowned for its wines.


MINDARIE

This suburb is named after Mindarie Lake, an Aboriginal name first recorded by Alexander Forrest in 1874. The Aboriginal meaning for the name is possibly "the place near which is held a ceremony". Another meaning has been given as "green water" The suburb was to have been named Clarkson prior to development, but the two names were transposed in 1985.


MIRRABOOKA

Mirrabooka is an Aboriginal word for the Southern Cross constellation. The name was proposed by the state government in 1954 for a large tract of land to be developed for public housing. It was named the "Mirrabooka Project", but the area now known as Mirrabooka was only named as a suburb in 1980.


MORLEY

The name Morley began appearing on maps around the turn of the twentieth century and was adopted when the area was subdivided for urban development after the Second World War. The most likely explanation for its use is that it commemorates Charles William Morley, who is known to have farmed in the Morley area during the 1860's and 1870's.


MOSMAN PARK

The area of this suburb was first named "Buckland Downs" on a map of the Colony drawn in London in September 1832. This name is thought to have been bestowed by Governor Stirling to honour William Buckland, a noted geologist and later Dean of Westminster. The highest point in the district was named Buckland Hill, and this name was adopted for the locality. However, when a railway station was opened in 1895, it was named Cottesloe Beach and this name was also used for the locality. The Buckland Hill Road District was gazetted in 1899, was changed to Cottesloe Beach in 1909, Buckland Hill again in 1930, and then Mosman Park Road District in 1938. The suburb was officially named Mosman Park at a meeting of the Executive Council in 1937, the name being derived from the adjacent Mosman Bay on the river. The bay was named in 1907 when the Public Works Department constructed a jetty on the river here. It was named after Mosman in Sydney, the birthplace of R J Yeldon, a Road Board member 1901-05 and 1908-09.


MOUNT CLAREMONT

Mount Claremont was formerly included within the suburbs of Graylands and Swanbourne and derives its name from the adjoining suburb of Claremont. A portion of this area had long been referred to as 'Mount Claremont' by local residents and, as early as 1957, a non-official post office of that name had been established there. In 1985 both the City of Perth and the City of Nedlands requested the creation of a new suburb to be named Mount Claremont and this was approved in January 1986.


MOUNT HAWTHORN

The Mount Hawthorn area was first subdivided for urban development in 1887. In the late 1890's part of it was purchased by a syndicate of E H Wittenoom, J A Hicks and C L W Clifton and the story is told that when this group subdivided their land in 1903, James Hicks called his portion of the subdivision Hawthorn Estate, as he had recently been in Melbourne and stayed at Hawthorne. Residents later were apparently dissatisfied with the name and as parts of it were on an eminence and to use the name Mount so and so was fashionable at that time, (eg Mount Lawley), they called it Mount Hawthorn.


MOUNT HELENA

Mount Helena was known as Lion Mill until it was renamed Mount Helena in March 1924. The prime mover in the quest for a new name was the local Progress Association whose first choice, "Hillcrest" had been rejected by the authorities because of a duplication in New South Wales. The next suggestion, "Mount Helena" was more successful and had been chosen as a euphonious name, indicative of the terrain and because the suburb was situated centrally in the Helena District.


MOUNT LAWLEY

At the beginning of the twentieth century the whole of the Mount Lawley area was undeveloped bushland. At this time the Mount Lawley estate was purchased by Messrs Samuel W Copley and R T Robinson, who set out with the object of making this an attractive suburb, with the right type of home, and with every possible encouragement given to householders to create a garden suburb. Mount Lawley received its name in recognition of Sir Arthur Lawley, who was Governor of Western Australia for 15 months in 1901-02. Governor Lawley was born in 1860, and had a distinguished career in the British Army, and the Colonial Service.


MOUNT NASURA

This hilly suburb in the City of Armadale derives its name from "Derrynasura", a vineyard established in the area in 1897. It comprised 280 acres with cellars especially excavated into the hillside. The suburb name was officially adopted in 1996, and it was formerly part of Armadale and Kelmscott suburbs.


MOUNT PLEASANT

In 1911 James Herbert Simpson built a house on 40 acres by the river which, because of its shape, became known as the Castle on the Hill. Simpson named it Mt. Pleasant, the name which now adorns the suburb. Mt Pleasant, like its neighbouring suburbs, experienced boom times after the completion of the Kwinana Freeway from Perth to the Canning Bridge which made the suburb, being so close to the city centre, and having attractive river views, extremely desirable real estate."


MOUNT RICHON

Formerly part of Armadale and Wungong, Mount Richon was approved as a suburb in 2003. It is named after a former vineyard in the area


MULLALOO

Mullaloo is an Aboriginal word, and was first recorded for a point on the coast near here in 1919. It was first shown as Moolalloo Point, but the spelling was later changed to Mullaloo, and the feature is now known as Pinnaroo Point. The beach here was locally known as Mullaloo Beach around the turn of the century, but urban subdivision only commenced in the late 1950's. One record of the Aboriginal name records it as meaning "place of the rat kangaroo".


MUNDARING

Permanent settlement in Mundaring began in 1882-84 when Mr Peter Gugeri established a vineyard south of the Eastern Railway. Gugeri was born in London in 1845 and gained experience in the wine industry in Italy. The first railway siding at Mundaring was named after him and for some years the area was generally known as "Gugeris". A later settler, M H Jacoby, took over Gugeris' vineyards in 1893, and named the business the "Mundaring Vineyard Company". The name came from an Aboriginal camp situated nearby and the meaning given to Jacoby by the aborigines was "a high place on a high place". The correct pronunciation was "Mundahring" but common usage has gradually converted this to "Mundairing".


MUNDIJONG

This place was originally named Jarrahdale Junction. It was at the junction of the Rockingham-Jarrahdale line and the government line from Perth to Bunbury which was built in 1893. A town grew up around the junction, and a timber depot which included a large planing mill was constructed. The town was first declared as "Manjedal" in 1893 as it was thought to be the Aboriginal name of the area. In 1897 this was found to be incorrect, and the name was changed to Mundijong.


MUNSTER

In January 1830 land at Woodman Point was set aside for a townsite to accommodate new settlers. the town was named Clarence and a large lake near its centre, "Lake Munster" (now Lake Coogee), both after Prince William, Duke of Clarence in the peerage of Great Britain and Earl of Munster in the peerage of Ireland. In 1895 a postal directory mentioned that the suburb of "Lake Munster" was "also known as Coogee". In later years this name was applied more to the area north-west of the lake, while the rest of the area became known for postal purposes as "Woodman Point" and "South Coogee in the 1950'S. Munster was officially adopted as a suburb name in 1954.


MURDOCH

This suburb is named after Sir Walter Murdoch. Murdoch was born in 1874, and in 1912 was appointed Professor of English at the new University of Western Australia. He was Chancellor of the University from 1943 to 1947, and died in 1970 shortly before Perth's second university was named in his honour. The suburb was named in 1974.


MYAREE

Prior to 1954, the suburb now named Myaree was generally known as part of Melville and consisted of poultry farms and several industries. The Melville Road Board acquired land and planning for an urban residential area in conjunction with an industrial area was begun. The name, Myaree, which is an Aboriginal word meaning 'foliage', was suggested and street names were chosen commemorating men of the district who died on active service in the first world war and old residents who had played an active part in the development of the area. Development of the area commenced in 1955.

NAVAL BASE

This suburb takes its name from the Naval Base for which land was resumed here in 1915. The base never eventuated, but the name given to the land allocated for that purpose remained.


NEDLANDS

In 1854, Colonel John Bruce, Military Commandant of the Colony, brought land in this area, intending the land to be the heritage of his son Edward. He is said to have referred to the estate as "Ned's Land". Edward Bruce, later Major Edward Bruce of the 19th Bengall Lancers, visited Western Australia in 1883 and on a mortgage dated 29th June in that year, the various locations left to him by his father are described as being the land "known as Nedlands". Development of the area mainly ocurred between 1910 and 1920


NEERABUP

Named after Lake Neerabup which was first recorded by surveyor J. Cowle in 1867. Aboriginal derivation of the name is possibly "swampy place" or "small basin or lake". Another version of the spelling is Neerabub. Another authority states that this lake was once called Pappas Swamp. The suburb name was approved in 1982.


NOLLAMARA

Nollamara is one of the "Mirrabooka Project" suburbs developed by the State Housing Commission in the early 1950's. The suburb name was approved in 1954, and is the Aboriginal word for the red and green kangaroo paw, Western Australia's floral emblem.


NORANDA

This suburb name was approved in 1977. The name was proposed by the City of Bayswater, and is taken from Noranda Park, a town in Florida, USA.


NORTH BEACH

North Beach is a descriptive name, derived from the suburb being (at the time) the most northerly of Perth's beaches. The name has been in use for the area since at least the 1880's, when the Hamersley family built a summer home there. Streets in the area honour members of the family.


NORTHBRIDGE

Northbridge is an inner suburban area, named because it is just north of Perth across the railway bridge. It was approved as a suburb name in 1982.


NORTH COOGEE

North Coogee was approved as a suburb on 19 December 2005 from the existing localities of Spearwood, Hamilton Hill and Coogee.


NORTH FREMANTLE

North Fremantle is a descriptive name, derived from its location north of Fremantle. The government advertised land for sale at North Fremantle in 1856, but the area mainly developed following the opening of the railway from Perth to Fremantle in 1881.


NORTH LAKE

North Lake is a named after the lake of this name within the locality. The lake has been known by this name since 1877, and the name was approved for the suburb in 1954.


NORTH PERTH

North Perth is a descriptive name, derived from its location north of Perth. The area was mainly developed in the boom times following the 1890's gold rush, and it was declred a Municipality in 1901.


NOWERGUP

The suburb of Nowergup takes its name from Lake Nowergup. The lake name was first recorded by Surveyor General J S Roe in 1841, and is an Aboriginal word which possibly means "place of sweet water". It was approved as a suburb name in 1982.

OAKFORD

The suburb of Oakford was named in 1982, and takes its name from the townsite of this name declared in 1926. The townsite was cancelled in 1927.


OCEAN REEF

Ocean Reef is a descriptive name used by developers. It is derived from a line of reefs offshore from Mullaloo, and was approved in 1974.


O'CONNOR

The suburb of O'Connor was named in 1955 in honour of Charles Yelverton O'Connor. O'Connor was Engineer in Chief and General Manager of the Railways of Western Australia in the 1890's, and is remembered for his genius that resulted in construction of the Goldfields Water Supply, Fremantle Harbour and Perth's suburban rail system. He died in 1903.


OLDBURY

Oldbury is a farming area west of Mundijong and Cardup. It takes its name from Group 35 of the Peel Estate Group Settlement Scheme, formed here in 1922. It was approved as a suburb name in 1997.


ORANGE GROVE

Orange Grove is a descriptive name, derived from the orange orchards which were once common in the area.


ORELIA

Orelia is a suburb of Kwinana named after a ship. The "Orelia" arrived at Fremantle bringing settlers to the new colony in October 1829. This area began to be developed in 1952.


OSBORNE PARK

Osborne Park was named after William Osborne, a butcher who owned an abattoir and land along the Wanneroo Road, and who was elected to the Perth Road Board in 1875. Osborne's land was subdivided in 1905 for market gardens and dairies, but the area today is largely industrial.

PADBURY

This suburb is named after Walter Padbury (1820-1907), pastoralist, merchant and philanthropist. Padbury, a prominent Perth citizen, was the first landholder in the area. The suburb was named in 1971.


PALMYRA

Palmyra, meaning City of Palms, was a famous Syrian city which was a trading centre on the trading routes of Ancient Europe. Its ancient name was Tadmor, but it was called Palmyra by the Romans who ranked it fourth in the seven wonders of the ancient world. The name Palmyra was chosen from a competition run by the Melville Road Board and the street names chosen, eg Zenobia, Cleopatra, Solomon, Aurelian, Antony etc, are names associated with Ancient History in the Middle East area.


PARKERVILLE

The railway line that once ran between Bellevue and Mount Helena, via Parkerville, was opened for traffic in 1896. Parkerville was one of the first stations to be constructed on the line and served the Parkerville Suburban Area which had been thrown open for selection in June 1895. The Suburban Area was named in honour of Mr S H Parker whose country home, now the Old Mahogany Inn, was situated nearby. Parker was a prominent of the Perth legal fraternity.


PARKLANDS

This suburb is so named because of the 'Parkland' development of the area (farmlet development etc). The name was approved in 1990.


PARKWOOD

Previously part of Lynwood, Parkwood was approved as a suburb name in 1993. It is an estate name created by the developers in the early 1970's.


PARMELIA

Parmelia is one of the Kwinana suburbs named after a ship. The "Parmelia" was the first ship to arrive bringing settlers to the new colony. It arrived in June 1829, including in its passengers the new Governor and his wife, James and Ellen Stirling.


PAULLS VALLEY

This suburb was named in 1973, and honours one of the first orchardists in the district. It is located in the Darling Range east of Kalamunda.


PEARSALL

This is one of Perth's newest suburbs, having been approved in 1994. The name honours W.C.Pearsall who was a member of the Wanneroo Road Board from 1931 - 1950 and owned the first service station in the area in 1929. Pearsall was formerly part of Wanneroo.


PEEL ESTATE

The extensive area of farmlets now known as Peel Estate derives its name from a grandiose settlement scheme developed in England in 1828. Thomas Peel was the leader of the scheme to develop 250,000 acres with 10,000 emigrants, but for a number of reasons the scheme failed. The area was also subject to an extensive government scheme to develop land for group settlement in the 1920's. Thomas Peel, after whom the suburb is named, settled at Mandurah and died there in 1856.


PEPPERMINT GROVE

The area now known as Peppermint Grove was originally owned by John Butler, and Keanes Point was once known as Butlers Hump. For many years the Peppermint Grove property, which received that name from the groves of peppermint trees natural to the area, was the scene of picnics when crowds of upto 400 travelled by steamers from Perth. In December 1890 the land was closed to picnickers by a Perth syndicate who subdivided the estate, and used the name Peppermint Grove to promote the land.


PERON

The name Peron applies to the area of former holiday camps and reserves around Cape Peron at the southern end of Cockburn Sound. Cape Peron was named after Francois Peron, a French naturaliste who was part of a French expedition that explored the Western Australian coast in 1801-03.


PERTH

The story of the naming of Perth begins with the instructions given to Captain Stirling, Lieutenant Governor designate of the proposed colony of Western Australia, regarding the foundation of the colony. Stirling received a letter from the Secretary for the Colonies, Sir George Murray, which read:

"Amongst your earliest duties will be that of determining the most convenient site for a Town to be erected as the future seat of Government. You will be called upon to weigh maturely the advantages which may arise from placing it on so secure a situation as may be afforded on various points of the Swan River, against those which may follow from establishing it on so fine a port for the reception of shipping as Cockburn Sound is represented to be...".

Stirling was therefore given the choice of establishing the chief town on Cockburn Sound, or "on various points on the Swan River". It has been established that Murray actually gave Stirling more explicit instructions, and advised him that failing the establishment of the town at Cockburn Sound, he was to fix the site for it at the confluence of the two rivers, the Swan and the Canning, or in other words, at Point Heathcote. Stirling had good reasons to disobey Murray, but briefly they were that it was that the Perth site was "decidely preferable in building materials, streams of water, and facility of communication".

Stirling did however gladly comply with Sir George Murray's command that the new town be called Perth. Murray's reasons for choosing the name, Perth, were purely sentimental and quite understandable, for he was both a Perthshire man and represented his birthplace in the House of Commons. The choice suited Stirling, himself a Scotsman, although it is recorded that at least one early settler, William Leake complained to the Home Office about the name. August 12, 1829, marked the day of the founding of the town, when Mrs Helen Dance cut down a tree. August 12 was also the King's (George 4th) birthday.


PICKERING BROOK

Named after nearby Pickering Brook. The brook is named after an early settler, Captain Edward Picking whose name was sometimes recorded as Pickering. The suburb of Pickering Brook was officially created on the 12th January 1973. Part of it was formerly known as Carilla.


PIESSE BROOK

The suburb of Piesse Brook is named after Piesse Gully which flows through the area. The name of this watercourse was first recorded in 1890, and is most likely named after the family of William Roper Piesse, a prominent citizen with a large family who lived in Guildford for a time. Boundaries for this suburb were approved in 1972.


PINJAR

The suburb of Pinjar is named after the large swampy lake of this name located north east of Wanneroo. The lake name is shown on government plans from 1868, and the name is of Aboriginal origin. The meaning of Pinjar is unknown, but could be "tadpole" or "swampy lake".


PORT KENNEDY

Port Kennedy takes its name from the feature of this name located in the south east corner of Warnbro Sound. The port was named by J S Roe, Surveyor General, in 1859, during the survey of Warnbro Sound. He named it after Sir Arthur Edward Kennedy, Governor of Western Australia 1855-1862. The suburb was previously named Becher, after Point Becher, and was renamed in 1990.


POSTANS

Named after George Postans who was one of the first settlers in the area. He arrived in the Colony as a convict in 1850 and bought 100 acres of land in 1882, several years after getting his ticket-of-leave. The suburb was formerly known as Caledonia.

QUEENS PARK

Queens Park was formerly known as Woodlupine. In 1911 a girl was raped and murdered here, and local residents and authorities, not wishing to jeopardise development of the area, had the name changed to Queens Park. The name is said to honour Queen Alexandra, wife of King Edward VII.

QUINNS ROCKS

This seaside suburb takes its name from the offshore reef first noted during a coastline survey by Surveyour James Cowle in 1867. Although spelt with a double "n", the rocks are thought to have been named after Robert Quin who emigrated to Western Australia in 1863 and was appointed as an Assistant Surveyor on his arrival. Quin died in July 1886. The general area on the coast opposite the rocks was referred to as Quinns Rocks by the Wanneroo Road Board when they requested the survey of a road to that place in November 1925. Later the place also came to be called "Wanneroo Beach". Quinns Rocks was declared a townsite in 1962.

REDCLIFFE

This suburb name originates from the early days of the Colony when Captain Mark John Currie set to work developing his grant of 2,560 acres on the Swan River in the vicinity of current day Redcliffe. In early 1831, Currie constructed a brick homestead on the property near where Water Street is now situated and called it "Redcliff". In official records dated 1846, the name of the property is spelt "Redcliffe" and it appears this spelling was the usually adopted one from the early 1840's onwards. The area was subdivided in 1897.

RED HILL

Red Hill is a descriptive name derived from the colour of the earth in the area.

RIDGEWOOD

Ridgewood is a descriptive name, relating to a wooded ridge on the Swan coastal plain. Approved in 1998.

RIVERTON

This suburb derives its name from its location on the banks of the canning River. The area was subdivided in 1914, and Riverton was referred to locally as Riverton Bridge in 1937 to avoid confusion with the South Australian suburb of Riverton. This name was never formally approved and officially the suburb has always been Riverton.

RIVERVALE

Rivervale was known as "Barndon Hill" prior to 1884. Barndon Hill was named after Richard Barndon who opened an inn called the "Brewers Arms" on the south road to Guildford in October 1843. Barndon was associated with Henry Camfield who held land in this vicinity. Rivervale was first used as the name of a railway station on the Perth Armadale line, and was later adopted as the name of the suburb. It is a descriptive name derived from its location on the Swan River..

ROCKINGHAM

Rockingham is named after the ship "Rockingham" which ran aground on the beach which fronts the suburb in 1830. The ship was the last of three ships to bring Thomas Peel's settlers to the new colony, and although initially salvaged, was eventually sunk in Cockburn Sound. The site of Rockingham was identified by J S Roe, Surveyor General, in 1846, and a townsite was surveyed here by Alfred Hillman in 1847

ROLEYSTONE

This suburb derives its name from a property, with the name being recorded as early as 1858 when it was purchased by Thomas Buckinhgham. It was also referred to as "The Rolling Stone" and "Rowley Stone" in early police reports. The area was subdivided into farmlets in 1902, and was subsequently developed as orchards and market gardens.

ROSSMOYNE

The name Rossmoyne derives its origin from the desire of a developer for a good promotional name. In 1937, the developer, V W Webb and his family made a trip to Scotland and on their return, sought a promotional name for some of their Rossmoyne land. Mrs Webb coined the name Rossmoyne, a euphonic name with no particular background, although connected with the trip to Scotland. The name was used for an estate put up for sale in 1955 and soon became the commonly used suburb name for this area. By 1959, development had progressed sufficiently for the Canning Road Board to seek official recognition for the name Rossmoyne. The name was approved in February 1960 and gazetted the following month.

SAFETY BAY

Safety Bay derives its name from a small bay of that name. The original "bay" was a small cove on the north shore of Warnbro Sound now encompassed by Safety Bay Road, Berry Street and Janet Road. It was noted by Surveyor General John Septimus Roe in 1837 as "a safe well protected boat anchorage" and he gave it the appropriate name of Safety Bay. A headland near the present junction of Safety Bay Road and June Road was named "Point Shelter". Later the cove was renamed "Peel Harbour" and when it ultimately became land locked, "Peel Basin", but the name Safety Bay stuck and gradually came to be applied to all the northern portion of Warnbro Sound. "Peel Basin" was reclaimed in later years and houses now stand where Roe once recorded soundings of up to 7 fathoms.

SAINT JAMES

The suburb name of Saint James is named after the London park of that name, which in turn commemorates Saint James the apostle. The name was proposed by the Canning Road Board, and was approved in 1957. Many of the streets in the area are named after British Prime Ministers and Members of Parliament.

SALTER POINT

This suburb takes its name from the feature with the same name on the Canning River. The point was named after Hannah Salter, daughter of Mr Charles Salter, who was born at Canning Bridge in 1851. She later married Thomas Buckingham and lived at Kelmscott. The suburb name had been in use for many years before being approved in 1990.

SAMSON

Samson is named in honour of one of Fremantle's most noted families. Lionel Samson arrived at Fremantle in 1829, and the business he established there, Lionel Samson and Sons Pty. Ltd., is the state's oldest established family business. Two of his descendants have been Mayor of Fremantle, with Sir William Frederick Samson serving for over twenty years in the 1950's and 60's.

SAN REMO

The name of this suburb is derived from "San Remo" estate, a developers name. It was approved as a suburb name in 1989.

SAWYERS VALLEY

Sawyers Valley derived its name from the trade most commonly practised by those who settled there. A sawpit, with hand sawyers hard at work and a settlement of thatched "V" huts (so called from their resemblance to an inverted letter "V") was noted in the area as early as the 1860's. The timber trade was the mainstay of the place for many years. A railway station named Sawyers Valley was opened here in 1884.

SCARBOROUGH

In 1885, a visiting Sydney journalist explored the coastline as Scarborough and gave much publicity to the high qualities of the ocean beach. Encouraged by the publicity, some Perth land and estate agents investigated the possibilities of the area. Eventually the land was sold to a Patrick Callaghan of Melbourne in October 1892. Callaghan soon after, subdivided the land and sold a few of the blocks in Melbourne and although it is not known if he advertised the land as "Scarborough" it is possible to attribute the origin of the name to him. He named one of the streets in his subdivision Scarborough Road, later to become Drabble Road and it is believed the name of the suburb originated from this road. It is probably derived from the English seaside town of the same name.

SECRET HARBOUR

Secret Harbour was a locally used name approved in 1984. The name was used for a propsed marina development which was to include a small boat harbour. The suburb does not now include a harbour.

SERPENTINE

The rural suburb of Serpentine derives its name from the Serpentine River on which it is located. The river was was discovered in 1832, and named because it is such a winding river in its lower reaches.

SEVILLE GROVE

This suburb was formerly part of Armadale, and was approved in 2002. The area was formerly known for its citrus orchards, and Seville is a variety of orange.

SHELLEY

Formerly part of Riverton, Shelley was approved as a separate suburb in the mid 1960's. It is believed the name refers to shells found on the shores of the Canning River here.

SHENTON PARK

This suburb name honours one of Western Australia's most notable nineteenth century citizens, Sir George Shenton. Shenton was from a prominent colonial family, and was an astute businessman and politician. He served three terms as Mayor of Perth, and his home "Crawley Park" is now part of the University of Western Australia. Hedied in 1909.

SHOALWATER

Shoalwater is named after the adjacent bay of this name. The bay was named by J.S. Roe in 1829, and the name is descriptive, referring to the shallow water in the bay. The Bay extends from Cape Peron to Mersey Point.

SILVER SANDS

Suburb of the Town of Mandurah proposed by the town council and approved in 1989. Named after "Silver Sands Estate", a promotional name for the area and adopted because of persistent local usage.

SINAGRA

This new suburb, formerly part of Wanneroo, is named after the Sinagra family, migrants from Italy who arrived in the Wanneroo area in the 1920's. Sam Sinagra owned a shop in Wanneroo, and the family were prominent citizens. The suburb name was approved in 1994.

SINGLETON

Singleton is named after Captain Francis Corbet Singleton who came to this district in 1839. Singleton was appointed to the first Board of Road Directors in 1840, and had extensive lanholdings in the Murray District. Singleton was declared a townsite in 1956.

SORRENTO

A private subdivision of freehold land known as 'Sorrento' was surveyed here in 1929. It is assumed that the name was taken from the Italian seaside town of Sorrento which is located south of Naples opposite the Isle of Capri.

SOUTHERN RIVER

The suburb of Southern River was proposed by the Shire of Gosnells in 1968. The Southern River after which the suburb is named runs through the suburb, and is a descriptive name. The name was approved in 1969.

SOUTH FREMANTLE

South Fremantle derives its name from its location as the southern suburb of the City of Fremantle. The name has been in use for the area since at least the 1880's.

SOUTH GUILDFORD

South Guildford derives its name from its location south of Guildford.

SOUTH LAKE

Name proposed by Taylor Woodrow Homes Builders Pty. Ltd and the City of Cockburn in March 1982 after a previous suggestion ("Oxley") had been rejected because of duplication. Situated to the south of North Lake, hence the name. Approved in August 1982.

SOUTH PERTH

South Perth derives its name from its location south of Perth. The area was identified as a separate suburb of Perth as early as 1831, and was the site of Perth's first mill in 1833.

SPEARWOOD

This suburb derives its name from the Spearwood bush which is as a common shrub in the area. When the area was subdivided by real estate entrepeneur James Morrison in 1897 he used the name Spearwood Gardens Estate, the first time the name was used. The Spearwood area soon became one of Perth's major market gardening areas.

STIRLING

Stirling is named after Admiral Sir James Stirling, the first Governor of Western Australia. Approved as a postal district name in April 1976 at the request of the Stirling City Council, the suburb was formerly part of Balcatta.

STONEVILLE

Stoneville is named after Sir Albert Edward Stone, Chief Justice of Western Australia in 1905 when the place was named. The name was chosen by the local residents who were developing the district for fruit growing

STRATTON

Named for John Peter Stratton (1888-1966), farmer and businessman who owned some of the land in this suburb and was president of the Western Australian Trotting Association 1930-1966. Proposed as a suburb to replace Wexcombe by the Shire of Swan, and approved in 1989.

SUBIACO

It was in 1851 that WA's Benedictine community moved from Guildford to an area near Lake Monger they named New Subiaco after an Italian town about 33 miles from Rome in the Sabine Mountains. The 'New' was dropped when the Perth - Fremantle railway was opened and a station provided for the convenience of the monastery. The land in the suburb was first developed by the government in 1885.

SUCCESS

The suburb of Success is named after the ship commanded by Captain James Stirling when he visited and explored the Swan River in 1827. The name was approved for the suburb in 1973, although the boundaries have since been changed. In 1968 the PMG discussed the naming of the area with the Cockburn Shire Council who suggested "Omeo", apparently after a ship that went ashore at Coogee around the turn of the century. Investigation showed that this name was duplicated in Victoria and eventually, the name Success was proposed.

SWANBOURNE

The name Swanbourne commemorates the home of Thomas Francis Fremantle, 1st Baron Cottesloe.. He was the brother of Captain Charles Howe Fremantle RN. after whom Fremantle is named. Swanbourne was at first referred to as Cottesloe Beach, and the first homes in the area were built around 1890.

SWAN VIEW

Suggested as a name by Surveyor F.S. Brockman in 1894, when the Government subdivided land in the area. The name is descriptive, referring to the views of the Swan Valley to be had from the higher land in the area.

TAMALA PARK

A new suburb proposed by the City of Wanneroo in 1988 to replace portions of Mindarie, Clarkson & Burns. This suburb is to be used for refuse disposal and public open space. Tamala is the type of limestone from which the dominant sand type in the vicinity is derived.

TAPPING

The suburb of Tapping is named after an early settler family in the Wanneroo area. Mr William Tapping arrived in 1886 and Molly and Dolly Tapping were long time Postmistresses in Wanneroo. The name was approved in 1997

THE LAKES

Name of small settlement approx 50 kms east of Perth, at the turn off to York from Great Eastern Highway, and at the north west corner of Manaring Lakes. Derives its name from its location.

THE SPECTACLES

The unusual suburb name of The Spectacles is derived from the names of two swamps in the area, Large Eye Swamp and Small Eye Swamp. These swamps had been collectively recorded as "The Spectacles" since 1841 when the first survey of the area was undertaken by Surveyor Thomas Watson. It was approved as a suburb name in 1978

THE VINES

Formerly a portion of the Ellenbrook locality. "The Vines" began as an estate name which describes the former land use of the area, ie viticulture.

THORNLIE

In December 1955, the then "Gosnells Road Board" wrote to the Nomenclature Advisory Committee informing them that a portion of Canning Location 17 had been approved for subdivision. They requested that the area be named Thornlie which appeared to be a name by which the whole estate was known in the early days. The name was approved in April 1956. One authority states the district was named after Thornlie Bank in Madras. When Padbury owned the property, it was run as an experimental farm by his niece's husband, Frank James, whose grandfather was in business at Thornlie Bank in Madras.

TRIGG

The suburb of Trigg is named after the feature Trigg Island, located on the coast approximately opposite Elliot Road. The feature has never been a true island, being now composed of rock and sand and only surrounded by water at very high tides, but in years past, it was often surrounded by water during the winter months. The reasons why it came to be known as Trigg Island are unknown, but it has been recorded in Lands Department records since 1866 and is believed to be named after Henry Trigg who was the Superintendent of Public Works in the Colony from 1838 to 1851.

TUART HILL

Tuart Hill is a descriptive name, and derives from the groves of Tuart trees on the rise above Dog Swamp adjacent to Wanneroo Road. In 1914 the Grenville Progress Association sought to have this place named "Grenville", but the name was rejected because it was too similar to Granville in New South Wales. The Progress Association then nominated "Tuart Hill" as an alternative. The name was not approved at this time, but became adopted through common usage.

TWO ROCKS

This beachside suburb is named after two prominent rocks offshore from Wreck point. Two Rocks achieved prominence when a yachting marina was constructed here, and streets in the suburb are named after yachts from America's Cup challenges.

UPPER SWAN

Descriptive name for the area as it is the upper reaches of the Swan valley.

VICTORIA PARK

The suburb of Victoria Park derives its name from "Victoria Park Estate", a development that took place here in the 1890's. It is believed the name was given to the estate because Queen Victoria was still on the throne, although it may be connected with the Melbourne suburb of Victoria Park Victoria Park was declared a municipality in 1897..

VIVEASH

Named after Dr Samuel Waterman Viveash, the owner of the land in this area in the 1840's. Viveash arrived in the Swan River Colony with in December 1838 and took up land in the Avon District. The suburban area of Viveash was developed by the Midland Brick Company which carried out subdivision in 1967 and requested that the area be given the name Viveash in 1968.

WAIKIKI

Waikiki is a developers name which was officially adopted in 1974. It was named after the popular Hawaiian holiday resort which is famous for its surfing beaches.

WALLISTON

The name of Walliston honours the area's first settlers, John and Emma Wallis. The Wallis's moved to this district in the 1880's, and were prominent citizens of the district. The area was also known as Wallis' Crossing, Wallis' Landing and 12 Mile Siding, and finally resolved as Walliston in 1915.

WANDI

This suburb was approved on March 14th, 1978 and commemorates a highly regarded Aboriginal stockman who drove sheep in the Cockburn Sound area for Anchorage Butchers around the 1920's.

WANGARA

The name of this suburb was created by combining the names of the two main roads adjoining it - Wanneroo and Gnangara. The name was approved in 1980.

WANNANUP

Wannanup is the original Aboriginal name for part of the suburb previously approved as Florida.. Florida became divided by the Dawesville Channel resulting in the City of Mandurah renaming the northern area to Wannanup. The name change was approved in 1996

WANNEROO

In the early days of the Swan River Colony, the district of Wanneroo represented an "outer" region and it is not until 1834, that an excursion into the area by any explorers or settlers is recorded. In that year, a party of four led by John Butler, travelled about 35 miles north from Perth to search for lost cattle and passed through the area just to the east of Lake Joondalup. Butler stated that the aborigines of the area were "those Wanneroo men who frequent Perth in company with the Yellowgonga tribe." It is not known when early settlers started using the name "Wanneroo", but, as early as 1842, a Surveyor recorded "road to Wanneroo" and in 1844, James Dobbins gave his address as Wanneroo. A government townsite was gazetted as "Wanneru" in August 1907 and it was not until May 1953 that the spelling was amended to "Wanneroo".

WARNBRO

The suburb of Warnbro derives its name from Warnbro Sound, the bay on the shores of which the suburb is located. Warnbro Sound was surveyed by Surveyor General J S Roe in 1837, and in 1838 he recorded the name, but it is not known why the name was chosen.

WARWICK

This suburb is located on land granted to the Midland Railway Company in exchange for building the Midland to Walkaway railway. It was named Warwick in 1969, after the major road through the area, Warwick Road. The road was shown on maps as early as 1950, and could be named after a London road of this name.

WATERFORD

Subdivided and developed by the Christian Brothers of Clontarf who submitted a list of Irish street names for the area in December 1979. The South Perth City Council, concerned over the incongruity of such names in a suburb with an Aboriginal name (Karawara), enquired whether it was intended to apply a separate name to the Christian Brother's Estate. The developers suggested renaming the area south of Manning Road 'Waterford' after the town in south east Ireland where Edmund Rice founded the Christian Brothers teaching order. This was approved in December 1980.

WATERMANS BAY

This suburb is named after Alfred Waterman, a fisherman who built the first house in the area in 1908. He named his house “Zephyr”. The beach front adjacent to his house became known as Watermans Bay, a well known fishing spot. The suburb name was approved in 1954, was changed to Waterman in 1962, and then back to Watermans Bay in 2004

WATTLE GROVE

This suburb possibly takes its name from a farm which was known to be in the area around 1920. Another account states the area was named in the early 1900's as wattle trees lined both sides of Welshpool Road. The district was described as "where the groves of wattle are" by early settlers.

WATTLEUP

This suburb was named in 1962, and takes its name from Wattleup Road, a road in use in the district since 1931 when land was subdivided here. In 1961, the name "Wattleup Gardens Estate" was used for a subdivision, and led to Wattleup being approved as the suburb name.

WELLARD

The suburb of Wellard commemorates an early settler, John Wellard, who in 1860 owned Serpentine Farm about 7.5 kms southeast of the suburb. A government townsite with this name was declared here in 1923, and was cancelled in 1960. Wellard was approved as a suburb name in March 1978.

WELSHPOOL

This suburb derives its name from Welshpool Road. The name of the road was known as early as 1889, and one account states that an early market gardener, Benjamin Dewing was born in Welshpool in Wales, and named his property after the Welsh town. The area was known as Welshpool as early as 1895, but in 1908 local residents petitioned to have the Welshpool station changed to Canterbury.

WEMBLEY

Named after Wembley, England. Intensive subdivision of the Wembley area commenced in 1909, and originally the subdivision was regarded as part of Leederville. In 1924, the Perth City Council requested that it be renamed Wembley Park after the suburb of Greater London where the Empire Exhibition was being held at the time. The name was gazetted in 1924 and was later shortened to Wembley.

WEMBLEY DOWNS

Land in the suburb of Wembley Downs was first subdivided in 1927, but the area was mainly developed in the 1950's. The name is derived from the adjacent golf course which in turn derives its name from the suburb of Wembley. Attempts to change the name in 1959 to avoid confusion with Wembley were unsuccessful.

WESTFIELD

This suburb takes its name from Westfield Road, a main road through the area. A railway siding on the Fremantle-Armadale line which was built in 1906-08 was also named Westfield.after the road. The suburb, which was formerly part of Kelmscott, was named in 1978.

WEST LEEDERVILLE

This suburb name is descriptive, being derived from its location to the west of Leederville. Although locally used for a considerable time, the name was only officially adopted in 1998

WESTMINSTER

Westminster was formerly part of Balga, and was approved as a suburb in 1994. The name is derived from “Westminster Gardens”, an estate developed in the area in the 1930’s, and also the name of one of the primary schools in the area.

WEST PERTH

This suburb name is descriptive, being derived from its location to the west of Perth.

WEST SWAN

This suburb name is descriptive, being derived from its location on the western side of the Swan River.

WHITBY

The name is derived from Whitby Falls, located within the area. The falls area about 60 metres in height and have been locally known by this name since 1848. Originally known as "Mundajill", was renamed "Whitby Falls Estate" after being purchased by Henry Mead in 1848. Approved as a suburb name in 1988

WHITE GUM VALLEY

No record exists as to why this suburb was so named. The common white gum of the Darling Range does not grow in this area, although it is possible some Maiden Gums (Eucalyptus Lane-Poolei, known as salmon white gums) grew in the area.

WHITEMAN

Name proposed by the Shire of Swan after Mr L. Whiteman, one time owner of land and developer of a park in this area. The name was approved in 1981.

WILLAGEE

The suburb of Willagee takes its name from Willagee Swamp, the Aboriginal name of a feature now reclaimed. The area was developed in the early 1950's, and the name approved in 1954.

WILLETTON

In November 1964, the Shire of Canning proposed this area be named Burtsdale after Septimus Burt who purchased the land in 1882. The name Willetton was proposed for the adjoining Postal District, the bulk of which was in Canning Location 21 assigned to Henry Willett in June 1832. In August and September 1965, the Shire suggested that the name Lynwood replace Willetton and the name Willetton replace Burtsdale. These amendments were approved in December 1965.

WILSON

Development of the Wilson area began in 1954 when the State Housing Commission resumed some land and T.M. Burke Pty Ltd subdivided some adjoining land. In December 1954, the Canning Road Board proposed the area be named Wilson Park to commemorate Mr G.H. Wilson, a late member and Chairman of the Road Board for a period of 43 years and also an extensive landholder in the area, as the late member of Wilson and Johns Pty. Ltd. Florists and Nurserymen. This name was to apply to the overall area of both developments, but the State Housing commission wished to designate their area as Beeloo, an Aboriginal name recently adopted as the name of the local Electoral District. Dispute over the name continued for over three years, and it was not until January 1960 that the name Wilson was approved for the suburb.

WINTHROP

The suburb of Winthrop was originally part of the Applecross Pine Plantation, owned by the University of Western Australia since 1904. The name Winthrop was proposed in December 1977 by the City of Melville and supported by the University of WA, who were developing the land. It is named in commemoration of Sir John Winthrop Hackett, the first Chancellor of the University of WA.

WOODBRIDGE

Woodbridge was formerly part of Midland, although was often referred to as West Midland. The suburb was named in 2001, and derives its name from Governor Stirling’s original 1829 land grant which he named after his wife’s family property near Guildford in Surrey, England. The National Trust property “Woodbridge” is located in the suburb.

WOODLANDS

This suburb name was approved in 1961, and derives its name from Woodlands Estate. Many of the street names in the area are the names of trees, in keeping with the woodlands theme of the area.

WOODVALE

The suburb of Woodvale derives its name from the area being rolling undulating country with many stands of good timber. The area was cleared between 1963 and 1968, apparently for grazing purposes, and then developed for housing in the early 1970's. The suburb name was approved in 1973.

WOOROLOO

Wooroloo is an Aboriginal name, first recorded in 1841 when a site for townsite to be named "Worriloo" was surveyed. Other spellings of Worrilow and Warriloo are also recorded, but by the 1890's the Wooroloo spelling was commonly used. A railway stopping place named Wooroloo was established in 1897, and a government townsite of this name declared in 1913.

WUNGONG

This suburb derives its name from a government townsite on the Perth Bunbury line between Armadale and Byford. The Wungong Brook flows past the south west corner of the town. The townsite of Wungong (pronounced "Woongong") was proclaimed on 12th March 1909 and was named after the nearby Wungong Brook. The course of this brook was first traced by Alfred Hillman in January 1835.

YANCHEP
 
The name Yanchep is of Aboriginal origin, and is derived from “yanget”, a native flax or bullrush.  The name was first recorded for Lake Yanchep by surveyor R. Quinn in September 1866.
 

YANGEBUP
 
Yangebup, like Yanchep, is believed to be derived from the Aboriginal word “yanget”, the name of a native flax or bullrush.  Yangebup Lake, after which the suburb is named, was first recorded in 1841, and Yangebup was approved as a suburb name in 1977.
 

YOKINE
 
Named after Yokine Hill and Mount Yokine Golf Course. "Yokine" is an Aboriginal word (Beverley district) for the native dog.  The hill situated on Williams Road was named by N.S. Bartlett in 1922 because it is so close to Native Dog Swamp.  The hill was an important Trig Station and the land was referred to before this as part of Osborne Park.
 

YUNDERUP
 
Yunderup is an Aboriginal word derived from “Yoondooroop”, the original spelling of one of the islands in the Murray delta.  A scheme of subdivision was proposed and surveys carried out in 1897. In March 1898 George Throssell, then Commissioner of Crown Lands, gave approval for the use of the Aboriginal name and the Surveyor General, H.F. Johnston, recommended that it be spelt "Yundurup", thus conforming to the Royal Geographical Society's system of Orthorgraphy in which native names having the sound "oo" are spelt with a "u" as in "Zulu".  The townsite was gazetted as "Yundurup" in 1898, but over the years common usage converted the pronunciation to "Yunderup", with the "u's" pronounced as in "cup", and the latter spelling was approved in 1973.