Quinns Rocks, Western Australia

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Quinns Rocks is a suburb of Perth, Western Australia often simply called "Quinns" by the locals. Quinns Rocks is located within the City of Wanneroo. Its postcode is 6030. Quinns Rocks is approximately 39.7 kilometres north of Perth by road.

[edit] History

1867 - 1930
Quinns Rocks takes its name from the offshore reef first noted during a coastline traverse by Assistant Surveyor James Cowle in 1867. Cowle was continuing a survey begun by Robert Quin who had reached a spot about 4 kilometres south-east of the rocks in 1866. Although spelt with a double 'n', the rocks are thought to have been named after Quin, who emigrated to Western Australia in 1863 and was appointed as an Assistant Surveyor on his arrival. He occupied this position for 22 years, carrying out most of his surveys in the Gingin-Moore River area. He 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 that lead there in November 1925. Later the place also came to be called "Wanneroo Beach".

1930 - 1959
In 1930 the whole beachfront came under the control of the Wanneroo Road Board, which issued "boatshed and campsite permits" to holiday makers at a rental of $4.20 per annum. The first permanent residents appear to have been in 1942. During the 50's an increasing number of shacks lined the ocean front. Leasing of the beachfront reserve was phased out towards the end of that decade and most shacks had been removed by August 1959.

1959 - onwards
In 1958 Lot 223 was purchased and subdivided the following year. Four applications to build were approved in March 1959 and a major sale on 10 June saw nearly 300 blocks purchased. The subdivision was extended northwards in the early 1960's and Quinns Rocks was declared a townsite under the Local Government Act on 27 July 1962. Further extensions took place in 1964 and 1972. The locality encompassing this Local Government townsite, gazetted as "Quinns" in 1974 for future postal services, was changed to Quinns Rocks in 1977, so as to coincide with the townsite name. In July 1984 The West Australian reported that the Smith Corporation planned to develop a $10m marina and resort complex at Mindarie, to be ready in time for the America's Cup. The land had been purchased two years earlier for $5.7m. The project did not eventuate in time for the Cup but several years later a $28m plan was approved by the Government. Smith Corporation later sold the site to the Fini Group.

Suburbs of the City of Wanneroo
Alexander Heights | Alkimos | Ashby | Banksia Grove | Butler | Carabooda | Carramar | Clarkson | Darch | Eglinton | Girrawheen | Gnangara | Hocking | Jandabup | Jindalee | Koondoola | Landsdale | Madeley | Marangaroo | Mariginiup | Merriwa | Mindarie | Neerabup | Nowergup | Pearsall | Pinjar | Quinns Rocks | Ridgewood | Sinagra | Tamala Park | Tapping | Two Rocks | Wangara | Wanneroo | Yanchep