Redcliffe, Western Australia
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Redcliffe is a suburb of Perth.
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It is part of the City of Belmont and the Shire of Swan. The story of its name is ambiguous, while some claim it was named after steep red clay deposits that lined the banks of the Swan river when settlers arrived, others claim that it was named after the ansestorial home of an Early settler. The suburb was once a single property and the main house 'Nulsen Haven' still stands today. The local Primary school was built in 1908. At this time Redcliffe had been transformed from one property into many small farms. After the second world war immigrants and refugees were housed on crown land at the airport in temporary accommodation known as Nissen Huts. One of these survives as the Assembly Hall for the primary school. The 'New Australians' as they were known soon moved into the wider Perth community, some didn't move far however provoking a housing boom in the Belmont/ Redcliffe area. As a result some lived in tents while waiting for materials to finish their homes.
When it became clear that airport use had exceeded the capacity of First St. Many homes and small farms were forcibly reposed by the state government to facilitate the creation of the current access road Bearly Avenue. This sparked much anger amongst the ousted Redcliffians. It also spured at least one man to take action. Mr Coffee, a man who had lived all his life in the little suburb of Redcliffe and was educated at the local school, joined the Belmont council and made it him life's work to represent Redcliffe's interests. When the state government approved the construction of Tonkin Hwy, a major artirial road, through the center of Redcliffe Mr Coffee saw at once that Redcliffe would be effectively isolated from the rest of Belmont, he also saw that this would restrict attendance of the Primary School and possibly kill it. So he successfully lobbied for the First St bridge to be built and for it to include pedestrian access.
Modern Redcliffe is a unique mix of residential, semi-industrial and retail. It is 15min from the Perth CBD and a short walk from the delights of the Swan River.
Redcliffe is the site of the Perth Immigration Detention Centre.
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