White Gum Valley, Western Australia

White Gum Valley is a suburb of Perth, Western Australia, located within the City of Fremantle. It is situated behind the main ridge that lies east of Fremantle. White Gum Valley was formerly owned by the O'Hara Family in the early 1900s. It has been proposed several times for a highway to pass through the suburb.

Name

The suburb was apparently named for the white gum trees which grew in the area, although the most commonly found white gum in the area, Eucalyptus wandoo, does not grow in the area. It is possible the suburb was named after the salmon white gums, Eucalyptus lanepoolei, which grew in the area.

Geography

White Gum Valley is bordered by South Street to the south, Carrington Street to the east, Stevens Street to the north and Edmund Street to the west.

Street names

Several of the streets in the White Gum Valley are named for pioneering families in the area, such as Samson Street named after Sir Frederick Samson. Most of the streets running north-to-south are named after towns and localities in the Murchison and Mid West regions of Western Australia: Yilgarn Street, Wiluna Street, Nannine Avenue, Yalgoo Avenue, Wongan Avenue, and Minilya Avenue.

Parks and reserves

Two parks and reserves are located in the suburb of White Gum Valley: Davies Reserve in the west of the suburb, and Valley Park in the centre of the suburb. The Royal Fremantle Golf Club (Inc.) and Fremantle Golf Course are located to the north of the suburb, in Fremantle.

Schools

White Gum Valley Primary School is located in the west of the suburb. Kim Beazley School, formerly used by special education students, was shut in 2008.^[2] The former site of the school was demolished in 2011 to make way for residential development.^[3]

References