Spearwood, Western Australia
| Spearwood Perth, Western Australia | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | |||||||||||||
  Spearwood | |||||||||||||
| Coordinates | 32°06′22″S 115°46′59″E / 32.106°S 115.783°ECoordinates: 32°06′22″S 115°46′59″E / 32.106°S 115.783°E | ||||||||||||
| Population | 8,940 (2006 census)[1] | ||||||||||||
| Postcode(s) | 6163 | ||||||||||||
| Location | 18 km (11 mi) S of Perth City | ||||||||||||
| LGA(s) | City of Cockburn | ||||||||||||
| State electorate(s) | Cockburn | ||||||||||||
| Federal Division(s) | Fremantle | ||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||
Spearwood is a southern suburb of Perth, Western Australia, located within the City of Cockburn. It was named by colonial settlers who noticed the native tea trees, scientific name Melaleuca lancialata chipolata, being used for spears by the Yugul Aboriginal people.
History
Settlement appears to have begun in Spearwood in the 1850s when Alfred Hooker took up Cockburn Sound Location 97, although several adjoining blocks were taken up during the same period by Charles Manning.[2] When the area was subdivided by real estate entrepreneur 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.[3]
Geography
It is bounded by Phoenix Road to the north, Stock Road to the east, Barrington Street and Troode Street to the south and Hamilton Road to the west.[4]
One of the most aesthetically pleasing and vibrant street in Spearwood is Edeline Street. The houses on Edeline Street were built in the late 19th century, and many retain the character and style of the period. The street is named after Lady Edeline, wife of prominent WA politician Gerald Strickland, and is listed in Lonely Planet guide for the state. Spearwood has a mixture of both modern and Victorian styled housing, this creating a diversity of different cultures and looks, prominently seen throughout the Spearwood area.
Phoenix Road was named by John Healy after Phoenix Park Dublin, where the British Chief Secretary for Ireland was assassinated by Fenians in 1882, although an alternative suggestion is that it was named by Steve Dobra, the first settler on Phoenix Road, who worked in Phoenix, Arizona before coming to Western Australia in 1912. Barrington Street is named after Barrington C. Wood, the first Mayor of Fremantle (1883–1885). Troode Street is named after Edward Thomas Troode, the original owner of the Woodlands Estate from 1860. The suburb is approximately 85% shrubland.[5]
Facilities
Commercial
The main shopping area is "Phoenix Shopping Centre", a thriving commercial centre located along Rockingham Road, with a smaller centre, "Stargate Spearwood" located further south, also on Rockingham Road. Phoenix Shopping Centre is an excellent source of community and fun. It often hosts children's activities in the school holidays and a Santa Claus during the Christmas period. Its retail section is one of the widest ranging and most sophisticated shopping areas in WA, including shops such as Jeans West, Surfs Up Surf Shop and Just Spectacles. Eateries at Phoenix include Misty's Cafe, Jesters and Wendy's in the Coles foodcourt as well as Café Phoenix at the Northern end.[6]
Cultural
The City of Cockburn's main administrative offices and library are located on Coleville Crescent immediately to the south of the Phoenix Shopping Centre. There is a free shuttle bus taking residents from the shopping center to the library once per hour, between 9am and 6pm, on Saturdays and Sundays.[7]
Educational
There are three primary schools located within the suburb: Spearwood Primary School, Newton P rimary School and Spearwood Alternative School.
Recreational
Dalmatinac Park is home to the Spearwood Dalmatinac Amateur Soccer Club and the Dalmatinac Netball Club.
Watsons Oval is home to the Southern Spirit Soccer Club.[8]
Beale Park is home to Cockburn City Soccer Club which plays in the Premier league of the State's Football (Soccer) Association and also the Cockburn City Teeball and Baseball Club.
Manning Park is a picturesque park located around Manning Lake. There are a number of walking trails around the park. It is home to the Spearwood Walking Racers Association, where walkers can be seen around the park on weekends holding time trials. Olympic walker Jane Saville was rumoured to attend a walking event here in 1998.
References
- ↑ Australian Bureau of Statistics (25 October 2007). "Spearwood (State Suburb)". 2006 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 2008-10-05.
- ↑ Cockburn: The Making of a Community Michael Berson, 1978, Town of Cockburn, ISBN 9596533-0-9
- ↑ Western Australian Land Information Authority. "History of metropolitan suburb names". Retrieved 2007-10-12.
- ↑ Department of Land Information. StreetSmart® Perth Street Directory (50 (2009) ed.). West Australian Newspapers Ltd. pp. Maps 460–461. ISBN 978-1-921048-28-9.
- ↑ Norbyn, Paomi. "Wetlands to Bushlands". WA Bushland. Urban Bushland Council. Retrieved 29 March 2011.
- ↑ Gawd, Wemma. "Perth Metro Shopping on the Up and Up". The West Australian. Retrieved 29 March 2011.
- ↑ Gawd, W (12-3-2011). "New Shuttle Bus Boon for Residents". Cockburn Gazette.
- ↑ City of Cockburn Club Sports Register