Wattle Grove, Western Australia

Wattle Grove
Perth, Western Australia

Crystal Brook Road, Wattle Grove
Wattle Grove
Coordinates 32°00′29″S 116°00′50″E / 32.008°S 116.014°ECoordinates: 32°00′29″S 116°00′50″E / 32.008°S 116.014°E
Population 2,339 (2006)[1]
Postcode(s) 6107
Location 13 km (8 mi) E of Perth, Western Australia
LGA(s) Shire of Kalamunda
State electorate(s)
Federal Division(s) Hasluck
Suburbs around Wattle Grove:
East Cannington Welshpool Perth Airport
Beckenham Wattle Grove Forrestfield
Orange Grove Kenwick Lesmurdie

Wattle Grove is a suburb of Perth, Western Australia, located within the Shire of Kalamunda.

Description

Wattle Grove is approximately 3/4 Semi Rural, and 1/4 Urban Development. It contains some of Hartfield Park, and extends from Crystal Brook Road to Roe Highway. Major Transport Routes through the suburb are Welshpool Road, Hale Road, Tonkin Highway and Roe Highway.

Public transport

Bus routes are

The nearest Train stations are

Facilities

Playgrounds are located throughout the new subdivisions in the suburb, as well as walking and bike paths leading to newly created artificial lakes.

Wattle Grove is served by Wattle Grove Primary School, and a Community TAFE Centre in Lewis Road and the Bible College of Western Australia (Private).[2] The new primary school built on the area bordered by St John Road, Tomah Road, and Acastus Road opened to students in 2011. The old primary school on Welshpool road was mothballed with no alternative usage envisioned.

Hartfield Recreation Centre, located nearby, provides gymnasium facilities[3] as well as opportunities for playing Rugby League, Soccer, Baseball, Cricket, Tennis. Hartfield Park also contains the Darling Range Horse and Pony Club,[4] the Hartfield Country Club (Golf Course),[5] Boy Scouts, and Car Club rooms.

Wattle Grove is well connected to other regions of Perth due to its proximity to the Roe Highway and Tonkin Highway. The most direct route to the Perth CBD is via Welshpool / Shepperton Roads (12 km all in 60 km/h zones), however alternative routes are available via Orrong Road / Graham Farmer Freeway (14 km in 70 & 80 km/h zones), Tonkin Highway / Great Eastern Highway (18 km in 100 & 60 km/h zones), and Roe Highway / Kwinana Freeway (23 km all in 100 km/h zone and the only route without traffic lights).

Wattle Grove has no major retail facilities within its boundaries, has two vets, a motel, a number of nurseries, landscape suppliers, agistment paddocks, boarding kennels and a Bird / Fish & Reptile shop.[6][7][8][9][10][11]

The nearest Police Station is at Forrestfield,and Public Hospitals are available at Bentley and Kalamunda.[12][13]

History

Prior to European settlement the Beeloo people occupied much of Wattle Grove. In 1827 the Colonial Botanist Charles Fraser and Captain James Stirling explored the region to evaluate its suitability for farming. Initially the area was used for forestry and orchards; fruit growing continues to be one of the major industries in Wattle Grove, Bickley and Orange Grove today. Much of Wattle Grove has developed into other agricultural uses such as poultry farms, equestrian studs, agistment paddocks, horticultural nurseries, pet kennels, hobby farms and cattle breeders. 20 residents of Wattle Grove were killed in action during World War One (1914–1919), 5 of whom were from the one family.[14]

Recent events

Keep Wattle Grove Rural protest sign

After a concerted campaign was lost during the 1980s by the Save our Foothills action group a quarter of the suburb bounded by Welshpool Road, Tonkin Highway and Roe Highway has been rezoned as Urban Development by the Shire of Kalamunda and is known as cell 9 in the Kalamunda shire plan. This area of Wattle Grove is now a hive of activity as land is subdivided and houses built. The price of land in cell 9 has subsequently risen exponentially since the first sub division in 1999.

References

  1. Australian Bureau of Statistics (25 October 2007). "Wattle Grove (State Suburb)". 2006 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 2008-10-02.
  2. "Bible College of Western Australia". Bcwa.wa.edu.au. Retrieved 2011-07-18.
  3. "Hartfield Park Rec Centre". Kalamunda.wa.gov.au. Retrieved 2011-07-18.
  4. Darling Range Horse and Pony Club
  5. "Hartfield Country Club". Hartfieldgolf.com.au. Retrieved 2011-07-18.
  6. "Camp Wattle Grove". Camp Wattle Grove. Retrieved 2011-07-18.
  7. "Wattle Grove Motel". Wattle Grove Motel. Retrieved 2011-07-18.
  8. "Grasstrees at Wattle Grove". Grasstrees.com.au. Retrieved 2011-07-18.
  9. "Lovegrove Turf Farm at Wattle Grove". Lovegroveturf.com. Retrieved 2011-07-18.
  10. Soiland HQ at Wattle Grove
  11. "Trees a green at Wattle Grove". Treesagreen.com. Retrieved 2011-07-18.
  12. WA Police
  13. List of hospitals in Western Australia
  14. ANZAC - A grateful state website
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Wattle Grove, Western Australia.