Spearwood, Western Australia

Spearwood
Perth, Western Australia
Statue for Sister city Yueyang, China on Spearwood Road
Spearwood
Coordinates 32°06′22″S 115°46′59″E / 32.106°S 115.783°E / -32.106; 115.783Coordinates: 32°06′22″S 115°46′59″E / 32.106°S 115.783°E / -32.106; 115.783
Population 10,034 (2016 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
Suburbs around Spearwood:
North Coogee Hamilton Hill Coolbellup
Coogee Spearwood Bibra Lake
Coogee Munster Yangebup

Spearwood is a southern suburb of Perth, Western Australia, located within the City of Cockburn. This suburb derives its name from the Spearwood bush which is as a common shrub in the area.[2]

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.[3] 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.[2]

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]

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.

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. The Spearwood Library and Cockburn Seniors Centre are both located next to the council buildings.

Educational

There are four primary schools located within the suburb: Spearwood Primary School, Newton Primary School Phoenix Primary 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.[6]

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.

Spearwood is also home to many Croatian sporting clubs, Croatian community centres. There is a significant Croatian cultural history in the Spearwood area.

References

  1. Australian Bureau of Statistics (27 June 2017). "Spearwood (State Suburb)". 2016 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 14 January 2018. Edit this at Wikidata
  2. 1 2 Western Australian Land Information Authority. "History of metropolitan suburb names – S". Retrieved 2007-10-12.
  3. Cockburn: The Making of a Community Michael Berson, 1978, Town of Cockburn, ISBN 0-9596533-0-9
  4. Department of Land Information. StreetSmart Perth Street Directory (54th ed.). West Australian Newspapers Ltd. pp. Maps 460-461. ISBN 978-0-909439-67-5.
  5. Norbyn, Paomi. "Wetlands to Bushlands". WA Bushland. Urban Bushland Council. Retrieved 29 March 2011.
  6. City of Cockburn Club Sports Register
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