Bicton, Western Australia
Encyclopedia
Bicton is an affluent riverside suburb located in Perth
, Western Australia
. Its Local Government Area
is the City of Melville, and it is located 15 km from the Perth central business district
on the south bank of the Swan River
. The northern third of Bicton is taken up by the reserve at Point Walter
, a headland
which projects into the Swan River.
in East Devon
. Duffield received title to the land later that year and planted the Swan River Colony
's first commercially-operating vineyard of 5 700 vines in 1845, producing sweet and dry wines.
The Bicton Racecourse was established in 1904 on land leased by the Higham family after the closure of the South Fremantle Racecourse. The course was closed in 1917 after the passing of the WA Racing Restrictions Act.
Bicton Primary School was established in 1904, with one classroom. The school is currently home to 414 students, including fifteen classes ranging from kindergarten
to year seven situated on a site of 3.88 hectares (9.59 acres). The original classroom now forms part of the office block. The school is located within the catchment area of Melville Senior High School
.
The former racecourse was subdivived into suburban blocks in 1919, and the Castle Hill area, close to Point Walter, was subdivided in 1921 by Gold Estates.
The Fremantle Quarantine Station opened in 1916 and all animals entering the state were required to pass through. The station closed in 1983, moving to Byford
, with part of the land being subdivided and the rest becoming the Bicton Quarantine Park. The former Quarantine Station Jetty is currently used for recreation purposes after a rebuild in 2005.
The Bicton Swimming Club established Bicton Baths in 1926, which has evolved into the present-day Bicton Pool, the current home of Melville Water Polo Club. The Fremantle Mariners (male) and Fremantle Marlins (female) play their home games at the pool. The Mariners were the 2009 ANWPL
champions and the Marlins won the women's championships four times between 2004 and 2008. . The Tom Hoad Cup
has been held yearly since 2003 at the pool. The last tournament featured teams from Australia (the Fremantle Mariners), Hungary (Vasas SC), Japan and China.
On 16 May 2005, Bicton was hit by a tornado. The storm unroofed houses, extensively damaged Bicton Primary School, destroying two of the original classrooms, brought down electricity poles, and left some families without homes. The affected area was declared a natural disaster area.
to the south and the Swan River
to the north (Melville Water) and northwest (Blackwall Reach
). Apart from the reserve and golf course at Point Walter, almost all of Bicton is residential. Bicton is one of the most hilly coastal suburbs of Perth, with Castle Hill the most prominent hill. Major streets include Preston Point Road, Canning Highway
, Petra Street, View Terrace, Stock Road and Point Walter Road. The suburb has several beaches, most notably at Bicton Baths, Point Walter and along the Bicton Foreshore.
. Much of Bicton is situated on limestone
base-rock, with the cliffs at Blackwall Reach
composed entirely of limestone. Many houses, especially those built around the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, were built on limestone foundations quarried from Bicton. Bicton's soil is generally sandy and infertile.
.
Churches include St. Christophers Anglican Church, located near the border with Attadale, Bicton Presbyterian Church, near the primary school, and Bicton Uniting Church, located in nearby Palmyra
. The suburb also includes three aged care facilities: Carinya of Bicton, Braemar Lodge and Craigview Grove.
The suburb also includes several playgrounds and bicycle and walking paths along the shores of the Swan River.
bus routes from Fremantle, as well as services along Canning Highway
, the 106 and the 111 on its southern border. The 765 school special runs through Bicton during the school term. All services are operated by Swan Transit
.
Perth, Western Australia
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia and the fourth most populous city in Australia. The Perth metropolitan area has an estimated population of almost 1,700,000....
, Western Australia
Western Australia
Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...
. Its Local Government Area
Local Government Areas of Western Australia
The Australian state of Western Australia is divided into 141 local government areas...
is the City of Melville, and it is located 15 km from the Perth central business district
Central business district
A central business district is the commercial and often geographic heart of a city. In North America this part of a city is commonly referred to as "downtown" or "city center"...
on the south bank of the Swan River
Swan River (Western Australia)
The Swan River estuary flows through the city of Perth, in the south west of Western Australia. Its lower reaches are relatively wide and deep, with few constrictions, while the upper reaches are usually quite narrow and shallow....
. The northern third of Bicton is taken up by the reserve at Point Walter
Point Walter, Western Australia
Point Walter is a point in the Swan River, Western Australia. It is located on the southern shore and forms the western end of Melville Water. Point Walter is located in the suburb of Bicton and is on the opposite side of the river to the suburbs of Mosman Park, Peppermint Grove, and Dalkeith.Point...
, a headland
Headlands and bays
Headlands and bays are two related features of the coastal environment.- Geology and geography :Headlands and bays are often found on the same coastline. A bay is surrounded by land on three sides, whereas a headland is surrounded by water on three sides. Headlands are characterized by high,...
which projects into the Swan River.
History
Bicton was named by John Hole Duffield, who arrived on the Warrior in March 1830, after the village of BictonBicton, Devon
Bicton is a civil parish in the East Devon district of Devon, England, near the town of Budleigh Salterton. According to the 2001 census it had a population of 280. The parish includes the village of Yettington....
in East Devon
East Devon
East Devon is a local government district in Devon, England. Its council is based in Sidmouth, and the largest town is Exmouth.The district was formed on 1 April 1974 by the merger of the borough of Honiton with the urban districts of Budleigh Salterton, Exmouth, Ottery St. Mary, Seaton, Sidmouth...
. Duffield received title to the land later that year and planted the Swan River Colony
Swan River Colony
The Swan River Colony was a British settlement established in 1829 on the Swan River, in Western Australia. The name was a pars pro toto for Western Australia. In 1832, the colony was officially renamed Western Australia, when the colony's founding Lieutenant-Governor, Captain James Stirling,...
's first commercially-operating vineyard of 5 700 vines in 1845, producing sweet and dry wines.
The Bicton Racecourse was established in 1904 on land leased by the Higham family after the closure of the South Fremantle Racecourse. The course was closed in 1917 after the passing of the WA Racing Restrictions Act.
Bicton Primary School was established in 1904, with one classroom. The school is currently home to 414 students, including fifteen classes ranging from kindergarten
Kindergarten
A kindergarten is a preschool educational institution for children. The term was created by Friedrich Fröbel for the play and activity institute that he created in 1837 in Bad Blankenburg as a social experience for children for their transition from home to school...
to year seven situated on a site of 3.88 hectares (9.59 acres). The original classroom now forms part of the office block. The school is located within the catchment area of Melville Senior High School
Melville Senior High School
Melville Senior High School is a public co-educational high school located in Melville, a suburb of Perth, Western Australia. Opened in 1960, the school has an enrolment of 873 students as of 2010, with its catchment area covering most of the City of Melville....
.
The former racecourse was subdivived into suburban blocks in 1919, and the Castle Hill area, close to Point Walter, was subdivided in 1921 by Gold Estates.
The Fremantle Quarantine Station opened in 1916 and all animals entering the state were required to pass through. The station closed in 1983, moving to Byford
Byford, Western Australia
Byford is a suburb on the southeastern edge of Perth, Australia, originally founded as the townsite of Beenup in 1906.Beenup took its name from the railway siding there, a corruption of the Aboriginal name of nearby Beenyup Brook...
, with part of the land being subdivided and the rest becoming the Bicton Quarantine Park. The former Quarantine Station Jetty is currently used for recreation purposes after a rebuild in 2005.
The Bicton Swimming Club established Bicton Baths in 1926, which has evolved into the present-day Bicton Pool, the current home of Melville Water Polo Club. The Fremantle Mariners (male) and Fremantle Marlins (female) play their home games at the pool. The Mariners were the 2009 ANWPL
Australian National Water Polo League
The National Water Polo League, is the premier Australian domestic Water polo competition. The men's competition began in 1990 and the women's competition was added in 2004...
champions and the Marlins won the women's championships four times between 2004 and 2008. . The Tom Hoad Cup
Tom Hoad Cup
The Tom Hoad Cup is an annual four-day international water polo event, staged in Perth, Western Australia since 2003. The event is named for Tom Hoad, a former coach and long-time player for the Australia national water polo team and senior administrator in the international governing body .The...
has been held yearly since 2003 at the pool. The last tournament featured teams from Australia (the Fremantle Mariners), Hungary (Vasas SC), Japan and China.
On 16 May 2005, Bicton was hit by a tornado. The storm unroofed houses, extensively damaged Bicton Primary School, destroying two of the original classrooms, brought down electricity poles, and left some families without homes. The affected area was declared a natural disaster area.
Geography
Bicton is bounded by Petra Street to the west, Stock Road to the east, Canning HighwayCanning Highway
Canning Highway is a mostly 4 lane single carriageway major arterial road in Perth, Western Australia. The speed limit is 60 km/h. It is located south of the Swan River and links Perth with Fremantle, running between The Causeway in Victoria Park and Queen Victoria Street in...
to the south and the Swan River
Swan River (Western Australia)
The Swan River estuary flows through the city of Perth, in the south west of Western Australia. Its lower reaches are relatively wide and deep, with few constrictions, while the upper reaches are usually quite narrow and shallow....
to the north (Melville Water) and northwest (Blackwall Reach
Blackwall Reach (Western Australia)
Point Walter Blackwall Reach is a section of the Swan River in Western Australia.As a section of river it was named in the 1830s - and referred to that part of the river, not just one side of the river or other...
). Apart from the reserve and golf course at Point Walter, almost all of Bicton is residential. Bicton is one of the most hilly coastal suburbs of Perth, with Castle Hill the most prominent hill. Major streets include Preston Point Road, Canning Highway
Canning Highway
Canning Highway is a mostly 4 lane single carriageway major arterial road in Perth, Western Australia. The speed limit is 60 km/h. It is located south of the Swan River and links Perth with Fremantle, running between The Causeway in Victoria Park and Queen Victoria Street in...
, Petra Street, View Terrace, Stock Road and Point Walter Road. The suburb has several beaches, most notably at Bicton Baths, Point Walter and along the Bicton Foreshore.
Geology
Bicton lies on the Swan Coastal PlainSwan Coastal Plain
The Swan Coastal Plain in Western Australia is the geographic feature which contains the Swan River as it travels west to the Indian Ocean. The coastal plain continues well beyond the boundaries of the Swan River and its tributaries, as a geological and biological zone, one of Western Australia's...
. Much of Bicton is situated on limestone
Limestone
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....
base-rock, with the cliffs at Blackwall Reach
Blackwall Reach (Western Australia)
Point Walter Blackwall Reach is a section of the Swan River in Western Australia.As a section of river it was named in the 1830s - and referred to that part of the river, not just one side of the river or other...
composed entirely of limestone. Many houses, especially those built around the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, were built on limestone foundations quarried from Bicton. Bicton's soil is generally sandy and infertile.
Facilities
Bicton has a number of shopping facilities throughout the suburb including Melville Plaza shopping centre at its southeastern corner, Bicton Central shopping centre in the southwest corner and a small neighbourhood shopping centre in the centre. The suburb is served by Bicton Primary School (established 1904), and falls within Melville Senior High School's catchment area. Santa Maria College is also located in the neighbouring suburb of AttadaleAttadale, Western Australia
Attadale is a suburb of Perth, Western Australia, located within the City of Melville.It was the first subdivision of A.P. Matheson's Melville Water Park Estate. Attadale was named after an estate in Scotland situated on the south side of Loch Carron....
.
Churches include St. Christophers Anglican Church, located near the border with Attadale, Bicton Presbyterian Church, near the primary school, and Bicton Uniting Church, located in nearby Palmyra
Palmyra, Western Australia
Palmyra is a suburb of Perth, Western Australia, located within the City of Melville.It was the home of Catherine Helen Spence, the first Australian woman to become a political candidate after standing for the Federal Convention in Adelaide....
. The suburb also includes three aged care facilities: Carinya of Bicton, Braemar Lodge and Craigview Grove.
Parks
Parks within the suburb of Bicton include:- Bicton Quarantine Park (formerly the location of the Bicton Quarantine Station)
- Bicton Baths (including Bicton Pool)
- Blackwall ReachBlackwall Reach (Western Australia)Point Walter Blackwall Reach is a section of the Swan River in Western Australia.As a section of river it was named in the 1830s - and referred to that part of the river, not just one side of the river or other...
Reserve - Fred Jones Reserve
- Harry Grose Reserve
- John Dickinson Reserve
- Point Walter Reserve
- Point Walter Golf Course (18 holes)
- Rob Campbell Park
The suburb also includes several playgrounds and bicycle and walking paths along the shores of the Swan River.
Transport
Bicton is served by the 148 and 158 TransperthTransperth
Transperth is the brand name of the public transport system in Perth, Western Australia. It is operated by the Public Transport Authority.-History:...
bus routes from Fremantle, as well as services along Canning Highway
Canning Highway
Canning Highway is a mostly 4 lane single carriageway major arterial road in Perth, Western Australia. The speed limit is 60 km/h. It is located south of the Swan River and links Perth with Fremantle, running between The Causeway in Victoria Park and Queen Victoria Street in...
, the 106 and the 111 on its southern border. The 765 school special runs through Bicton during the school term. All services are operated by Swan Transit
SWAn transit
Swan Transit is a private bus operator whose primary purpose is to provide commuter bus services in and near the city of Perth, Western Australia. It is part of Transit Systems Australia.-History:...
.