Ellenbrook, Western Australia
Encyclopedia
Ellenbrook is a northeastern suburb of Perth
, Western Australia
, about 21 km from Perth's Central business district
(CBD), located within the City of Swan. Ellenbrook, and its neighbouring suburbs of The Vines
and Aveley
, are unusual for Perth in being a significant distance from neighbouring suburbs. Given this relative isolation and the distance from the CBD, Ellenbrook has been designed and developed as a self-sustainable community. It is envisioned that Ellenbrook will eventually become a satellite city, with a population of 80,000, however a more modest population prediction of 30,000 has been set for c. 2012. At the time of the 2006 census
there were 15,170 people living in the town and neighbouring areas of Aveley, the Vines and Henley Brook
. In June 2010 Rita Saffioti
MLA stated that the population of Ellenbrook and neighbouring areas now stood at "over 25,000". Current City of Swan estimates forecast the population to increase to 37,150 by 2016 and 44,185 by 2021. Population in the City of Swan's nearby Urban Growth Corridor (roughly east of Whiteman Park) is forecast to reach 14,668 in the same period.
, 19 kilometres (11.8 mi) from Midland
and 27 kilometres (16.8 mi) from the CBD (via Beaufort Street and Beechboro Road). Gnangara Road links Ellenbrook with Wangara
and the northern suburbs, while West Swan Road and the Reid
and Tonkin Highway
s are nearby. Bus services
link Ellenbrook with Morley and Bassendean railway station. A journey to the CBD by public transport takes approximately 60 minutes. Public transport is currently limited in the evenings and weekends but Transperth is currently introducing new services including an hourly evening connection to Bassendean train stations and thus the city.
During the campaign for the 2008 Western Australian election
, both major political parties committed to building a rail-line
. The 15 km long rail-line was expected to cost $850 million and be finished around 2015, with construction starting around 2012. However, in May 2010, the premier Colin Barnett confirmed that his government would not be proceeding with the development.
of the Swan River
which runs to the east of the suburb. Ellen Brook was named after Ellen Stirling, the wife of Captain James Stirling
, Western Australia's first governor
.
The developer was the Ellenbrook Joint Venture — a partnership between the Department of Housing and Works and Morella Pty Ltd.
The Urban Development Institute of Australia (UDIA) produced a fact sheet providing details about the development:
Ellenbrook is a planned community, and is being developed in phases called "villages".
Currently, there are six villages. The first, Woodlake Village is also currently the largest. Woodlake Village was built on the site of a former sand quarry. The lowest point of the open-cut mine became the central lake and feature parkland, and the high points of the mine were set aside for the area now known as Woodlake Rise. Construction commenced in 1994, with the first home completed in 1995. Woodlake Village was followed by The Bridges, centred on Lake Fresca, then by Coolamon, Morgan Fields and Charlotte's Vineyard. Malvern Springs is the sixth village and was recently opened.
Ellenbrook is centred on a commercial area called the Shops. The development of the Town Centre is in its early stages, but already contains the largest Woolworths in the state. The Shops recently underwent a $100m expansion, which opened on March 17th 2011. This was a very significant expansion which saw the number of shops increase to about 80 including a Big W and a Coles supermarket.
The Town Centre is being developed in three phases with the final stage (Stage 3) likely to be a number of years away, the timing being dependent on the success of Stage 2 and the growth of the suburb.
The villages and shops are linked and intertwined by a series of pathways and cyclepaths and there is a high standard of landscaping throughout.
Ellenbrook Planning and Development Table
Over 300 hectares to the south of Ellenbrook were ceded for conservation prior to the commencement of the development, and are now protected under Perth's metropolitan Bush Forever strategy.
The lake at the Edgecombe Brothers Estate, next to the suburb, is home to one of the last remaining wild populations of the critically endangered Western Swamp Tortoise
.
The town has five primary schools. These are:
A new state primary school is scheduled for condtruction in the Malvern Springs village and is due to for completion for the start of school year 2012.
A new state primary school is scheduled for construction in neighbouring Aveley.
Ellenbrook contains three High Schools:
The Swan Valley Anglican Community School
, located in the neighbouring suburb of Aveley, plans to provide up to year 12 by 2011.
In December 2007, the state government announced plans to turn Ellenbrook Secondary College into a senior high school by 2010.
Construction started in 2009 enabling the college to offer Year 11 courses in 2010 and Year 12 courses in 2011.
The new building works comprise two new buildings which include:
External works include four new tennis courts while additions and refurbishments are being made to the existing buildings, including new textiles and visual arts studios.
, one of Western Australia's two Australian Football League clubs.
Other sporting facilities include:
The town is also home to a junior soccer club, Ellenbrook United FC.
There is a private swimming pool/school operated by State Swim located next to the library.
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...
, about 21 km from Perth's 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"...
(CBD), located within the City of Swan. Ellenbrook, and its neighbouring suburbs of The Vines
The Vines, Western Australia
The Vines is a five-star resort, golf club and residential area located in the Swan Valley area of Western Australia.The resort hosted the Heineken Classic for several years and was home to the 2006 and 2009 Johnnie Walker Classic golf tournaments....
and Aveley
Aveley, Western Australia
Aveley is a suburb of Perth, Western Australia, east of Ellenbrook and south of The Vines. It is bordered by Gnangara Road and Lake Yakine on the south, a small part of West Swan Road and the Ellen Brook and Chateau Place on the east, bushland on the north, and Henley Brook Drive on the west...
, are unusual for Perth in being a significant distance from neighbouring suburbs. Given this relative isolation and the distance from the CBD, Ellenbrook has been designed and developed as a self-sustainable community. It is envisioned that Ellenbrook will eventually become a satellite city, with a population of 80,000, however a more modest population prediction of 30,000 has been set for c. 2012. At the time of the 2006 census
Census in Australia
The Australian census is administered once every five years by the Australian Bureau of Statistics. The most recent census was conducted on 9 August 2011; the next will be conducted in 2016. Prior to the introduction of regular censuses in 1961, they had also been run in 1901, 1911, 1921, 1933,...
there were 15,170 people living in the town and neighbouring areas of Aveley, the Vines and Henley Brook
Henley Brook, Western Australia
Henley Brook is an outer rural suburb of Perth, Western Australia, part of the Swan Valley wine region. The Ellen brook and Swan River meet in the northeastern corner of the suburb. This is also the farthest upstream Captain Stirling's 1827 exploration reached before deciding on the settlement...
. In June 2010 Rita Saffioti
Rita Saffioti
Rita Saffioti MLA is a Western Australian Labor politician, representing the seat of West Swan in the state's Legislative Assembly.Ms Saffioti became the inaugural member for West Swan in the WA State election of 6 September 2008....
MLA stated that the population of Ellenbrook and neighbouring areas now stood at "over 25,000". Current City of Swan estimates forecast the population to increase to 37,150 by 2016 and 44,185 by 2021. Population in the City of Swan's nearby Urban Growth Corridor (roughly east of Whiteman Park) is forecast to reach 14,668 in the same period.
Transport links
Although relatively isolated, Ellenbrook has reasonable transport links and is approximately 17 kilometres (10.6 mi) from GuildfordGuildford, Western Australia
Guildford is a suburb of Perth, Western Australia, located 13 km northeast of the city. Its Local Government Area is the City of Swan.-History:Guildford was established in 1829 on the Swan River, being sited near a permanent fresh water supply...
, 19 kilometres (11.8 mi) from Midland
Midland, Western Australia
Midland is a suburb in the Perth, Western Australia metropolitan area, as well as the regional centre for the City of Swan local government area that covers the Swan Valley and parts of the Darling Scarp to the east. It is situated at the intersection of Great Eastern Highway and Great Northern...
and 27 kilometres (16.8 mi) from the CBD (via Beaufort Street and Beechboro Road). Gnangara Road links Ellenbrook with Wangara
Wangara, Western Australia
Wangara is a light industrial suburb of Perth, Western Australia, located within the City of Wanneroo. According to the 2006 Census, It contains very few private dwellings.-Transport:...
and the northern suburbs, while West Swan Road and the Reid
Reid Highway
Reid Highway is a major arterial highway in Perth, Western Australia. It is allocated Route 3, and runs between Marmion Avenue, North Beach, and West Swan Road, West Swan, a distance of...
and Tonkin Highway
Tonkin Highway
Tonkin Highway, at , is a limited access dual carriageway in Perth, Western Australia, connecting Reid Highway in the north with Thomas Road in the south. Mostly a 4 lane highway, some sections of the highway are to a 4 to 6 lane freeway standard; the remainder of the highway has been designed to...
s are nearby. Bus services
Transperth
Transperth is the brand name of the public transport system in Perth, Western Australia. It is operated by the Public Transport Authority.-History:...
link Ellenbrook with Morley and Bassendean railway station. A journey to the CBD by public transport takes approximately 60 minutes. Public transport is currently limited in the evenings and weekends but Transperth is currently introducing new services including an hourly evening connection to Bassendean train stations and thus the city.
During the campaign for the 2008 Western Australian election
Western Australian state election, 2008
A general election was held in the state of Western Australia on Saturday 6 September 2008 to elect 59 members to the Legislative Assembly and 36 members to the Legislative Council...
, both major political parties committed to building a rail-line
Transperth Trains
Transperth Trains is a division of the Public Transport Authority of Western Australia. It is responsible for operating Perth’s urban passenger rail system, as part of the Transperth network.- Lines :...
. The 15 km long rail-line was expected to cost $850 million and be finished around 2015, with construction starting around 2012. However, in May 2010, the premier Colin Barnett confirmed that his government would not be proceeding with the development.
History and development
Ellenbrook takes its name from Ellen Brook, a tributaryTributary
A tributary or affluent is a stream or river that flows into a main stem river or a lake. A tributary does not flow directly into a sea or ocean...
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....
which runs to the east of the suburb. Ellen Brook was named after Ellen Stirling, the wife of Captain James Stirling
James Stirling (Australian governor)
Admiral Sir James Stirling RN was a British naval officer and colonial administrator. His enthusiasm and persistence persuaded the British Government to establish the Swan River Colony and he became the first Governor and Commander-in-Chief of Western Australia...
, Western Australia's first governor
Governor of Western Australia
The Governor of Western Australia is the representative in Western Australia of Australia's Monarch, Queen Elizabeth II. The Governor performs important constitutional, ceremonial and community functions, including:* presiding over the Executive Council;...
.
The developer was the Ellenbrook Joint Venture — a partnership between the Department of Housing and Works and Morella Pty Ltd.
The Urban Development Institute of Australia (UDIA) produced a fact sheet providing details about the development:
- The sites were acquired by the respective owners in the 1980s as rural land. They had commenced informal rezoning discussions by 1989.
- Given the challenges associated with rezoning and servicing, the owners formed the joint venture in November 1991 (ie the need for critical mass was recognised).
- The environmental approval involved a Public Environmental Review (PER) process.
- The site was rezoned to Urban Deferred in December 1992 and to urban in December 1993.
- Given its location adjacent to the Gnangara Water Mound, the Swan Valley and its distance from existing services, the rezoning was extremely challenging.
- Structure planning occurred in detail during 1993, to facilitate receipt of planning approval in 1994.
- The scale of the project demanded extensive consultation with all service providers, the local community groups and significant market research.
- The Environmental approvals, including drainage and nutrient management, together with provision of water and sewer services, represented the major challenges.
- Over $2m was expended by the owners in meeting the requirements of the rezoning process.
- Approximately 300ha of land (25%of the site) was set aside for conservation.
Ellenbrook is a planned community, and is being developed in phases called "villages".
Currently, there are six villages. The first, Woodlake Village is also currently the largest. Woodlake Village was built on the site of a former sand quarry. The lowest point of the open-cut mine became the central lake and feature parkland, and the high points of the mine were set aside for the area now known as Woodlake Rise. Construction commenced in 1994, with the first home completed in 1995. Woodlake Village was followed by The Bridges, centred on Lake Fresca, then by Coolamon, Morgan Fields and Charlotte's Vineyard. Malvern Springs is the sixth village and was recently opened.
Ellenbrook is centred on a commercial area called the Shops. The development of the Town Centre is in its early stages, but already contains the largest Woolworths in the state. The Shops recently underwent a $100m expansion, which opened on March 17th 2011. This was a very significant expansion which saw the number of shops increase to about 80 including a Big W and a Coles supermarket.
The Town Centre is being developed in three phases with the final stage (Stage 3) likely to be a number of years away, the timing being dependent on the success of Stage 2 and the growth of the suburb.
The villages and shops are linked and intertwined by a series of pathways and cyclepaths and there is a high standard of landscaping throughout.
Ellenbrook Planning and Development Table
| Stage | Village Name | Developer | Planning and Urban Design Consultant Firm | Chief Urban Planner | Chief Urban Designer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Village 1 | WoodLake Village | LWP Property Group | RobertsDay | Tim Trefry | Mike Day |
| Village 2 | The Bridges | LWP Property Group | RobertsDay | Tim Trefry | Mike Day |
| Village 3 | Coollamon | LWP Property Group | RobertsDay | Tim Trefry | Mike Day |
| Village 4 | Morgan Fields | LWP Property Group | RobertsDay | Tim Trefry | Mike Day |
| Village 5 | Charlotte’s Vineyard | LWP Property Group | RobertsDay | Tim Trefry | Mike Day |
| Village 6 | Malvern Springs | LWP Property Group | RobertsDay | Julie Harrold | Peter Ciemitis |
| Village 7 | Lexia | LWP Property Group | RobertsDay | Tim Trefry | Peter Ciemitis |
| Towncentre | Ellenbrook Towncentre | LWP Property Group | RobertsDay | Tim Trefry | Mike Day |
Natural features
Some pre-existing woodlands and wetlands, including Conservation Category Wetlands, have been incorporated into Public Open Space in the villages of Charlotte’s Vineyard, Malvern Springs and Woburn Park. The neighbouring Gnangara pine plantation, west of The Bridges, includes walks and picnic facilities accessible directly from Ellenbrook.Over 300 hectares to the south of Ellenbrook were ceded for conservation prior to the commencement of the development, and are now protected under Perth's metropolitan Bush Forever strategy.
The lake at the Edgecombe Brothers Estate, next to the suburb, is home to one of the last remaining wild populations of the critically endangered Western Swamp Tortoise
Western Swamp Tortoise
The western swamp tortoise , also known as the western swamp turtle, is a short-necked freshwater tortoise that monotypically represents the sub-family Pseudemydurinae.-Description:...
.
Education facilities
Ellenbrook has a large modern library with free internet wi-fi access. This is located within Ellenbrook Secondary College as a shared resource.The town has five primary schools. These are:
- Ellenbrook Primary School (Woodlake)
- St. Helena's Catholic Primary School (Woodlake) - private
- Arbor Grove Primary School (Charlotte's Vineyard)
- Ellen Stirling Primary School (Coolamon)
- Ellenbrook Christian College, kindergarten to year 12 (The Bridges) - private
A new state primary school is scheduled for condtruction in the Malvern Springs village and is due to for completion for the start of school year 2012.
A new state primary school is scheduled for construction in neighbouring Aveley.
Ellenbrook contains three High Schools:
- Ellenbrook Christian College, a private school which caters for students from Kindergarten to year 12;
- Ellenbrook Secondary College, a state school currently serving years 7 to 10 with construction of the senior learning block (years 11- 12) currently underway
- A private catholic high school, Holy Cross, opened in 2010 to years 7 and 8. It is situated on a 13.8 Ha elevated site in Coolamon.
The Swan Valley Anglican Community School
Swan Valley Anglican Community School
Swan Valley Anglican Community School is a private school located in Perth, Western Australia. The school opened in 2006 on a Greenfields site at Aveley near Ellenbrook in Perth's Swan Valley and currently caters for students from Kindergarten to Year 12....
, located in the neighbouring suburb of Aveley, plans to provide up to year 12 by 2011.
In December 2007, the state government announced plans to turn Ellenbrook Secondary College into a senior high school by 2010.
Construction started in 2009 enabling the college to offer Year 11 courses in 2010 and Year 12 courses in 2011.
The new building works comprise two new buildings which include:
- eight science laboratories with associated preparation rooms, stores and computing area;
- materials technology area including woodwork and metalwork studios, machine room and technical graphics studio;
- 10 general upper school classrooms;
- education support classroom;
- lecture theatre;
- resource/activity area;
- three computer laboratories; and
- fitness centre and health education classroom.
External works include four new tennis courts while additions and refurbishments are being made to the existing buildings, including new textiles and visual arts studios.
Sporting and leisure facilities
There are three ovals (playing fields) in Ellenbrook. The main oval at Coolamon has clubroom and changing facilities and is the home of the Ellenbrook Eels Senior Football Club and the Ellenbrook Dockers Junior Football club (Australian Rules). The Ellenbrook Dockers is an official partner of the Fremantle Football ClubFremantle Football Club
The Fremantle Football Club, nicknamed The Dockers, is an Australian rules football team which plays in the Australian Football League . The club is based in the port city of Fremantle at the mouth of the Swan River in Western Australia...
, one of Western Australia's two Australian Football League clubs.
Other sporting facilities include:
- Dual-purpose tennis/basketball courts at Woodlake Park.
- Cricket nets on Woodlake oval.
- A skatepark at Woodlake oval.
- Tennis/netballcourts at Woodlake and Arbor Grove primary schools.
- A skatepark/BMX facility adjacent to Coolamon oval.
- A large water park, aimed at younger children, was completed in late 2009 and is located next to the library and high school.
The town is also home to a junior soccer club, Ellenbrook United FC.
There is a private swimming pool/school operated by State Swim located next to the library.