Ferndale is a southeastern suburb of Perth

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 Canning and it is located approximately 15 kilometres (9 mi) 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"...

.

History

The name Ferndale originated from developers who decided not to proceed with the City of Canning's choice of Shearnstead. In 1965, the name change was approved.
The eastern section of Ferndale Crescent was once Menzies Road. Low scrub forest covered most of the suburb until developed in the late sixties and seventies.

Geography

Ferndale is bounded by Metcalfe Road to the south-east, the Canning River

Canning River (Western Australia)

The Canning River is a major tributary of the Swan River in south western Western Australia.-Source and route:With headwaters on the Darling Scarp, the Canning meanders through suburbs of Perth on the Swan Coastal Plain, including Cannington, Thornlie, Riverton, Shelley, Rossmoyne and Mount...

 to the north and north-west, and Bannister Creek to the south-west. Its main street is Ferndale Crescent, which runs like an inverted U-shape from Metcalfe Road - the eastern leg of the street serves as a "centre line" to divide south-west and north-east Ferndale.

Facilities

Prominent features of the suburb also include Ferndale Reserve, a large sports ground; and the small Ferndale Shopping Centre. There have been two primary schools in the suburb for several decades: Ferndale Primary, located in west Ferndale; and Kinlock Primary in the east. However, Kinlock has closed following the 2007 school year, along with Lynwood Primary in a neighbouring suburb. From 2008, students from those two schools will be moved to Ferndale Primary School. In 2009, a new Primary school, now named Bannister Creek Primary, will be built on the former Lynwood Primary school site, and this will take all students from the both Ferndale and Lynwood after Ferndale Primary closes late in that year. Each of the primary schools mentioned are feeder schools to Lynwood Senior High School, the main secondary school of the surrounding suburbs. The Canning River Regional Park, located in Ferndale's north, is a popular route for cycling and walking as it is the parkland of the Canning River.

Transport

Ferndale's main road, Metcalfe Road, links two routes - Nicholson Road, which links Ferndale to Cannington

Cannington, Western Australia

Cannington is a southern suburb of Perth, Western Australia. Its Local Government Area is the City of Canning.-History:Cannington's name derives from the Canning River, which forms part of the southwestern boundary of the suburb...

 and Westfield Carousel

Westfield Carousel

Westfield Carousel is a major shopping centre, owned by the Westfield Group and located in Cannington, a suburb of Perth. It is located approximately 12 kilometres from Perth on the Albany Highway, and approximately 600 metres from Cannington Train Station...

; and High Road, linking to Riverton

Riverton, Western Australia

Riverton is a suburb of Perth in Western Australia.-Location:Riverton is situated about 14 km or 15 minutes from Perth. The Canning River makes some of its north eastern boundary. It is part of the City of Canning, situated south east of the Swan River...

 and the Bull Creek railway station.

Ferndale is served by the Transperth bus service 508 linking the area to Bull Creek and to Cannington. It is 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:...

. Prior to the commencement of the Perth-Mandurah rail line, Transperth operated two routes through Ferndale (877 and 878), which had linked the suburb to Cannington and Perth.