Melville Water is a significant section 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....

 in 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...

. It is located west of and downstream of Perth Water

Perth Water

Perth Water is the section of the Swan River between the Causeway to the east, and Narrows Bridge to the west - a large wide but shallow section of river on the southern edge of the City of Perth, Western Australia, and the northern edge of the suburb South Perth. Retrieved 29 December 2006...

 from which it is separated by the Narrows Bridge

Narrows Bridge

The Narrows Bridge is a freeway crossing of the Swan River in Perth, Western Australia, at The Narrows between Mill Point and Mount Eliza. Made up of two road bridges and a railway bridge, it connects the Mitchell and Kwinana Freeways, linking the city's northern and southern suburbs...

.

Name

Melville Water was named in 1827 by 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...

, after 2nd Viscount Melville

Robert Dundas, 2nd Viscount Melville

Robert Dundas, 2nd Viscount Melville KT, PC, FRS was a British statesman, the son of Henry Dundas, the 1st Viscount. Dundas was the Member of Parliament for Hastings in 1794, Rye in 1796 and Midlothian in 1801. He was also Keeper of the Signet for Scotland from 1800...

. The land south of Melville Water was named Melville Water Park Estate (in the area that is now Applecross

Applecross, Western Australia

Applecross is an affluent riverside suburb of Perth, Western Australia, bounded by Canning Highway and the Swan River. It is located within the City of Melville.Like the name Perth, the suburb of Applecross borrows its name from the region in Scotland...

) and was subdivided for development in 1896.

Extent

With the Narrows Bridge on the Swan river as its upstream or easterly limit, and Point Heathcote

Point Heathcote

Point Heathcote is a geographic feature located on the south east part of Melville Water on Swan River.It is located in Applecross a suburb of Perth, Western Australia-History:...

 to Como Jetty as the end of the Canning River - Melville water extends to the west to the Point Resolution to Point Walter. In that space it has marine parks (Swan Estuary marine park in Lucky Bay and Alfred Cove, water ski areas ( Waylen Bay, and Point Walter) as well as the Narrows Personal water craft freestyling area. The main ferry and tour boat route passes through the centre of the open water in the centre of the river.

Swan Estuary Marine Park

The component marine parks occur in three locations within the bounds of Melville Water:

• Pelican Point Marine Park South of Pelican Point Crawley
  Crawley
  Crawley is a town and local government district with Borough status in West Sussex, England. It is south of Charing Cross, north of Brighton and Hove, and northeast of the county town of Chichester, covers an area of and had a population of 99,744 at the time of the 2001 Census.The area has...
  
  
• Milyu Marine Park around Pelican Rocks South Perth
• Alfred Cove Marine Park Alfred Cove, Lucky Bay Attadale
  Attadale, 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....