Point Heathcote is a geographic feature located on the south east part of Melville Water

Melville Water

Melville Water is a significant section of the Swan River in Perth, Western Australia. It is located west of and downstream of Perth Water from which it is separated by the Narrows Bridge.-Name:...

 on 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....

.

It is located in 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...

 a 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...

History

The area was named after Midshipman G.C. Heathcote, who is said to have been the first European to land there. It was one of the landing and camp sites 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...

during his exploration of the Swan River in 1827. Point Heathcote was considered as a site for the capital city by James Stirling, before electing on its current position.

Hospital

Point Heathcote was the site of the Point Heathcote reception home, later known as Heathcote Hospital, for the treatment of patients with mental illness. The Lieutenant Governor, Sir Robert McMillan, opened the hospital on 22 February 1929.

By 1994 the function as a hospital had ceased, and various ideas were put forward for the site

In 2000 the hospital and grounds were redesignated as a heritage precinct.

The land, together with the heritage buildings, is also protected by the heritage agreement, which is registered as a memorial on the land title.

Trivia

The late Hollywood Actor, Heath Andrew Ledger, grew up in this neighbourhood, and there is currently a plaque and memorial in his memory on Point Heathcote, placed by his family.