Willagee, Western Australia
Encyclopedia
Willagee is a suburb of Perth
, Western Australia
, located 15 kilometres (9 mi) south-southwest of the Perth central business district. It is located in the Local Government Area
of City of Melville, and the electoral district
of Willagee
, which takes its name from the suburb.
name of a now-reclaimed feature in the area. The suburb originally comprised a housing estate known as "Willagee Park", created by the State Housing Commission. Willagee was brought into existance "primarily to provide accommodation for employees in the new industrial area being developed by the Fremantle City Council
." Surveying and clearing of the land had commenced in December 1950, with a number of "first-class roads" constructed by the Melville Roads Board in 1951. A number of dwellings were prefabricated home
s imported from Austria. The suburb is now characterised by demountable, wooden cottages with stilts(spears), although it is in the midst of a sweeping redevelopment plan, which is supposed to improve the quality of the housing.
A house located at 3 Moorhouse Street gained some notoriety in the 1980s as the location of a series of murders by David and Catherine Birnie
, which were sometimes called the "Moorhouse murders".
to the north, Garling Street to the south, Stock Road to the west and North Lake Road to the east. Willagee borders Melville
and Myaree
to the north and north-east, Winthrop
to the east, Kardinya
to the south-east and south, O'Connor
to the south and south-west, and Palmyra
to the west and north-west.
, post office
and various other stores, is located at the junction of these two roads. A smaller shopping centre, Willagee Supermarket, is located at the intersection of Leach Highway
and Stock Road, in the north-west corner of the suburb.
Caralee Community School was formed in 2005 from a merger of Willagee Primary School and Carawatha Primary School, and is currently attended by approximately 300 students. The school is located in Melville Senior High School
's catchment area. The Fremantle Language Development Centre is also located at the site.
bus routes from Fremantle. 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...
, located 15 kilometres (9 mi) south-southwest of the Perth central business district. It is located in the Local Government Area
Local Government Areas of Western Australia
The Australian state of Western Australia is divided into 141 local government areas...
of City of Melville, and the electoral district
Electoral districts of Western Australia
The Western Australian Legislative Assembly is elected from 59 single-member electoral districts. These districts are often referred to as electorates or seats....
of Willagee
Electoral district of Willagee
Willagee is an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of Western Australia.The district is located in the southern suburbs of Perth.Willagee has at all times been a safe Labor seat.-Geography:...
, which takes its name from the suburb.
History
Willagee is named after Willagee Swamp, the NoongarNoongar
The Noongar are an indigenous Australian people who live in the south-west corner of Western Australia from Geraldton on the west coast to Esperance on the south coast...
name of a now-reclaimed feature in the area. The suburb originally comprised a housing estate known as "Willagee Park", created by the State Housing Commission. Willagee was brought into existance "primarily to provide accommodation for employees in the new industrial area being developed by the Fremantle City Council
City of Fremantle
The City of Fremantle is a Local Government Area in South Metropolitan Perth. The City covers an area of , and lies about southwest of the Perth central business district.-History:...
." Surveying and clearing of the land had commenced in December 1950, with a number of "first-class roads" constructed by the Melville Roads Board in 1951. A number of dwellings were prefabricated home
Prefabricated home
Prefabricated homes, often referred to as prefab homes, are dwellings manufactured off-site in advance, usually in standard sections that can be easily shipped and assembled....
s imported from Austria. The suburb is now characterised by demountable, wooden cottages with stilts(spears), although it is in the midst of a sweeping redevelopment plan, which is supposed to improve the quality of the housing.
A house located at 3 Moorhouse Street gained some notoriety in the 1980s as the location of a series of murders by David and Catherine Birnie
David and Catherine Birnie
David John Birnie and Catherine Margaret Birnie were an Australian couple who were serial killers. They murdered four women ranging in age from 15 to 31 in their home in the 1980s, and attempted to murder a fifth...
, which were sometimes called the "Moorhouse murders".
Geography
The suburb is bounded by Leach HighwayLeach Highway
Leach Highway is a major dual carriageway arterial road in Perth, Western Australia, which varies between 4 and 6 lanes wide. The speed limit is either 70 or 80 km/h. It is located south of the Swan River and links Fremantle with Kewdale, a distance of ....
to the north, Garling Street to the south, Stock Road to the west and North Lake Road to the east. Willagee borders Melville
Melville, Western Australia
Melville is a suburb of Perth, Western Australia located within the likewise named City of Melville....
and Myaree
Myaree, Western Australia
Myaree is a suburb of Perth, Western Australia, located within the City of Melville. Myaree gets its name from an Aboriginal word meaning foliage....
to the north and north-east, Winthrop
Winthrop, Western Australia
Winthrop is a southern suburb of Perth, Western Australia, located within the City of Melville.-History:Winthrop was originally a pine tree plantation owned by the University of Western Australia. The first blocks were sold in the early 1980s. After the first residents moved in, more blocks were...
to the east, Kardinya
Kardinya, Western Australia
Kardinya is a suburb of Perth, Western Australia, located within the City of Melville. The suburb is home to under 10,000 people, including international students and locals rent residences due to its proximity to Murdoch University and Murdoch College....
to the south-east and south, O'Connor
O'Connor, Western Australia
O'Connor is a predominantly industrial suburb of Perth, Western Australia, located within the City of Fremantle. It was established in 1955 and is named after the Irish engineer, C.Y...
to the south and south-west, and 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....
to the west and north-west.
Parks and reserves
There are ten parks and reserves located in Willagee: Arthur Kay Reserve, Harmony Park, Harry Bailey Park, Joan Williams Park, Roy Neal Reserve, Tony Zevela Park, Walter West Reserve, Webber Reserve, William Reynolds Reserve and Winnacott Reserve. The largest of these are Webber Reserve and Winnacott Reserve, which are both used by local sporting clubs, including the Willagee Bears Rugby League Football Club and the Winnacott Kats Junior Football Club.Facilities
Much of the suburb's facilities are centred along two main thoroughfares: Winnacott Street, running north-south, and Archibald Street, running east-west. A large precinct, consisting of a library, community centre, an IGAIGA (Australian supermarket group)
Independent Grocers of Australia, or IGA, is a chain of independent supermarkets in Australia. It is the local variant of the international Independent Grocers Association...
, post office
Australia Post
Australia Post is the trading name of the Australian Government-owned Australian Postal Corporation .-History:...
and various other stores, is located at the junction of these two roads. A smaller shopping centre, Willagee Supermarket, is located at the intersection of Leach Highway
Leach Highway
Leach Highway is a major dual carriageway arterial road in Perth, Western Australia, which varies between 4 and 6 lanes wide. The speed limit is either 70 or 80 km/h. It is located south of the Swan River and links Fremantle with Kewdale, a distance of ....
and Stock Road, in the north-west corner of the suburb.
Caralee Community School was formed in 2005 from a merger of Willagee Primary School and Carawatha Primary School, and is currently attended by approximately 300 students. The school is located in 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....
's catchment area. The Fremantle Language Development Centre is also located at the site.
Transport
Willagee is served by the 140, 160 and 502 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. 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:...
.