• Abstract and Figures
• Public Full-text

City of Joondalup/City of Wanneroo By Sarah Pratt Reference and Local History Librarian City of Joondalup 100 years ago, Now The original inhabitants of this area The population is diverse with migrants were Whadjuk and Yued Nyoongar. The from over 100 nations. Less than one Oor-dal-kalla people were the family percent are Aboriginal. Around half of group of Yellagonga, a prominent residents were born in Australia. The Aboriginal elder highly regarded in largest migrant groups historically have Nyoongar culture. It is from the Oor-dal- been from Britain and Ireland as well as kalla people that Joondalup derives its Italy and Southern/Eastern Europe, name. The Nyoongar word is Vietnam and India. Today, significant Doondalup and it means ‘the lake that migration to the area comes from many glistens’. The name Wanneroo comes African nations including South Africa, from two aboriginal words ‘wonna’ or as well as Burma and the Philippines. ‘wanna’; a stick used by Aboriginal women for digging roots and ‘roo’ that The present-day population is diverse means ‘the place of’. Wanneroo was still with migrants from over 100 nations. mainly bush in 1914 and the local Around half of residents were born in Nyoongar people were still to be seen Australia, but less than one percent are living their traditional life, especially Aboriginal. The largest migrant groups around Lake Joondalup. historically have been from Britain and Ireland as well as Italy and Southern/Eastern Europe, Vietnam and India. Today, significant migration to the area comes from many African nations including South Africa, as well as from Burma and the Philippines. In 1834 explorer John Butler led an excursion into the area known as Wanneroo. The party of four travelled about 48 kilometres north of Perth in search of lost cattle. They travelled along the eastern shore of Lake Joondalup. Butler recorded seeing other large lakes in the area. He also noticed the high quality of the soil. As a result, the Wanneroo area was first used by pastoralists. In 1837 and 1838 John Septimus Roe and George Grey explored the Wanneroo district and gave a positive assessment of the suitability of the land around the lakes for farming. This led to some of the colony’s land speculators taking up land grants around Lakes Joondalup, Nowergup, Mariginiup and Neerbup. Although none of the land speculators took up permanent residence they did, however, lease the land to pastoralists. Later, colonisation spread to the northern area known as The Lakes, about 15 miles (22 kilometres) north of the Perth settlement, attracting pioneers and settlers to Wanneroo. Market gardens and a vineyard still exist European settlement saw the in the City of Wanneroo area. establishment of market gardens, piggeries, poultry farms and vineyards In the City of Joondalup and in much of near and around Lake Joondalup. In Wanneroo, housing estates, commercial 1918 Wanneroo was still a rural area. properties, light industrial estates and Without irrigation or artificial fertilizers, roads have replaced the market market gardens were being established gardens, poultry farms, dairies and close to Lake Joondalup and the other piggeries. lakes in the district - many by migrants from southern Europe. The first tomato The largest areas of employment seeds ever planted in WA were brought (COW) are construction, retail to Wanneroo from California by an education/training and manufacturing. Italian migrant in 1920. The first large scale vineyards were planted in the The suburbs of Ashby, Clarkson, Darch, 1920s. Piggeries, poultry farms and Hillarys, Hocking, Madeley, Marmion, dairies were also established. Cattle Padbury, Pearsall, Sinagra, Tapping and some sheep were grazed further and Whitfords are all named for early from the lakes, with wells dug where settlers to the area. water was required. In 1921 a saw mill was established, with wooden blocks and planks for road building being an important output. A 2.5 metre sculpture at the entry to In 1849, Patrick Marmion established a Sorrento Beach, south of the Sorrento shore whaling station on ten acres (4 Surf Life Saving Club, was hectares) of leased crown land. The commissioned by the City of Joondalup. whaling station operated for three years It commemorates Patrick Marmion and before it closed due to a lack of trained his whaling station. Sculptor Albie staff. The large brick chimney which Herbert and artist Eric Schneider formed part of the processing works worked with 37 Year 7 students from was used as a navigation aid for boats Marmion Primary School to create the and planes. The chimney was work. The four-sided totem entitled demolished in 1953. Odyssey is based in a boat (a model of Patrick Marmion died in 1856 – just four Patrick Marmion’s schooner, the years after the Sorrento whaling station Pelsaert), and tells the changing story of closed. whales’ relationship with people. The bottom layers illustrate whale hunting and the top layers show people whale watching for pleasure. The suburb of Marmion is named in honour of Patrick Marmion. The district was gazetted as Wanneru in In 1998 the City of Wanneroo was 1907 and the name was not officially divided into two local government areas changed to Wanneroo until 1953, even - Wanneroo and Joondalup. though locally the ‘Wanneroo’ spelling had always been more commonly used. The district was locally governed by the Wanneroo Road Board which was formed in 1902, taking over responsibility for the area from the Perth Road Board. In 1918, the main road from Perth to The area is serviced by the freeway and and through Wanneroo was partly made many quality bitumen roads, as well as from wood blocks or planks. The rest the train line. Wanneroo Road is now a was limestone or dirt track. Wells were four-lane road and is one of the main located along the road. They were thoroughfares to Perth. maintained by the local Road Board who provided buckets and rope so travellers and their horses could access water on their journey. The road was originally gazetted in 1864 and was fully bituminized in the 1930s. There was only one registered vehicle in Wanneroo in 1917/18, a Ford truck. Ten years later the list had grown to 15 - mostly trucks that would have been used for taking produce to market in Perth and other farm work. Most transport was horse-powered. It was a six-hour journey form Perth to Wanneroo. In the 1920s there was a greater number of motor cars in Perth. It was during this time that tourists started visiting the City of Wanneroo area. Popular destinations included the Yanchep caves and the beaches. The first service station in the district opened on Wanneroo Road in 1929. William Charles Pearsall applied for permission to open Wanneroo’s first petrol station in 1929. The garage was erected at the 13-mile peg on Wanneroo Road (the present junction of Ocean Reef Road and Wanneroo Road) and run largely by his son Charles. They were in competition with another prominent Wanneroo family, the Dennis’s, who had opened service station two miles (3.2 kilometres) further north, in the Wanneroo township. The suburb of Pearsall was named after William Pearsall, in honour of his long contribution to the community including as a member of the Wanneroo Road Board. In 1909 the first major Wanneroo The Wanneroo Show remains a popular Agricultural Show was held. In the annual event, along with many other 1920s, horse and foot races were held community events run by the Cities of at the location known as Perry’s Wanneroo and Joondalup. Paddock. In 1916 Wanneroo was still a place for Kangaroos can still be found in the bush hunting – the local government (Road areas, as well as grazing on the grass at Board) resolved to complain to the the Marangaroo golf course and police about the “wholesale destruction Pinnaroo cemetery. of kangaroos in the district by Today, kangaroos - like all native ‘weekenders from the city’.” species - are protected under the Wildlife Conservation Act. Shooting kangaroos is legal under the Act only under very specific circumstances either by license or as a holder of land on which kangaroos cause damage. Lime burning was an important activity Only one lime kiln business still with the number of kilns peaking in the operates in the area – Susac Lime 1920s and 30s at about 47, employing Supply in northern Wanneroo. over 200 people. Limestone is heated in http://www.susaclime.com.au/ kilns to create lime which is used in many industries including construction, Quarries in the City of Joondalup have metal refinery and food production. been redeveloped into housing estates and the Joondalup Resort Golf Course. Several community institutions were already in operation one hundred years ago. A community hall had been built in the very early 1900s. The first school had been established in 1874, postal service and newspaper service in 1883, local government (Road Board) in 1902. The first telephone in the district was installed in 1895. At the start of World War I the town of Wanneroo consisted of a school house, teacher’s residence, a showground and agricultural hall where the local Road Board met and where dances were held on a regular basis. There were no shops, no electricity, no motorized vehicles and no medical services. Other amenities were slower to arrive. Prior to the 1930s, church services were held in the school house. In the 1930 the police station, church and cinema were built. It was also during this time that Yanchep National Park was created and the Yanchep bus service began operation. During the late 1940s/1950s, the Wanneroo bus service, shopping centre, rubbish collection and Volunteer Fire Brigade were established.

Load more

  23

Copy Link