Mandurah, Western Australia
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| Mandurah Western Australia |
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 Location of Mandurah, Western Australia |
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| Population: | 67,813 (2006) [1] |
| Postcode: | 6210 |
| Area: | 106.6 km² (41.2 sq mi) |
| LGA: | City of Mandurah |
| State District: | Mandurah, Murray, Dawesville |
| Federal Division: | Brand, Canning |
Mandurah () is a city sixty minutes' drive (72 km) south of Perth, Western Australia.
Mandurah is the fastest-growing regional city in Australia, having experienced hypergrowth for several years. The city grew from isolated holiday communities along the shores of the Peel-Harvey Estuary, and, with the growth of Perth, it has become a popular lifestyle alternative. Mandurah's connection with the Perth CBD has been strengthened with the opening of the Perth-Mandurah railway line in December, 2007. A housing affordability survey of 227 cities in the 2008 ranked it the least affordable city in Australia. [2]
The city centre foreshore is home to a variety of wildlife including dolphins, pelicans, shags, and an abundance of marine life including the blue manna crab which has become synonymous with the area.
The city welcomes thousands of tourists every year, including many international visitors. Mandurah is famous for its protected waterways, superb beaches and excellent boating and fishing activities.
A photograph of Mandurah adorns the cover of the 1986 album Born Sandy Devotional by The Triffids
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[edit] Geography
The waters of the Peel Inlet and Harvey Estuary (one of Australia's larger inlet systems) form the centre of Mandurah. The estuary is approximately twice the size of Sydney Harbour. The city lies in and around this freshwater system which in turn feeds into the Indian Ocean. The city and its suburbs have many kilometres of ocean coastline most of which is sandy beaches. Mandurah also has a number of suburbs built around artificially created canal systems that extend from the Peel Inlet.
The area is governed by the City of Mandurah.
[edit] Climate
Sharing a similar climate to Perth, Mandurah has a typical Mediterranean climate with warm summers and cool winters. During summer (December to February), the average maximum temperature is 27°C (80°F) with an average minimum temperature of 19°C (66°F). At its extreme it can get very hot, often having days exceeding 40°C (104°F) in the later half of summer. In winter (June to August), the average maximum temperature is 15°C (59°F) with an average minimum temperature of 9°C (48°F). Mandurah's proximity to the ocean moderates summer temperatures somewhat, with temperatures a few kilometres inland often 4 or 5 degrees warmer. Mandurah's climate is remarkable for producing one of the highest densities of tornadoes in the world [1].
[edit] History
The Noongar (or Bibbulmun) people, who inhabited the South West of Western Australia, named the area Mandjar ('meeting place'). After European settlement the name changed, possibly due to mispronunciation, to Mandurah.
In December 1829, Thomas Peel arrived in Western Australia from the United Kingdom with workmen, equipment and stores on the ship Gilmore. He had financed the trip in exchange for a grant of land in the Swan River Colony. Unfortunately for him, the contract stipulated that he was to arrive by no later than 1 November 1829 and, as such, his original land grant was forfeited. Undaunted, Peel built a small settlement named Clarence south of the Swan River colony at what is known today as Woodman Point. Many problems with the settlement along with Peel's own ill-health led him to lead the remaining Clarence settlers to the area known today as Mandurah. Thomas Peel died in 1865 but Mandurah continued to grow, albeit very slowly, over the years.
[edit] Heritage
Sutton’s Farm
Sutton’s Farm is a heritage site in Halls Head, dating back to the 1860s. John Sutton, his wife Eleanor and their son Henry arrived in Western Australia on the Hindoo on 22 April 1839.[3] John Sutton worked as a tenant farmer for a short time before renting a block of land and opening a ‘Wayside Inn’.[4] In addition to the inn, Sutton operated a ferry service across the estuary to Mandurah town site. The ferry service was important to the region as it was the only way to cross the estuary until the bridge was built in 1894. From c.1870, Sutton’s Farm, consisting of a residence, barn and single men’s quarters, was a dominant feature on the west side of the estuary, which was often called ‘Sutton’s Side’.[5] It was a regular social venue for the Mandurah community in the 1870s prior to the building of a town hall.[6]
Henry Sutton died in 1922 and the farm was sold to a local farmer Joseph Cooper[7] under the condition that Suttons would have the first option for buying it back if it went to market, which they did in 1947. The two families were related and they worked together to run the dairy farm until the sale of the property in 1977. It was purchased by property developers, Esplanade Developments Ltd. who have since subdivided the land and built canals. The limestone buildings of Sutton’s Farm, all built in the Victorian Georgian style, have since been used as a teaching site for architectural students. This attractive heritage farm site, now bordered by canals on two sides, is a popular backdrop for weddings.
[edit] Transport
The Mandurah Estuary Bridge was constructed in 1985 to 1986, and was the first incrementally launched box girder bridge in Australia. The Dawesville Channel (also known as the Dawesville Cut), a large man-made channel, was opened in April 1994. The channel was created to allow saline seawater from the Indian Ocean to flush into the Peel Inlet to reduce the incidence of algal blooms which had plagued the estuary for many years.
Transperth’s Mandurah railway line, opened in December 2007, links Mandurah to Perth.
[edit] Water use
Mandurah is at the centre of a water recycling project known as the Halls Head Indirect Water Reuse Project. Based in Mandurah it has recently been awarded the Western Australian Water Corporation Award for Water Treatment and Recycling. An aquifer is used to filter the areas sewage water providing safe, quality irrigation water for local parks, gardens and ovals [5].
[edit] Sport
Mandurah is home to the Pirates Rugby Union club in the Western Australian Rugby Union, Mandurah City in the Football West State League and is also the home of the Peel Thunder football club, an active member of the West Australian Football League (the game known colloquially as 'Aussie Rules').
[edit] References
- ^ Australian Bureau of Statistics (25 October 2007). Mandurah (Urban Centre/Locality). 2006 Census QuickStats. Retrieved on 2008-02-13. Map
- ^ Australian homes the world's least affordable, survey says | NEWS.com.au
- ^ Rica Erickson, The Bicentennial Dictionary of Western Australians 1829-1888 Vol. 4, UWA Press, Nedlands, 1988, p.2988.
- ^ Ronald Richards, The Murray District of Western Australia A History, Shire of Murray, 1978, p. 131.
- ^ Richards, The Murray District, op. cit.
- ^ Heritage Council of Western Australia, Data Base No. 3078.
- ^ Certificate of Title, Volume 785 Folio 118, Department of Land Administration.
[edit] External links
- City of Mandurah website
- Images of Mandurah website
- Visitors to Mandurah website
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