Kwinana

 

 

KWINANA

 

HEMA Map reference 74/D2

 

GPS 32 14 38 S 115 45 38 E

 

 

 

 

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STATISTICS

Distance from Perth

30 Km

Population

29,227

Average Rainfall

745.9mm

Mean Max Temp

24.5C

Mean Min Temp

12.4C

 

SERVICES

Police

08 9411 4311

Fire and Rescue

08 9419 4454

Medical

08 9599 4000

Visitor Centre

08 9592 3464

 

CARAVAN PARKS

See Rockingham

 

HOTEL / MOTEL / B AND B

See Rockingham

 

CALENDAR OF EVENTS

 

 

 

DESCRIPTION

 

Perth's heavy industrial zone was constructed on a beautiful stretch of coast starting in 1951. The industrial coastal strip is possibly the ugliest place near the city. (Note: The preceding description has apparently ruffled some feathers at the local council so I will qualify it by saying that my criticism of the area is confined the the industrial strip.)

Although this area is regrettably necessary, it does detract badly from the natural beauty of Cockburn Sound. The coastline south of the industrial area including Rockingham and Safety Bay is very attractive and there are a number of pleasant parks but my dislike of the heavy industrial zone remains.

As a direct result of the industrial development sea grass beds suffered a decline of 78%. Due to new waste management policies this decline has apparently been arrested in recent years but according to EPA reports, some areas remain 'highly stressed'.

The Kwinana Beach area has been redeveloped and what was once a large carpark, is now a grassed area with tables, seats, shelters, BBQs and toilets.

Sadly the local fishing jetty was damaged in a storm and it seems as though the local government has deemed it too expensive to replace and demolished what remained of the structure. We took pictures soon after the storm and a large part of the jetty was still intact. It is sad that the local authorities failed to act to save what was, a considerable local icon.

 

HISTORY

 

Kwinana was named after the S.S. Kwinana that foundered there in 1922. The remains can still be seen as what was part of the Kwinana jetty. The ship was originally named Darius and was purchased by the state Government for 19,000 pounds. The name was originally meant to be Kimberley but a search of records found that name was already in use by another ship so it was changed to Kwinana (a subdivision in the Kimberley).

The ship started work for the state in 1912 and on one trip north, the coal in one of her bunkers caught fire. The fire was eventually put out and the ship brought south for repairs but while under tow she collided with another ship and was deemed uneconomical to repair. While at anchor in Careening Bay (Garden Island) a storm came up and she broke her moorings and ended up on the beach that was to become her final resting place.

The word is said to originate from the Aboriginal people and means young woman or pretty maid. A townsite started to develop in 1937 and the shire was declared in 1961. In 2012 the shire became a city.

From 1952 to 1970, BP, BHP, Alcoa and Western Mining all established an industrial presence in the area. This in turn attracted many other industries to the coastal strip and the area is a major employer for the surrounding suburbs.

Medina, Parmelia and Calista were built nearby to house the workforce for the industrial strip and a new wave of immigrants arrived from over 30 different countries. The names of these suburbs also originated with ships.

A huge wheat handling facility has also been constructed by C.B.H. and is reported to be the largest of its kind in the world.

Perth Motorplex opened in Kwinana in December 2000. The facility cost $20 million to construct and hosts a number of prestigious motor racing related events.

 

TALL TALES AND TRUE

 

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OTHER INFORMATION

 

ATTRACTIONS

 

The beaches, Kwinana 4wd recreation area, Slone's Reserve. Rockingham, Motorplex, The Spectacles wetlands.

 

BUILDINGS OF NOTE

 

Smirk cottage 1905, Postan's cottage 1860, Greenkeeper's cottage 1890s, Sloan's cottage 1911.

 

ELECTORAL ZONES

 

State : Kwinana

Federal : Brand

 

OTHER INFO.

 

Postcode : 6167

Local Government : City of Kwinana

 

PHOTOS

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