Traditional Owners

The original inhabitants of the Gosnells area were the Beeloo Aboriginal people.

Settlement history

European settlement dates from 1829, when farming commenced along the Canning River. A number of small settlements were established, with land used mainly for agricultural purposes, particularly farming and orcharding. Population was minimal until the early 1900s when land was subdivided. Land continued to be used largely for market gardens, orchards and poultry farms. Significant development did not occur until the post-war years. The population grew from 7,400 in 1954 to about 11,000 in 1966, and then to 21,000 in 1970. From the 1950s to the 1980s rapid growth took place along the Albany Highway, the Canning River and the Southern River (the suburbs of Beckenham, Gosnells, Kenwick, Langford, Maddington and Thornlie). The suburb of Huntingdale was developed from the 1970s. The population of the City continued to increase from the early 1990s, rising from 69,500 in 1991 to 105,000 in 2011. Much of this growth has been from new residential development in the suburbs of Canning Vale and Southern River, and to a lesser extent in the suburb of Gosnells from the construction of flats and apartments. Population growth is expected to continue.

Land use

The City of Gosnells is a growing residential area, with substantial rural areas in the east and south, and some commercial and industrial areas, particularly along the Albany Highway. The majority of the population live in suburbs west of the Albany Highway. The City encompasses a total land area of about 128 square kilometres, with substantial areas of state forest.

Transport

The City of Gosnells is served by the Albany Highway, the Roe Highway, the Tonkin Highway and the Armadale and Thornlie railway lines.

Major features

• Major features of the City include the Canning River,
• Polytechnic West (Thornlie Campus),
• Centro Maddington (shopping centre),
• Hometown Cannington (commercial centre),
• Don Russell Performing Arts Centre,
• City of Gosnells Museum - Wilkinson Homestead,
• Gosnells Golf Club,
• Korung National Park,
• Banyowla Regional Park,
• Langford Park Sporting Complex,
• Tom Bateman Sporting Complex,
• Sutherlands Park and the Canning River parklands.

Included areas