Settlement history

Melville Water was named by Captain James Stirling in 1827, although settlement was minimal until the 1890s, due largely to isolation and the limitations presented by the swampy foreshore. Growth was gradual from the late 1800s to the early 1900s, reaching a population of about 2,000 in 1913. Significant development occurred in the post-war years, particularly from the 1950s. A major land reclamation project along the Swan River foreshore aided growth in the 1960s, and by 1968 the population of the City was 52,000. The population continued to increase in the 1970s and 1980s, rising to 57,000 in 1976, and then to 72,000 in 1986. The population increased at a slower rate from the 1990s, rising from about 85,000 in 1991 to about 94,000 in 2011.

Land use

The City of Melville is a predominantly residential area, with some industrial and commercial land uses. The City encompasses a total land area of about 52 square kilometres, including around 18 kilometres of river foreshore.

Transport

The City of Melville is served by the Canning Highway, the Roe Highway and the Kwinana Freeway.

Major features

• Major features of the City include Murdoch University (South Street Campus),
• Challenger Institute of Technology (Heathcote and Murdoch Campuses),
• Garden City Shopping Centre,
• Melville City Centre,
• Melville Glades Golf Club,
• Point Walter Golf Course,
• Heathcote Cultural Precinct,
• Aviation Heritage Museum of Western Australia,
• Melville Recreation Centre,
• Piney Lakes Environmental Education Centre,
• Wireless Hill Telecommunications Museum,
• Millers Bakehouse Museum,
• Atwell Arts Centre & Gallery,
• Booragoon Lake,
• Blue Gum Lake,
• Wireless Hill Park,
• Piney Lakes Reserve,
• Kadidjiny Park,
• Len Shearer Reserve,
• Marmion Reserve,
• Point Heathcote Reserve,
• Point Walter Reserve,
• Tompkins Park,
• The Swan River and the Canning River.

Included areas