Balcatta, Western Australia

Last updated

Balcatta
Perth,  Western Australia
Metropolitan Perth.svg
Red pog.svg
Balcatta
Coordinates 31°52′34″S115°49′01″E / 31.876°S 115.817°E / -31.876; 115.817 Coordinates: 31°52′34″S115°49′01″E / 31.876°S 115.817°E / -31.876; 115.817
Population9,991 (2011 census) [1]
 • Density1,369/km2 (3,545/sq mi)
Postcode(s) 6021
Area7.3 km2 (2.8 sq mi)
Location10 km (6 mi) NNW of Perth CBD
LGA(s) City of Stirling
State electorate(s) Balcatta
Federal Division(s) Stirling
Suburbs around Balcatta:
Carine Hamersley Balga
Gwelup Balcatta Westminster and Nollamara
Stirling Osborne Park and Tuart Hill Yokine

Balcatta is a suburb of Perth, Western Australia. Its local government area is the City of Stirling. It is a primarily middle-class suburb made up of mainly Italian, Greek and Macedonian families, as well as many families from other European countries. It is also one of the largest suburbs in the northern part of the Perth metropolitan area. Much of Balcatta is a commercial and industrial area.

Contents

History

Balcatta's name was derived from the Aboriginal words "Bal" meaning "his" and "Katta" meaning "hill".

The area became popular with Southern European migrant families, because it was one of the few areas that had not been settled and many migrant families wanted to build their own homes in their distinctive style, many complete with plaster figurines of lions and romanesque style columns adorning the front verandah and entry. Similarly, other European immigrant families had already settled in nearby suburbs such as Osborne Park, and made their living as market gardeners.

The area was especially popular with Macedonian families, leading to the establishment of Macedonian Cultural Centre "Ilinden" on Grindleford Place. Balcatta was also a popular area among other peoples from the Balkans.

As many of the older families pass on and others choose to update by building a newer home further north, the area is becoming increasingly popular with those of Asian cultural background, which has also led to some parts of Balcatta being subdivided into small units or villas.

Areas of interest

Jones Street

The longest street in Balcatta. Winding through the locality, Jones Street has had repeated work done by the local council to resurface it out and make it safer for both pedestrians and motorists. A number of new round-abouts have been constructed in order to slow down traffic at various points on the road. Jones Street also runs past Takari Primary School and ends at Delawney Street behind the Water Corporation Depot and Stirling Recycling Plant.

Amelia Street

This hilly street runs east to west through Balcatta. It also goes past one side of Balcatta Senior High School.

Balcatta Senior High School

Balcatta Senior High School (BSHS) is the only public high school in Balcatta. A large[ clarification needed ] percentage of its students are from non-Anglo Australian backgrounds.[ citation needed ] The school has specialist programs in the arts, such as dance and drama. BSHS was opened in 1967 and at the time was the northernmost school in the Perth metropolitan area.

Jones Paskin Reserve

This is a large oval mainly utilised in the summer as a cricket oval and for general use by the local community. This is the home ground of the Balcatta Cricket Club.

Related Research Articles

Richmond, Victoria Suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

Richmond is an inner suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 3 km east of Melbourne's Central Business District in the local government area of the City of Yarra municipality. The 2011 Census listed Richmond's population as 26,121.

Balga, Western Australia Suburb of Perth, Western Australia

Balga is a suburb of Perth, the capital city of Western Australia, 13 kilometres (8 mi) north of Perth city's central business district (CBD). Its local government area is the City of Stirling. Mickey Douglas is the current mayor

Carine, Western Australia Suburb of Perth, Western Australia

Carine is a suburb of Perth, the capital city of Western Australia, and is located 14 kilometres (9 mi) north of Perth's central business district (CBD) between Marmion Avenue and Mitchell Freeway. Its local government area is the City of Stirling.

Dianella, Western Australia Suburb of Perth, Western Australia

Dianella is a suburb of Perth, Western Australia. It is within the local government area of the City of Stirling.

Gwelup, Western Australia Suburb of Perth, Western Australia

Gwelup is a suburb of Perth, the capital city of Western Australia 12 km north of Perth's central business district (CBD) along the Mitchell Freeway. Its local government area is the City of Stirling.

Hamersley, Western Australia Suburb of Perth, Western Australia

Hamersley is a residential suburb 14 kilometres north-northwest of the central business district of Perth, the capital of Western Australia, and six kilometres (4 mi) from the Indian Ocean. The suburb adjoins two major arterial roads—Mitchell Freeway to the west and Reid Highway to the south—and is within the City of Stirling local government area. It was built during the late 1960s and 1970s as part of the Government of Western Australia's response to rapidly increasing land prices across the metropolitan area.

Innaloo, Western Australia Suburb of Perth, Western Australia

Innaloo is a suburb of Perth, the capital city of Western Australia 9 km (5.6 mi) from Perth's central business district in the local government area is the City of Stirling.

Karrinyup, Western Australia Suburb of Perth, Western Australia

Karrinyup is a suburb of Perth, the capital city of Western Australia, and is located 12 km north of Perth's central business district. Its local government area is the City of Stirling.

North Beach, Western Australia Suburb of Perth, Western Australia

North Beach is a northern coastal suburb of Perth, the capital city of Western Australia 16 kilometres (10 mi) from Perth's central business district via Mitchell Freeway and Reid Highway. Its local government area is the City of Stirling.

Claremont, Western Australia Suburb of Perth, Western Australia

Claremont is a western suburb of Perth, Western Australia, on the north bank of the Swan River.

Subiaco, Western Australia Suburb of Perth, Western Australia

Subiaco (known colloquially as Subi) is an inner western suburb of Perth, Western Australia, north-west of Kings Park within the boundaries of the City of Subiaco. Historically a working class suburb containing a mixture of industrial and commercial land uses, since the 1990s the area has been one of Australia’s most celebrated urban redevelopment projects. It remains a predominantly low-rise, urban village neighbourhood centred around Subiaco train station and Rokeby Road.

Greenwood, Western Australia Suburb of Perth, Western Australia

Greenwood is a suburb of Perth, Western Australia, located in the City of Joondalup. The suburb is located 18 km from Perth's central business district. It is bordered by the Mitchell Freeway, Hepburn ave, Wanneroo road and Warwick road.

Watermans Bay, Western Australia Suburb of Perth, Western Australia

Watermans Bay is a northern coastal suburb of Perth, the capital city of Western Australia. Its local government area is the City of Stirling.

Wanneroo Road

Wanneroo Road is a 44-kilometre (27 mi) arterial highway in the northern suburbs of Perth, Western Australia linking Joondanna and Yokine in the south with Wanneroo and Yanchep in the north. As part of State Route 60, it begins from Charles Street in the inner city and becomes Indian Ocean Drive up to Dongara.

Ellenbrook, Western Australia Suburb of Perth, Western Australia

Ellenbrook is a northeastern suburb of Perth, Western Australia, about 30 km (19 mi) from Perth's central business district (CBD), located within the City of Swan. Ellenbrook, and its neighbouring suburbs of The Vines and Aveley, are unusual for Perth in being a significant distance from neighbouring suburbs. Given this relative isolation and the distance from the CBD, Ellenbrook has been designed and developed as a self-sustainable community. At the time of the 2016 census there were 22,681 people living in the gazetted suburb, by June 2018, it was estimated that the urban population for Ellenbrook and surrounds had grown to 41,382. It is envisioned that Ellenbrook will eventually become a satellite city, with a population of 80,000.

Macedonian Australians are Australians of ethnic Macedonian descent. Many arrived in the 1920s and 1930s, although larger numbers came to Australia after World War II and the Greek Civil War. By far the largest wave of immigration was during the 1960s and 1970s.

Stirling, Western Australia Suburb of Perth, Western Australia

Stirling is a suburb of Perth, the capital city of Western Australia, about 10 km north of Perth's central business district (CBD) along the Mitchell Freeway. Its local government area is the City of Stirling, whose council offices and administration centre are located in the southwest of the mostly residential suburb.

Chinatown, Perth

The official Chinatown of Perth, Western Australia is bounded by Roe Street and James Street in the inner city suburb of Northbridge. Located within Chinatown are 13 restaurants and businesses. Many more Asian businesses are found further north around William Street near Brisbane Street, an area known informally for this reason as the "real Chinatown", and throughout both the Perth metropolitan region and the rest of Western Australia.

Balcatta Senior High School School in Australia

Balcatta Senior High School is an independent public co-educational high day school, located on Poincaire Road in Balcatta, approximately 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) north of Perth, Western Australia.

Morley Drive

Morley Drive is a major east-west road in the inner northern suburbs of Perth, Western Australia, connecting the residential areas of Balcatta, Osborne Park, Tuart Hill, Nollamara, Yokine, Dianella, and Morley with major north-south arterial roads including Wanneroo Road, Alexander Drive, and Tonkin Highway.

References

  1. Australian Bureau of Statistics (31 October 2012). "State Suburbs: Balcatta". 2011 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 4 July 2012. OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg