Matilda Bay or Crawley Bay (known originally as Currie's Bay, [1] then Sutherland's Bay [2] ) is a natural bay in the Swan River in Western Australia, adjacent to the Perth suburb of Crawley. It extends from Pelican Point to Mounts Bay Road below Kings Park.
The University of Western Australia is immediately opposite. Other landmarks on Matilda Bay include Matilda Bay Restaurant, [3] Pelican Point Sea Scouts, Royal Perth Yacht Club, UWA Rowing Club and Mounts Bay Sailing Club.
A well-known bronze sculpture that is located at the site of the former Crawley Baths – Eliza is displayed just offshore from Mounts Bay Road and depicts a woman preparing to dive.
Matilda Bay Reserve is a recreational parkland between Hackett Drive and the river. It includes Pelican Point, which is an important breeding sanctuary for migratory birds.
Matilda Bay is believed to have been named after the wife of John Septimus Roe, Matilda (née Bennett). [4]
Captain Currie was the first colonial owner of the 32-acre (130,000 m2) estate surrounding the bay, at that time known as Currie's Bay. Pelican Point was then known as Point Currie. The estate was sold in 1832 to the Assistant Surveyor and Colonial Treasurer, Henry Charles Sutherland for £100. Sutherland named the property Crawley Park after his mother's maiden name [5] [6] and the bay became known as Sutherland's Bay. In 1876 Crawley Park was sold to Sir George Shenton, and the bay was known generally as Crawley Bay. After Shenton's death in 1909, the estate was acquired by the Government in 1910 [7] and vested in the University of Western Australia in 1912. [8]
Some of the present foreshore, west of Crawley Baths, was created by land reclamation to allow Mounts Bay Road to be widened. [9]
The US Navy had a fleet of 60 Catalina flying boats based at Matilda Bay during World War II, part of Naval Base Perth. [10]
In 1943, Qantas operated five Catalina flying boats between Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) and Matilda Bay in what was known as the Double Sunrise service. [11]
The Swan River is a river in the south west of Western Australia. The river runs through the metropolitan area of Perth, Western Australia's capital and largest city.
Shenton College is a public co-educational partially selective high school, located in Shenton Park, a suburb of Perth, Western Australia.
Perth Water is a section of the Swan River on the southern edge of the central business district of Perth, Western Australia. It is between the Causeway to the east, and Narrows Bridge to the west – a large wide but shallow section of river, and the northern edge of the suburb South Perth. It is considered a landmark of the City of Perth.
Shenton Park is a suburb of Perth, Western Australia, located within the City of Nedlands and City of Subiaco and 4 km (2.5 mi) west of the central business district. Its postcode is 6008. The suburb is named after the park that it contains, Shenton Park, which was named after George Shenton who originally owned the land that is now the suburb of Shenton Park.
Crawley is an affluent western suburb of Perth, the capital city of Western Australia. Whole area is part of the local government area of the City of Perth and previously shared between the City of Subiaco and City of Perth. It is about 5.8 kilometres (4 mi) from the Perth CBD via Mounts Bay Road.
The Canning River is a major tributary of the Swan River in the South West Land Division of Western Australia. It is home to much wildlife including dolphins, pelicans, swans and many other bird species.
Captain Mark John Currie RN played a significant role in the exploration of Australia and the foundation of the Swan River Colony, later named Western Australia.
The Royal Perth Yacht Club (RPYC) is a yacht club in Perth, Western Australia. It is the third oldest yacht club in Australia after the Royal Yacht Club of Victoria and the Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron. It is based at the Crawley Marina on Pelican Point and at the Fremantle Annexe in Challenger Harbour.
Melville Water is a significant section of the Swan River in Perth, Western Australia. It is located west and downstream of Perth Water, from which it is separated by the Narrows Bridge.
Pelican Point is a northeastern suburb of Bunbury, Western Australia, that is six kilometres from the centre of Bunbury and adjoins the suburb of Eaton. It is within the City of Bunbury local government area.
Mounts Bay Road is a major road in Perth, Western Australia, extending southwest from the central business district along the north bank of the Swan River, at the base of Kings Park.
Pelican Point is a geographical feature and nature reserve on the Swan River in Perth, located at Matilda Bay near the University of Western Australia. The point is named for the pelicans that rest on sand bars at the end of the point.
The Perth tramway network served Perth, the capital city of Western Australia, from 1899 until 1958. The network was initially run by a private company but was taken over by the state government in 1913. From a single line along Hay Street, the network expanded north as far as Osborne Park, east as far as Welshpool, south as far as Como, and west as far as Claremont. The tramways were gradually replaced by buses after World War II.
Eliza is a bronze sculpture located in Matilda Bay on the Swan River in Western Australia. The sculpture and plinth are mounted on a steel pylon 15 metres (49 ft) off the shoreline and depicts a woman about to dive off a wooden platform. It commemorates the old Crawley Baths which were a prominent Perth landmark during the early to mid 20th century. The sculpture is 2.2 metres high. The artwork has its own lighting from solar panels.
The north shore of Perth Water on the Swan River frontage to the city of Perth in Western Australia has been frequently changed since the arrival of Europeans in 1829. Various forms and structures have appeared and been removed over the last 190 years. Jetties, ports and various forms of reclamation have moved the shore considerably into Perth Water. The main eras of reclamation were in the 1870s, 1900s, 1920s-1937, 1955–1959, and 1967.
Elizabeth Quay is a mixed-use development project in the Perth central business district. Focusing on an area located on the north shore of Perth Water near the landmark Swan Bells, the precinct being developed by the project was named in honour of the former Queen Elizabeth II during her Diamond Jubilee.
Crawley Baths was a public swimming facility, in Matilda Bay, near Crawley, Western Australia along Mounts Bay Road. The timber structure was opened on 7 February 1914. The opening ceremony was conducted by Premier John Scaddan and included a swimming carnival and life saving displays.
Winthrop Avenue is a major north–south road in the Perth suburbs of Nedlands and Crawley. For most of its length, the road travels alongside the south-western edge of Kings Park, connecting Thomas Street with Stirling Highway, Mounts Bay Road, and the University of Western Australia's Crawley campus. It is the southernmost section of State Route 61, which links Crawley with West Perth and Yokine.
Rockingham is a suburb of Perth, Western Australia, located 47 km south-south-west of the city centre. It acts as the primary centre for the City of Rockingham. It has a beachside location at Mangles Bay, the southern extremity of Cockburn Sound. To its north stretches the maritime and resource-industry installations of Kwinana and Henderson. Offshore to the north-west is Australia's largest naval fleet and submarine base, Garden Island, connected to the mainland by an all-weather causeway. To the west and south lies the Shoalwater Islands Marine Park.
The Loose Box was a restaurant in Mundaring, an outer eastern suburb of Perth, Western Australia. During its 34-year existence, it won many awards for its classical French cuisine and service, and had a big impact on the hospitality industry in Perth.
Coordinates: 31°58′50″S115°49′26″E / 31.98056°S 115.82389°E