Gwelup, Western Australia
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Gwelup Perth, Western Australia |
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A market garden on North Beach Road, surrounded by residential development
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 Gwelup
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| Coordinates | 31°52′34″S 115°47′56″E / 31.8762°S 115.7989°ECoordinates: 31°52′34″S 115°47′56″E / 31.8762°S 115.7989°E | ||||||||||||
| Population | 3,924 (2011 census) | ||||||||||||
| • Density | 1,353/km2 (3,500/sq mi) | ||||||||||||
| Established | 1970s | ||||||||||||
| Postcode(s) | 6018 | ||||||||||||
| Area | 2.9 km2 (1.1 sq mi) | ||||||||||||
| Location | 12 km (7 mi) from Perth CBD | ||||||||||||
| LGA(s) | City of Stirling | ||||||||||||
| State electorate(s) | Carine, Scarborough | ||||||||||||
| Federal Division(s) | Stirling | ||||||||||||
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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.
The name "Gwelup" refers to a small swamp located within the southern portion of the suburb. It was derived from the Noongar word "Gwelgannow" meaning "to shift position". Hence, Lake Gwelup was referred to as "the lake that shifts position". The name first appears in Lands Department records in 1878 as "Gwelup Swamp".
Situated on the western side of the suburb of Gwelup, lies the remainder of the once broader Lake Gwelup and accompanying bushland nature reserve. As one of the few wetlands that has a mostly intact native bushland, Lake Gwelup is home to a wide variety of local and visitor birds (waders, raptors, ducks etc.) as well many frogs (notably Moaning Frogs Heleioporus eyrei), reptile species (e.g. dugites, skinks and long necked turtles). Native flora in the bushland include Marri (Corymbia calophylla), Jarrah (Eucalyptus marginata), Flooded Gum (E. rudis), Tuart (E. gomphocephela) as well as at least four species of Banksia, many annual wildflowers (incl. orchids) and fungi. One of the most spectacular species of visiting birds is the Rainbow Bee-eater (Merops ornatus).
Throughout the wetland regions, aboriginals hunted for kangaroo, emu, snakes, tortoise, mudfish, gilgies and water birds and their eggs, to name a few food sources. Aboriginal sites are known to have existed in a few locations in the Gwelup-Balcatta region.
Land near Lake Gwelup was first granted to Thomas Mews in 1831. It passed through several owners before being acquired by Henry Bull of Sydney in 1891. Gwelup was subdivided by Henry Bull during 1898 and 1899; however, development was relatively slow and the land was used mainly for market gardens in the early years. In the 1960s, the area which presently accommodates The Willows Estate also offered a 6 hectare peat deposit which was mined for local agriculture. From the 1970s, Gwelup transformed from a rural area to a modern residential suburb. Only a few market gardens along North Beach Road remain as a reminder of earlier times. The Mitchell Freeway's extension to Erindale Road in 1984 and to Ocean Reef Road in 1986-87 facilitated the area's development.
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