Girrawheen, Western Australia

Infobox Australian Place | type = suburb
name = Girrawheen
city = Perth
state = wa


caption =
lga = City of Wanneroo
postcode = 6064
est = 1970s
pop = 7,991 (2006 census)
area = 4.1
stategov = Girrawheen
fedgov = Cowan
near-nw = Greenwood
near-n = Marangaroo
near-ne = Alexander Heights
near-w = Warwick
near-e = Koondoola
near-sw = Hamersley
near-s = Balga
near-se = Mirrabooka
dist1 = 15 | dir1 = N | location1= Perthcoord|-31.836|115.832|type:city(7991)_region:AU-WA_scale:30000|format=dms|display=title

Girrawheen is a northern suburb of Perth, the capital city of Western Australia. Its Local Government Area is the City of Wanneroo.

History

In October 1969, the Government, in a bid to offer affordable land for housing following the McCarrey Report, rezoned a large portion of land in the area from Urban Deferred to Urban, which was then included in land set aside for the State Housing Commission under the Mirrabooka satellite city development scheme. The plan never came to fruition, although a town planning scheme was approved by the Shire of Wanneroo in September 1970.

On 26 June 1970, the Shire gazetted the name "Girrawheen", meaning "place of flowers" or "the place where flowers grow" in an Eastern States Aboriginal language, possibly that of the Kambuwal people in southeastern Queensland. [LandInfo WA|m|G|2008-10-06] [Gazette WA | title = Land Act 1933-1969 – Naming of Localities | file = 4276/69 | page = 1970:1850 | date = 26 June 1970] The name was already in use for the Girraween National Park near Stanthorpe, Queensland, Queensland, and a suburb of Girraween in western Sydney was gazetted five years later.

Geography

Girrawheen is located convert|15|km|mi|0 north of Perth's central business district, and is bounded by Wanneroo Road to the west, Beach Road to the south, Marangaroo Drive to the north and Mirrabooka Avenue to the east.Streetsmart WA|maps=Map 282]

Demographics

At the 2006 census, Girrawheen had a population of 7,991.Census 2006 AUS|id=SSC51516|name=Girrawheen (State Suburb)|quick=on|accessdate=2008-10-05]

Girrawheen residents had a median age of 32 compared to the Perth median of 36, and median incomes were below-average for the region — $376 per week compared with $513 per week. The population of Girrawheen was ethnically mixed—while 57.4% were born in Australia, significant percentages of Vietnamese (4.2%), Burmese (2.1%) and Sudanese (1.8%) migrants were also reported. At the 2006 census, 5.19% of residents identified as Indigenous Australians.

The most popular religious affiliations in descending order in the 2006 census were Roman Catholic, no religion, Anglican, Buddhism and Islam.

Facilities

Two small shopping centres, Newpark and Summerfield, provide for the suburb's daily shopping needs. Larger shopping centres at Marangaroo (Kingsway City), Centro Warwick and Mirrabooka Square are all located within 4km of the suburb's boundaries.

The suburb contains four churches—Uniting and Baptist churches in Salcott Road, and Catholic and non-denominational on Girrawheen Avenue—as well as the Maha Bodhi Buddhist monastery which adheres to the Burmese Theravada tradition. The neighbouring suburb of Mirrabooka contains the At-Taqwa mosque.

Numerous parks are dotted through the suburb and many offer courts, ovals and other sporting facilities. A library and community centre are located adjacent to Summerfield shopping area on Patrick Court, and a recreation centre on Hainsworth Avenue, also serve local residents.

Education

Girrawheen is located in the Swan Educational District, and contains three state primary schools and one state high school. The socio-economic profile of the suburb together with the high numbers of Vietnamese, Sudanese and Aboriginal students, some of whom have low literacy or English language skills, mean that all schools in the suburb have been a high priority for Commonwealth and State funding and offer specialist literacy support services not found at many other metropolitan schools. Blackmore Primary School, in the suburb's west, opened in 1971 and currently accommodates 47 pre-primary and 156 primary students. Girrawheen Primary School, in the centre of the suburb, opened in 1975 and currently accommodates 51 pre-primary and 181 primary students.

Roseworth Primary School, the result of a 2008 amalgamation of Hainsworth (1972) and Montrose Primary Schools, currently accommodates 51 pre-primary and 207 primary students. Classes are currently conducted at the former Hainsworth school until new buildings are completed at the former Montrose site in 2009. The school also has an Education Support Centre with 29 students. In partnership with Edith Cowan University and the Fogarty Foundation, the new school will include a research facility for teaching methods and behaviour management techniques. [cite news|url=http://www.wa.alp.org.au/news/0208/19-06.php|title=Media release: Research partnership to improve teacher training|date=19 February 2008|author=Minister for Education|accessdate=2008-10-08]

Girrawheen Senior High School, whose catchment area covers the suburb as well as neighbouring Koondoola, Marangaroo and Alexander Heights, was built in 1974 and accommodates 521 students, 42 teachers and 44 other staff. Across this population are represented approximately 50 cultural groups and 27 language groups. [cite web|url=http://www2.eddept.wa.edu.au/schoolprofile/overview.do?schoolID=4110&pageID=SO01|title=Girrawheen Senior High School - Overview|author=Department of Education|accessdate=2008-10-05]

Two private primary schools are also located in the suburb—Our Lady of Mercy Primary adjacent to the Summerfield shopping area, and Emmanuel Christian Primary School in Salcott Road, whilst Mercy College, a Catholic school covering Kindergarten to Year 12 and established in 1972 by the Sisters of Mercy, is located just beyond the suburb's southeastern boundary.

Transport

The suburb is served by a number of Transperth bus routes operated by Path Transit. The 344 (Warwick–Ballajura–Morley) covers Marangaroo Drive, the 346 (Perth–Wanneroo) covers Wanneroo Road, and the 363, 373 and 374 (Perth–Marangaroo) routes along with various routes from Mirrabooka bus station cover other parts of the suburb.

References