cities

Mandurah

Open on map More cities Spin a random place Ask WorldAI

Overview

Mandurah ( man-dyu-rə) is a coastal city in the Australian state of Western Australia, situated approximately 72 kilometres (45 mi) south of the state capital, Perth. It is the state's second most populous city, with a population of 107,643.

Mandurah's central business district is located on the Mandurah Estuary, which is an outlet for the Peel Inlet and Harvey Estuary. The city's name is derived from the Noongar word mandjar, meaning "meeting place" or "trading place". A townsite for Mandurah was laid out in 1831, two years after the establishment of the Swan River Colony, but attracted few residents, and until the post-war boom of the 1950s and 1960s it was little more than a small fishing village. In subsequent years, Mandurah's reputation for boating and fishing attracted many retirees, including to the canal developments in the city's south.

Along with four other local government areas (Boddington, Murray, Serpentine-Jarrahdale, and Waroona), the City of Mandurah is included in the wider Peel region. Mandurah is sometimes grouped together with Perth for statistical purposes, especially since the extension of the Kwinana Freeway and the completion of the Mandurah railway line in the late 2000s. The two cities now form a conurbation along the Indian Ocean coastline, although the Perth metropolitan area officially ends at Singleton around 9 kilometres (5.6 mi) north of Mandurah's city centre.

Facts

Rank

—

Coordinates

—

Source

WBP almanac

External sources

Wikivoyage Wikipedia

Media

From Wikipedia3,191 words

Introduction

Coastal city in Western Australia For the local government area, see City of Mandurah. For the suburb, see Mandurah (suburb). Not to be confused with Mandorah, Northern Territory. City in Western Australia, AustraliaMandurahCityMandurah war memorialInteractive map of MandurahCoordinates: 32°31′44″S 115°43′23″E / 32.52889°S 115.72306°E / -32.52889; 115.72306CountryAustraliaStateWestern AustraliaLGAsCity of MandurahShire of MurrayLocation 72 km (45 mi) SSW of Perth 108 km (67 mi) N of Bunbury 18 km (11 mi) NW of Pinjarra 18 km (11 mi) S of Rockingham Established1831Government • State electorateMandurah, Murray-Wellington, Dawesville, Secret Harbour • Federal divisionCanningArea • Total106.6 km2 (41.2 sq mi)Population • Total107,643 (2021 census) • Density1,009.8/km2 (2,615.3/sq mi)Time zoneUTC+08:00 (AWST)Postcode6210 Mandurah (/ˈmændjərə/ man-dyu-rə) is a coastal city in the Australian state of Western Australia, situated approximately 72 kilometres (45 mi) south of the state capital, Perth. It is the state's second most populous city, with a population of 107,643. Mandurah's central business district is located on the Mandurah Estuary, which is an outlet for the Peel Inlet and Harvey Estuary. The city's name is derived from the Noongar word mandjar, meaning "meeting place" or "trading place". A townsite for Mandurah was laid out in 1831, two years after the establishment of the Swan River Colony, but attracted few residents, and until the post-war boom of the 1950s and 1960s it was little more than a small fishing village. In subsequent years, Mandurah's reputation for boating and fishing attracted many retirees, including to the canal developments in the city's south. Along with four other local government areas (Boddington, Murray, Serpentine-Jarrahdale, and Waroona), the City of Mandurah is included in the wider Peel region. Mandurah is sometimes grouped together with Perth for statistical purposes, especially since the extension of the Kwinana Freeway and the completion of the Mandurah railway line in the late 2000s. The two cities now form a conurbation along the Indian Ocean coastline, although the Perth metropolitan area officially ends at Singleton around 9 kilometres (5.6 mi) north of Mandurah's city centre.

More in cities0

Geography

[edit] Mandurah has grown from isolated holiday communities along the shores of the Peel-Harvey Estuary to a major regional city in just over a decade, in a similar vein to the Gold Coast in Eastern Australia. In recent times, it has formed a conurbation with Perth along the coast; it is only 18 km (11 mi) south of Rockingham, a southern suburb of Perth. Mandurah has also become a popular lifestyle alternative for Perth retirees and its connection with the Perth CBD has been strengthened with the opening of the Perth-Mandurah railway line in December 2007 and a direct road connection to the Kwinana Freeway built by late 2010. A housing affordability survey of 227 cities in 2008 ranked it the least affordable city in Australia. Geology[edit] The waters of the Peel Inlet and Harvey Estuary (one of Australia's larger inlet systems) form the centre of Mandurah. The estuary is approximately twice the size of Sydney Harbour. The city lies in and around this freshwater system which in turn feeds into the Indian Ocean. The city and its suburbs have many kilometres of ocean coastline most of which is sandy beaches. Mandurah also has a number of suburbs built around artificially created canal systems that extend from the Peel Inlet, such as Halls Head, Dudley Park and Wannanup. In terms of geology, much of Mandurah lies on the dune systems which dominate South Western WA's coastline, progressively grading towards the Swan Coastal Plain as one travels inland. The area has infertile soils due to the dunes being rather sandy, having poor water retention qualities. Limestone outcrops are found to the north of the city especially along the Mandurah railway line. Mandurah is the closest city to Yalgorup National Park which is home to modern thrombolites as well as an array of flora and fauna. Mandurah is located in the Swan Coastal Plain ecoregion. The ecoregion contains an array of vegetation, from coastal dune and sandplains to banksia and eucalypt woodlands. Mandurah is covered by shoreline and dune deposits from the Pleistocene and Holocene that overlie Paleozoic and Neogene deposits of the Perth Basin. Coastal dunes feature scrub-heath communities, though banksia low woodlands occur on the soils of coastal dunes. Progressing inland give way to eucalypt woodlands. Seasonal wetlands (dry in the summer and wet in winter) are the most diverse habitat in the Swan Coastal Plain, which Mandurah has several wetland regions around the Peel Inlet. The wetlands feature several osprey nests, spoonbill and darters. Other fauna includes galah, short-billed black cockatoo, long-billed black cockatoo, and Australian ringneck among others. Australian ringnecks face competition for nesting space from rainbow lorikeet, an introduced species in Western Australia, that has now spread to Mandurah. Despite attempts to eradicate rainbow lorikeets, the population has grown to the point that they can no longer be eradicated. Political[edit] Mandurah is typically considered a marginal area for the major parties in Australian politics, tending to vote left-wing in state politics while more conservative in federal politics. Mandurah lies in the Division of Canning, held by the Liberal Party's Andrew Hastie. At state level, northern and central Mandurah is located in the safe Labor seat of Mandurah held by David Templeman, while southern Mandurah is located in Dawesville, a traditionally safe Liberal seat that was swept up in Labor's landslide of 2021, and is now held by Labor's Lisa Munday. A sliver of eastern Mandurah is located in Murray-Wellington, held by Labor's Robyn Clarke. Despite technically being in a regional area, the National Party vote is negligible. Climate[edit] Mandurah has a typical Mediterranean climate (Köppen classification Csa) with hot dry summers and mild wet winters. During summer (December to February), the average maximum temperature is 27 °C (80 °F) with an average minimum temperature of 19 °C (66 °F). At its extreme it can get very hot, often having a couple of days exceed 40 °C (104 °F) in the latter half of summer. In winter (June to August), the average maximum temperature is 18 °C (64 °F) with an average minimum temperature of 9 °C (48 °F). Mandurah's proximity to the ocean moderates diurnal temperatures somewhat, with temperatures a few kilometres inland often 4 or 5 degrees warmer during summer days (or cooler during winter nights). Frosts are very rare as a result, but do occur annually around areas such as Greenfields. The current weather station opened in 2001 and is situated on the coastline, causing data recorded to appear warmer during winter nights and cooler in summer days compared to surrounding areas. Mandurah also receives a moderate though highly seasonal rainfall of about 850 mm a year, however recent trends have seen this once reliable rainfall drop significantly. In addition, most of the winter rains are usually accompanied by severe winds and storms capable of causing widespread damage, making Mandurah one of the windiest cities in Australia. These conditions are perfect for tornado formation, which Mandurah's climate is remarkable for producing one of the highest densities of tornadoes in the world. Summer storms are rare due to the Mediterranean climate in the city, but not unheard of. Mandurah was affected to a lesser degree than Perth in the 2010 Western Australian storms, but the 2011–12 summer was notable for Mandurah bearing the brunt of three severe thunderstorms. One such storm on 12 December 2011 gave Mandurah almost seven times its monthly average (69.4 mm compared to an average of 15.5 mm), which was eclipsed exactly one year later on 12 December 2012 (74.2 mm). Another storm on 20 January 2012 dumped 57 mm on the city causing power outages and flash flooding. One man and numerous buildings in the city were struck by lightning during the storm, which produced 2,300 strikes within 30 kilometres of the city, which was more than what neighbouring Perth receives in an entire year and comparable to the most severe electrical storms for which places in the tropics like Darwin are known. Climate data for Mandurah, Western Australia Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year Record high °C (°F) 41.0(105.8) 39.5(103.1) 37.8(100.0) 32.9(91.2) 28.8(83.8) 25.6(78.1) 22.2(72.0) 21.4(70.5) 25.6(78.1) 32.4(90.3) 37.7(99.9) 39.6(103.3) 41.0(105.8) Mean daily maximum °C (°F) 29.3(84.7) 29.6(85.3) 27.6(81.7) 24.4(75.9) 20.6(69.1) 18.1(64.6) 17.3(63.1) 17.7(63.9) 19.2(66.6) 21.2(70.2) 24.4(75.9) 27.0(80.6) 23.0(73.4) Mean daily minimum °C (°F) 17.2(63.0) 17.1(62.8) 15.8(60.4) 13.9(57.0) 11.2(52.2) 9.7(49.5) 9.0(48.2) 9.2(48.6) 9.9(49.8) 10.7(51.3) 13.6(56.5) 15.5(59.9) 12.7(54.9) Record low °C (°F) 10.1(50.2) 9.7(49.5) 6.6(43.9) 5.1(41.2) 2.4(36.3) 0.9(33.6) 1.9(35.4) 0.6(33.1) 3.1(37.6) 3.8(38.8) 4.3(39.7) 9.5(49.1) 0.6(33.1) Average precipitation mm (inches) 9.6(0.38) 13.3(0.52) 19.6(0.77) 44.0(1.73) 126.2(4.97) 189.7(7.47) 175.4(6.91) 126.6(4.98) 84.7(3.33) 51.8(2.04) 22.8(0.90) 11.6(0.46) 875.1(34.45) Source:

History

[edit] The Noongar (or Bibbulmun) people, who inhabited the southwest of Western Australia, named the area Mandjar ("meeting place"), which became the present day name "Mandurah". In December 1829, Thomas Peel arrived in Western Australia from the United Kingdom with workmen, equipment and stores on the ship Gilmore. He had financed the trip in exchange for a grant of land in the Swan River Colony. A term of the grant was that he arrive no later than 1 November 1829, thus his original land grant was forfeited. Undaunted, Peel built a small settlement named Clarence south of the Swan River Colony at what is known today as Woodman Point. Facing many problems with the settlement and his own ill-health, Peel led the remaining Clarence settlers to the area known today as Mandurah. Soon after, other settlers also took up land in Mandurah including the families Hall (whose cottage at Halls Head is one of the region's most notable heritage places), Tuckey and Eacott. The census of 1837 records only 12 settlers at Mandurah, probably representing only 3 households. Thomas Peel died in 1865 but Mandurah continued to grow, albeit very slowly, over the years leading to the 20th century. Fish were abundant, and in 1870 a fish cannery was established at Mandurah. Canning factories sustained the preservation of produce from local fishing and fruit industries. A railway line between Perth and Pinjarra was opened in 1893, which allowed Mandurah to emerge as a tourism hub in the region. Example of an older-style coastal home at MandurahThe population of the town was 160 (95 males and 65 females) in 1898. Mandurah was administered under the Murray Road Board until 1949, when the Mandurah Road Board was established. However, dissension within the board during the 1950s saw it suspended and Commissioner Richard Rushton oversaw the town's affairs. On 26 April 1960, the Mandurah Road Board was reconstituted, and on 1 July 1961, in accordance with the Local Government Act 1960, the Shire of Mandurah was founded. Industrial development at Kwinana (1955), a mining boom in nearby Jarrahdale (1963) and Wagerup (1984), with the associated industrial boom in Pinjarra (1963), combined with an idyllic lifestyle by the coast, saw Mandurah grow rapidly, and on 1 July 1987 it became the Town of Mandurah. Three years later, on 14 April 1990, Mandurah became the fifth non-metropolitan settlement in Western Australia to be named a city. Places of cultural heritage significance[edit] Cooper's Mill (c.1843), Murray Terrace, Cooleenup Island, North Yunderup. Christ's Church (historically Christ Church) (Anglican) (c.1870), 34–36 Pinjarra Road (corner Sholl Street), Mandurah. Peel's house site (1830), southern side of the corner of Mandurah Terrace & Stewart Street, Mandurah. Uniting Church (Former Methodist Church – 1940), 26 Sutton Street (corner of Gibson Street), Mandurah. Eacott Cottage (1830), 35 Gibla St Mandurah. Brighton Hotel (1882), 8–10 Mandurah Terrace, Mandurah. Little Theatre and site of the old Fish Cannery (aka Peel Inlet Preserving Works), 5 Mandurah Terrace, Mandurah. Sutton's Corner Store and house, Eureka Shops/Cottage (1862, 1928), 2 Mandurah Terrace, Mandurah. Tuckey Store & House & Slim Jim Cotton Palm, 1 Mandurah Terrace, Mandurah. Mandurah Museum (incorporating old school – 1900), corner Mandurah Terrace & Pinjarra Road, Mandurah. Mandurah Traffic Bridge (1894, replaced 1953, 2018), linking the town centre to Halls Head. Hall's Cottage (1833), 7 Leighton Place, Halls Head. Sutton's Farm (1860s), Apollo Place & Picaroon Place, Halls Head. Sutton's graveyard (1860s), corner Finistere Island Retreat & Picaroon Place, Halls Head. Allandale Homestead (Dawes House – 1913), Lot 102 Estuary Road, Dawesville. Herron Homestead (1866), Lot 85 Quail Road, Herron Lake, Clifton. Hardy House (c.1853), 860 Estuary Rd Mandurah. Fouracres Cottage ruin (c.1854), west side of Old Coast Road between Peppermint Grove and Coronation Roads, Waroona.

Economy and employment

[edit] Much of Mandurah's economy is based on construction, tourism, professional, scientific and technical services, and retail trade, and to a lesser extent on mining and agriculture. Tourism[edit] Mandurah is a coastal city in Western Australia, situated between the Indian Ocean and the Peel-Harvey Estuary system, which covers approximately 134 square kilometres and is around twice the size of Sydney Harbour. Located approximately 75 kilometres south of Perth, the city is accessible by road and rail and is known for its waterways, wildlife, boating and outdoor recreation experiences. Mandurah is home to Western Australia's largest known population of Bottlenose Dolphins (Tursiops) - currently estimated at 120 - with dolphin watching cruises operating regularly. A major attraction is the Giants of Mandurah, an outdoor sculpture trail featuring large-scale wooden sculptures by Danish artist Thomas Dambo installed across natural locations throughout the Mandurah region. The installation has attracted national and international media coverage and contributed to increased tourism visitation. Mandurah is known for its waterways and outdoor recreation activities. Popular visitor activities include boating, fishing, crabbing, kayaking, canal cruises, houseboating, birdwatching and wildlife experiences throughout the Peel-Harvey Estuary and surrounding waterways. Nearby attractions include Yalgorup National Park, the thrombolites at Lake Clifton, and the Creery Wetlands nature reserve. Mandurah hosts several major tourism events, including the annual Channel 7 Mandurah Crab Fest held on the estuary foreshore every year on the third weekend in March celebrating the region’s blue swimmer crab industry. During December, the city’s canal areas become known for large-scale Christmas light displays and boat cruises, attracting significant seasonal visitation and culminating in New Year’s Eve fireworks celebrations along the waterfront. Mandurah was awarded Australia's top tourism town for 2023 and named the third best destination in Australia in the Wotif.com 2025 Aussie Town of the Year Awards. Retail[edit] Mandurah has year-round seven-day shopping. Mandurah has five distinct shopping areas, including Mandurah Forum, which opened in 1983 and has had major renovations during 2016 to 2018 and is located at the intersection of Pinjarra and Mandurah Roads, The Bridge Quarter (or The Foreshore) located in the CBD, and Dolphin Quay/Mandurah Ocean Marina built at the intersection of Mandjar Bay and the Peel Inlet. There are also significant retail centres in Meadow Springs, Greenfields, Halls Head and Falcon. Mining[edit] Although not a mining settlement, Mandurah has a number of mines within two hours of the city. This includes bauxite mining and alumina refining at Pinjarra and Wagerup with the Huntly Mine at Pinjarra the largest in the world.[citation needed] Mandurah is also just one hour away from the Boddington Gold Mine, which has recently become Australia's largest producing gold mine. Festivals[edit] The Mandurah Crab Fest is held annually on the estuary foreshore on the third weekend in March. Celebrating the region's seafood, the event features food stalls and cooking demonstrations as well as live music and entertainment. It was first held in 1999, succeeding the Kanyana Carnival, which was held annually between 1966 and 1988, with sporadic events held during the 1990s. Every New Year's Eve, there are fireworks and live entertainment and activities throughout the evening through to midnight.