Location

The Shire of Serpentine Jarrahdale is located in the outer south-eastern metropolitan area of Perth, between 25 and 55 kilometres south of the Perth CBD. The Shire of Serpentine Jarrahdale is bounded by the City of Armadale in the north, the Shire of Wandering in the east, the Shire of Murray in the south, and the City of Rockingham and the City of Kwinana in the west.

Included Areas

The Shire of Serpentine Jarrahdale includes the suburbs and localities of Byford, Cardup, Darling Downs, Hopeland, Jarrahdale, Karrakup, Keysbrook (part), Mardella, Mundijong, Oakford, Oldbury, Serpentine and Whitby.

Land Use

The Shire of Serpentine Jarrahdale is a predominantly rural area which is experiencing rapid residential and rural-residential growth. The largest townships are Byford and Mundijong, followed by Serpentine and Jarrahdale. The eastern areas of the Shire are dominated by conservation, timber and water catchment uses. The central spine of the Shire features many of the urban centres and the main transport corridor. The western part of the Shire remains predominantly rural, with a relatively small population. The Shire encompasses a total land area of over 900 square kilometres. Rural land is used mainly for agriculture and equine activities.

Name Origin

The Shire of Serpentine Jarrahdale is named after the Serpentine River, which was named to describe the "serpentine" nature of the river in its lower reaches, and the Jarrah forest.

Indigenous Meaning

The original inhabitants of the Serpentine Jarrahdale area were the Noongar Aboriginal people.

Settlement

European settlement of the Serpentine Jarrahdale area dates from the 1830s, with land used mainly for farming and timber getting. Population was minimal until the late 1800s when many townships were established, aided by the opening of timber mills in the 1870s and the construction of the Perth to Bunbury railway line in 1893. Significant residential development did not occur until the 1980s, with the population of the Shire increasing from about 5,000 in 1981 to 8,000 in 1991. Rapid growth continued from the 1990s, with the population rising to over 17,000 in 2011, the fastest growth being between 2006 and 2011. Population growth is expected to continue, particularly in many of the northern areas, as Perth expands southwards.

Major Features

Major features of the Shire include Serpentine National Park, the Serpentine River, Serpentine Falls, Serpentine Dam, Wungong Dam (part), Cardup Nature Reserve, Darling Range Regional Park, Jandakot Regional Park, Gooralong Park, Langford Park, Modong Nature Reserve, Watkins Road Nature Reserve, Jarrahdale Heritage Park, Byford Trotting Training Complex, Cohunu Koala Park, Hendley Park Motocrosse, Mundijong Equine Training Track, Serpentine & Districts Golf Club, Borrello Cheese, The Munda Biddi Trail, Millbrook Winery and various state forests.

Transport

The Shire of Serpentine Jarrahdale is served by the Albany Highway, the South Western Highway, the Tonkin Highway and the Perth-Bunbury railway line.