City of South Perth

About the area

Key Statistics

Location

The City of South Perth is located about 4 kilometres south of the Perth GPO. The City of South Perth is bounded by the Swan River in the north and north-west, the Town of Victoria Park and the City of Canning in the east, and the Canning River in the south and south-west.

Included Areas

The City of South Perth includes the suburbs of Como, Karawara, Kensington (part), Manning, Salter Point, South Perth and Waterford.

Land Use

The City of South Perth is a predominantly residential area, with commercial land use mainly along the Canning Highway, and substantial parkland areas.

Indigenous Meaning

The original inhabitants of the South Perth area were the Nyungar Aboriginal people.

Settlement

European settlement of the area dates from 1829, although population was minimal until the 1880s. Early settlement was mainly on the foreshore, closest to Perth. Land was used mainly for farming, particularly food production and dairy farming. Gradual growth took place from the late 1800s to the early 1900s, aided by the discovery of gold in Coolgardie and Kalgoorlie, and the arrival of Chinese market gardeners. Some growth took place in the interwar period, with the population growing from about 3,000 in 1921 to 9,000 in 1933. Significant development occurred in the post-war years, when dairies and market gardens were replaced by houses and parklands. The most substantial residential growth took place in the 1950s and 1960s, aided by improvements in access, the construction of roads and bridges, and the influence of the War Service and State Housing Commissions. During the 1960s and 1970s many older houses were removed and replaced by high-rise residential flats, apartments and commercial buildings. In the 1980s the population increased slightly, from 32,000 in 1981 to 34,000 in 1991. The population continued to increase from 1991, reaching over 40,000 in 2011. Most of this growth was in the 2001-2011 period, and has been mainly from urban infill (units, flats and townhouses).

Major Features

Major features of the City include the Canning River, the Swan River, Perth Zoo, Royal Perth Golf Club, South Perth Hospital, Como Beach, George Burnett Park, Milyu Nature Reserve, Neil McDougall Park and Sir James Mitchell Park.

Transport

The City of South Perth is served by the Canning Highway and the Kwinana Freeway.

City of South Perth

economic profile