Coogee, Western Australia facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Coogee Perth, Western Australia
Jetty and shark net at coogee beach
Established	1980s
Postcode(s)	6166
Area	5.3 km2 (2.0 sq mi)
Location	23 km (14 mi) from Perth
LGA(s)	City of Cockburn
State electorate(s)	Cockburn
Federal Division(s)	Fremantle
Suburbs around Coogee: North Coogee Spearwood Spearwood Cockburn Sound Coogee Spearwood Henderson Lake Coogee

Coogee is a beautiful coastal suburb located south of Perth, Western Australia. It's part of the City of Cockburn and is known for its lovely beaches and ocean views. It's a great place to live and visit, offering a mix of history and modern living by the sea.

Discover Coogee's Past

The name Coogee comes from Lake Coogee, which is nearby. In the native Aboriginal Nyoongar language, "Coogee" means "Body of water." This lake was first called Lake Munster, named after a prince who later became King William IV. The Aboriginal name Kou-gee was written down in 1841. It has been spelled in a few ways, like Koojee and Coojee.

The first European people settled in this area around 1829. This early settlement was near Woodman Point, but it was later abandoned. More people started to settle around Lake Coogee in the 1870s. This was along Rockingham Road, which was the first road connecting Fremantle and Rockingham.

The main residential part of Coogee started to be built in the 1980s. Before that, the area had limestone ridges, small farms, and market gardens. Only a small part, known as Coogee Beach, had more houses. Some buildings from the 1800s can still be seen there today.

The Story of Coogee Hotel

In 1898, a man named Walter Powell opened the Coogee Hotel. He made the existing building bigger and better. For 20 years, until 1923, he ran the hotel. It became a popular spot for local workers and gardeners to meet and relax. Walter also supported local sports, especially horse racing.

In 1927, the hotel stopped being a public place. By 1930, it became a holiday home for orphans from the Swan Anglican Children's Homes. From 1946, the orphans lived there all the time. In 1968, the orphanage sold the building because a new road was planned. Luckily, the hotel was not knocked down. It was used as offices for a while. A new part was added in the early 1990s. In 2001, it was listed as a heritage building, meaning it's important to protect its history.

In 2017, some new owners bought the building. They wanted to turn it back into a restaurant. After a lot of work, it reopened as Coogee Commons on March 5, 2022.

Exploring Coogee's Location

Coogee is located about 7 kilometers south of Fremantle. It has amazing views of Cockburn Sound, where you can see Garden Island, Carnac Island, and Rottnest Island. The suburb is bordered by Ocean Road to the north, Hamilton Road to the east, and the ocean to the west.

To the southwest of Coogee is Woodman Point. This is a special reserve with many kilometers of beach along Cockburn Sound. Woodman Point has a large jetty that was used during World War II to move supplies. There are also old storage buildings for munitions that are now preserved. It's a popular spot for picnics and fishing.

A new project called Port Coogee is being built to the northwest. This area is now known as North Coogee. It includes a new marina for boats and a new housing area.

The name Coogee is also used for the wider region. Parts of the neighboring suburb of Munster used to be called South Coogee or Woodman Point. Lake Coogee is now actually within Munster. In 2005, a part of Coogee became the new suburb of North Coogee.

Local Facilities in Coogee

Coogee has its own government primary school, called Coogee Primary School. It's located in the southern part of the suburb.

For fun and recreation, there are two main reserves. These are Poole Reserve on Hamilton Road and Coogee Beach right on the Indian Ocean. Just south of Coogee Beach, you'll find the Coogee Beach Caravan Park, a great place for camping and holidays.

Getting Around Coogee

Transperth buses make it easy to travel around Coogee and connect to other places. The 548, 532, and 512 bus routes pass through the suburb. They connect Coogee to Fremantle, Murdoch, Western Australia, Spearwood, Western Australia, Rockingham, and Cockburn Central.

Bus Routes Serving Coogee

•        512 Fremantle Station to Murdoch Station – This bus travels along Ocean Road and Hamilton Road.
•        532 Fremantle Station to Cockburn Central Station – This bus serves Hamilton Road.
•        548 Fremantle Station to Rockingham Station – This bus travels along Cockburn Road.