Cooloongup, Western Australia facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Cooloongup Perth, Western Australia
Rockingham General Hospital, Cooloongup
Established	1974
Postcode(s)	6168
Area	11.9 km2 (4.6 sq mi)
LGA(s)	City of Rockingham
State electorate(s)	Rockingham, Kwinana
Federal Division(s)	Brand
Suburbs around Cooloongup: Rockingham Hillman Leda Safety Bay Cooloongup Baldivis Waikiki Waikiki Baldivis

Cooloongup is a suburb located south of Perth, the capital city of Western Australia. It's part of the City of Rockingham and is mostly a place where people live in homes.

Cooloongup's History

Cooloongup got its name in 1974. It is named after a nearby lake called Lake Cooloongup. The name Lake Cooloongup was first written down by a surveyor named AC Gregory in 1843. The name is Aboriginal, from the Nyungar people who traditionally lived in this area. An elder from the Nyungar people shared that Cooloongup means "place of children."

Nature and Geography

Lake Cooloongup is a big feature in the eastern part of Cooloongup. This lake, along with Lake Walyungup and Lake Richmond, is part of the Rockingham Lakes Regional Park. The park is looked after by the Western Australian Government. Lake Cooloongup is shallow and its water is salty. It's called a "seasonal" lake because it often dries up for most of the year. When it's dry, a white salt layer is left behind. This is why Lake Cooloongup and Lake Walyungup were once known as the "White Lakes."

Getting Around Cooloongup

Ennis Avenue (which is part of National Highway 1) goes right through Cooloongup. This road helps people travel to Perth, Fremantle, and Mandurah. The eastern part of Cooloongup, called Woodbridge, currently has one main road for cars to enter and exit. There are plans to build another road to make it easier to get in and out of Woodbridge. Many Transperth buses also serve Cooloongup. All these buses start their journeys from the Rockingham Train Station.

Local Facilities

Cooloongup has some important places for the community.

Rockingham General Hospital

The Rockingham General Hospital is a large public hospital in Cooloongup. It is located on Elanora Drive. The hospital is run by the Western Australian Government's Department of Health.

Rockingham Golf Club

The Rockingham Golf Club is also in Cooloongup, at the eastern end of Elanora Drive. It was first started in 1947. The club moved to its current spot in 1985 from its old location in Rockingham.

Hourglass Reserve

Hourglass Reserve is a park named for its unique shape. The northern part of the reserve is a special baseball park. The southern part is an athletics field, used for sports like running and jumping. It's a great place for local sports.