Crawley, Western Australia facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Crawley Perth, Western Australia
Crawley Edge Boatshed
Postcode(s)	6009
Area	1.4 km2 (0.5 sq mi)
Location	5.8 km (4 mi) SW of the Perth CBD
LGA(s)	City of Perth
State electorate(s)	Nedlands
Federal Division(s)	Curtin
Suburbs around Crawley: Nedlands Kings Park Perth Nedlands Crawley Matilda Bay Nedlands Swan River

Crawley is a suburb located in the western part of Perth, which is the main city of Western Australia. It's part of the City of Perth, a local government area. Crawley is about 5.8 kilometers (3.6 miles) southwest of the center of Perth.

The area was first known as Crawley Park. It got its name from an early landowner, Henry Charles Sutherland. His mother's family name was Crawley.

Crawley is also home to the University of Western Australia. This is the oldest university in the state.

Cool Places by the River

Statue Eliza

Statue, shed and University tower from the east

The Blue Boat Shed

One of the most famous spots in Crawley is the Crawley Edge Boatshed. It's a small blue shed right on the water. Lots of people take photos of it! It was probably built in the early 1930s.

The boatshed has had many owners over the years. In the early 2000s, it was fixed up. Then, it was officially reopened by two famous sailors. One was Jon Sanders, who sailed around the world three times alone. The other was David Dicks, who also sailed around the world by himself.

The Eliza Statue

You can also find a statue called Eliza in Matilda Bay. This bay is part of the Swan River in Crawley. The statue was made by Tony and Ben Jones. It was put there on October 15, 2007.

Eliza remembers the old Crawley Baths. These baths were a popular place for swimming in Perth from 1914 to 1964. People often dress up Eliza in different outfits for special events.

Royal Perth Yacht Club

The Royal Perth Yacht Club is also located in Crawley. It's on the shore of Pelican Point. The club moved here from Perth in 1953.

World War II Flying Boat Base

Before World War II, the Swan River at Crawley was used by flying boats. These are planes that can land and take off from water.

During the war, the bay in the Swan River became a base for flying boats. A group called Patrol Wing 10 used it after leaving Java. The base was also called Pelican Point. This was because Pelican Point was an easy landmark for pilots to spot from the air.

After the war, the base was closed down. There were plans to make it bigger, but people didn't want that to happen.

Crawley was also the starting point for a special group called The Double Sunrise squadron. This group was formed in 1943. Their job was to keep the air route between Australia and the United Kingdom open during the war.

Who Lives in Crawley?

In the 2016 census, there were 4,095 people living in Crawley. About 35.6% of them were born in Australia. Many people also came from China (15.8%), Singapore (7.1%), and Malaysia (5.1%).

Most people (47.9%) spoke only English at home. Other languages spoken included Mandarin (19.3%) and Cantonese (3.6%).

The average age of people in Crawley is 24 years old. This is much younger than the average age for Western Australia (36) and the whole country (38). This is because many students live here.

Several university dorms, called residential colleges, are in Crawley. These include St Catherine's College, St George's College, St Thomas More College, Trinity Residential College, and University Hall.