Kwinana Beach, Western Australia facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Kwinana BeachPerth, Western Australia |
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A chemical plant in Kwinana Beach
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| Postcode(s) | 6167 | ||||||||||||||
| Area | 14 km2 (5.4 sq mi) | ||||||||||||||
| Location | 42 km (26 mi) from the Perth CBD | ||||||||||||||
| LGA(s) | City of Kwinana | ||||||||||||||
| State electorate(s) | Kwinana | ||||||||||||||
| Federal Division(s) | Brand | ||||||||||||||
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Kwinana Beach is a suburb located southwest of Perth, Western Australia. It is part of the City of Kwinana. This area is known for its many industries.
Contents
History of Kwinana Beach
Kwinana is an old word from the local Indigenous Australians. It means "young woman" or "pretty maiden."
How Kwinana Beach Got Its Name
In 1922, a ship called the SS Kwinana was wrecked near Cockburn Sound. It was pushed onto the beach. A local postmistress, Clara Wells, started labeling mail sacks "Kwinana Wreck." This helped tell the settlement apart from Rockingham, which was to the south. Because of this, the area became known as Kwinana Beach. It officially became a township in 1937.
Industrial Growth in Kwinana
In the 1950s, Kwinana Beach started to grow with new industries. One of the first was the BP Kwinana Oil Refinery. A new town called Kwinana Townsite was built inland for the workers.
Soon, other big companies also set up factories here. These included Alcoa, CSBP, and CBH.
Changes for Residents
The original village at Kwinana Beach was later marked for industrial use. This meant that the land would be bought by the government for factories. This plan was made official in 1963. However, people were still allowed to build houses there for many years. They were only given a general warning about "potential industrial development."
By 1968, pollution from the growing industries became a problem. Residents started to worry about their health. In 1969, a meeting was held. People were told that pollution would likely get worse. Residents said they would move if they received fair payment for their homes. This would allow them to buy new homes without going into debt. A committee was then formed to look into these issues.
Over the 1970s, residents gradually sold their properties as conditions became harder to live with.
Kwinana Beach Today
Today, much of the land is used by industries. For example, the huge CBH grain silos and jetty are still there. Rail lines connect local factories to their supplies. These lines run through where old houses and gardens used to be. North of Kwinana Beach, large jetties reach into the deep waters of Cockburn Sound.
The coastline from Wells Park (named after Clara Wells) down to Rockingham is now mostly used for beaches and recreation. The Kwinana wreck itself is now a short concrete fishing jetty.
Motorsport in Kwinana Beach
Kwinana Beach is home to the Perth Motorplex. This is a special place for racing. It has:
- An international standard drag racing strip.
- A 520-meter (569-yard) dirt track speedway.
The Motorplex opened in 2000. It replaced two older racing tracks:
- The Ravenswood Raceway Drag Racing strip (1969–1999).
- The Claremont Speedway, which ran from 1927 until 2000. It was the longest-running speedway in Australia.
Transport Options
You can get around Kwinana Beach using buses.
Bus Services
- Route 548: Travels from Rockingham Station to Fremantle Station. It uses Patterson Road and Rockingham Road.
- Route 549: Also travels from Rockingham Station to Fremantle Station. It uses Rockingham Road.
