Midland, Western Australia facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Midland Perth, Western Australia
The Old Midland Courthouse
Established	1890s
Postcode(s)	6056
LGA(s)	City of Swan
State electorate(s)	Midland
Federal Division(s)	Hasluck
Suburbs around Midland: Viveash Middle Swan Midvale Woodbridge Midland Midvale Hazelmere Hazelmere Bellevue

Midland is a busy suburb located in the Perth metropolitan region in Western Australia. It's a main hub for the City of Swan area. This area includes the beautiful Swan Valley and parts of the Darling Scarp hills.

Midland is easy to find because it sits where two big roads meet: Great Eastern Highway and Great Northern Highway. It's very close to the city centre, only about 16 km (10 mi) away. Because of this, many people think of Midland as a key part of Perth.

History of Midland

How Railways Shaped Midland

Midland was once a very important place for trains. It was home to the Midland Railway Workshops. These were the main workshops for the Western Australian Government Railways (WAGR) for over 80 years. It was also the end point for the Midland Railway Company.

After World War II, Midland became a major railway junction. It connected the Midland Railway, the Upper Darling Range Railway, and the main Eastern Railway. Today, the Transperth train system has a station here called Midland station.

For many years, the old Midland was a connecting point for trains. You could catch trains to places like Bellevue and Chidlow. Before 1954, passenger trains from the original Eastern Railway (Western Australia) also passed through here. These trains went through towns like Mundaring and Glen Forrest.

Midland's Business Growth

Midland Junction grew around its Town Hall (built in 1906) and Post Office (built in 1913). Businesses and homes slowly spread out from this central area. The railway workshops and main services were all close by. This gave the commercial centre a strong sense of place.

In the 1970s, the Midland Gate Shopping Centre opened. This changed the area a lot. Many smaller businesses that were near the Post Office and Railway Station closed or moved. The shopping centre's growth made the area more focused on cars. Now, the old centre of Midland is being updated. It's becoming a mix of shops, offices, and homes.

Midland Townsite Today

Midland's main town area is built around Great Eastern Highway and Victoria Street. Great Eastern Highway carries traffic heading east, and Victoria Street carries traffic heading west. You can easily move between these streets using intersections like Padbury Terrace or Helena Street. Cale Street, which goes around the Midland Gate Shopping Centre, also helps with this.

The town centre is lively and gets busier all the time. Many people from nearby areas come here to shop and work. New shops and homes are still being built in the original town area. This means Midland has a modern feel, but it still blends well with its older buildings. It's a key stop for travelers heading east who don't use the bypass road.

Getting Around Midland: Transport

Midland is a major transport hub with many bus routes and a train station.

Bus Services

Midland Station is a central point for many bus routes:

•        Routes 290 and 291: Connect Midland Station to Redcliffe Station. Route 290 serves Victoria Street, Great Eastern Highway, and Helena Street.
•        Route 300: A free circular bus that serves Great Eastern Highway, The Crescent, Keane Street, Old Great Northern Highway, and Helena Street.
•        Route 301: Another circular route from Midland Station that serves Centennial Place.
•        Routes 314 and 315: Clockwise circular routes from Midland Station. They serve Helena Street, The Crescent, Lloyd Street, and Morrison Road.
•        Route 322: Travels from Midland Station to Glen Forrest. It uses Great Eastern Highway, Victoria Street, Lloyd Street, and Clayton Street.
•        Routes 324 and 325: Anti-clockwise circular routes from Midland Station. They serve Helena Street, The Crescent, Morrison Road, and Lloyd Street.
•        Route 326: A circular route serving Great Eastern Highway, Morrison Road, The Crescent, and Helena Street.
•        Route 335: Connects Midland Station to Ellenbrook Central. It uses Helena Street, The Crescent, Keane Street, and Great Northern Highway.

Other bus routes serving key roads:

•        Great Eastern Highway and Victoria Street:
  • 320 to Mundaring
  • 321 to Glen Forrest
  • 328 to Chidlow
•        Great Eastern Highway, Victoria Street, Lloyd Street, Clayton Street, and Military Road:
  • 277 and 278 to High Wycombe Station
  • 307 to Kalamunda Bus Station
•        Helena Street, The Crescent, and Morrison Road:
  • 313 to Jane Brook
  • 323 to Swan View
  • 327 to Swan View Shopping Centre
•        Helena Street, The Crescent, Hamersley Street, Margaret Street, and Great Northern Highway:
  • 310 to Upper Swan
  • 311 to Bullsbrook
  • 312 (Circular Route)

Train Services

•        The Midland Line train service ends at Midland Station.

Midland's Modern Makeover

Midland is currently undergoing a big redevelopment. The Midland Redevelopment Authority is in charge of updating the old Railway Workshops site. While some parts of the old workshops are now museums or storage, most of the huge railway buildings are gone.

The Redevelopment Authority is working on specific areas of Midland. The Midland Saleyards, which were at the eastern end of the Railway Workshop site, have been closing down. Businesses there are moving, and the area is being redeveloped. The Midland Military Markets, which used an old military site for weekend markets, were sadly destroyed by fire in 2007.

Parts of the old Railway Workshops site are now home to new facilities. These include a large Western Australian Police Operations Centre and a Curtin University campus. The old coal storage dam at the workshops has been turned into a beautiful lake. This lake is now part of a new housing area called 'Woodbridge Lakes'.

In 2005, the government announced plans for a new hospital. This 326-bed hospital was built on the site of the old railway workshops. It replaced the older Swan District Hospital. The new hospital opened on November 20, 2015, and started helping patients on November 24.

Famous People from Midland

Many talented people have come from Midland:

• James Knox: A Catholic Archbishop of Melbourne.
• Ralph Sarich: A clever engineer, inventor, and businessman.
• Keith Slater: An Australian cricketer and Australian rules footballer.
• Ken Bagley: An Australian rules footballer.
• Jack Wong Sue: A Chinese Australian soldier, sailor, author, and businessman.
• Albert Facey: The author of the famous book A Fortunate Life.
• Bruce Yardley: An Australian cricketer.
• Mike Richardson: An Australian rules footballer.
• Garry Sidebottom: An Australian rules footballer.
• Ian Williams: An Australian rules footballer.
• Allan Cuthbertson: A well-known actor.
• Simon Katich: An Australian cricketer.
• Jessica Gomes: An international model.
• Cameron Meyer: An Australian cyclist.
• Travis Meyer: An Australian cyclist.
• Nic Naitanui: An Australian rules footballer for the West Coast Eagles.
• Stephen Coniglio: An Australian rules footballer for the Greater Western Sydney Giants.