Coogee is a southern coastal suburb of Perth, Western Australia

Perth, Western Australia

Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia and the fourth most populous city in Australia. The Perth metropolitan area has an estimated population of almost 1,700,000....

, located within the City of Cockburn.

History

The suburb takes its name from the lake, Lake Coogee, in the area, which translates to "Body of water" in the native Aboriginal Nyoongar language. Originally this lake was named Lake Munster after Prince William, the Earl of Munster, and later King William IV. The aboriginal name Kou-gee was recorded in 1841 by Thomas Watson and has been variously spelt Koojee, Coojee and Coogee.

The first European settlement in the region occurred with the ill-fated settlement by Thomas Peel

Thomas Peel

Mr. Peel, he moans, took him from England to Swan River, West Australia, means of subsistence and of production to the amount of £50,000. Mr. Peel had the foresight to bring with him, besides, 300 persons of the working-class, men, women, and children. Once arrived at his destination, "Mr. Peel was...

 at the Clarence townsite behind Woodman Point in 1829. The townsite being abandoned in 1831. Settlement of the area commenced in the 1870s around Lake Coogee on Rockingham Road (the first road between Fremantle and Rockingham

Rockingham, Western Australia

Rockingham is a suburb and primary centre in Western Australia south-west of the Perth city centre and south of Fremantle. It has a beachside location at Mangles Bay, the southern extremity of Cockburn Sound. To its north stretches the maritime and resource-industry installations of Kwinana and...

).

The current residential area of Coogee commenced development in the 1980s. Previously it was an area of limestone ridge, small rural lots and market gardens in the west and south portions of the current suburb. Denser residential devevelopment was limited to a small area in the northwest of the current suburb about Beach Road and King Street. That area was better known as the locality of Coogee Beach. Some buildings still standing in that area date back to the nineteenth century.

Geography

Coogee is located 7 km south of Fremantle

Fremantle

Freemantle is a suburb of Southampton in England.Fremantle or Freemantle may also refer to:- Places :* Fremantle, the port city to the capital Perth, Western Australia...

 and overlooks Cockburn Sound

Cockburn Sound

Cockburn Sound is an inlet of the Indian Ocean on the coast of Western Australia. It extends from the south of the mouth of the Swan River at Fremantle for about 25 km to Cape Peron near Rockingham and is located at...

 with views of Garden Island, Carnac Island

Carnac Island

Carnac Island is a 19 ha, A Class, island nature reserve about 10 km south-west of Fremantle in Western Australia.-History:In 1803, French explorer Louis de Freycinet, captain of the Casuarina, named the island Île Pelée . It was also known as Île Lévilian and later Île Berthelot...

 and Rottnest Island

Rottnest Island

Rottnest Island is located off the coast of Western Australia, near Fremantle. It is called Wadjemup by the Noongar people, meaning "place across the water". The island is long, and at its widest point with a total land area of . It is classified as an A Class Reserve and is managed by the...

. The suburb is bounded by Ocean Road to the north, Hamilton Road to the east, the Beeliar Drive (road extension) to the south and Cockburn Road/Indian Ocean to the west.

To the southwest of the suburb lies Woodman Point, an "A" Grade reserve with several kilometres of beach frontage onto Cockburn Sound. Features of Woodman Point include a large jetty used during World War II for the transport of munitions. There are also a large number of disused but preserved munitions stores in the reserves. The Reserve also features large picnic areas and is a popular fishing locality.

A project known as Port Coogee is under construction to the Northwest of Coogee in the suburb now known as North Coogee

North Coogee, Western Australia

North Coogee is a coastal, western suburb of Perth, Western Australia, located within the City of Cockburn. The suburb is immediately to the north of Coogee, which takes its name from the lake, Lake Coogee, in the area, which translates to "Body of water" in the native Aboriginal Nyoongar language...

. It includes a new marina and a housing estate to complement the existing suburb of Coogee.

While geographically the suburb of Coogee is a relatively small and defined residential area, the name Coogee has been used extensively as a regional name and reference point. The Southern part of the neighbouring suburb of Munster

Munster, Western Australia

Munster is a suburb of Perth, Western Australia, located within the City of Cockburn.-History:The suburb was named in 1954 from the original name of Lake Coogee being Lake Munster, which was named after Prince William, Earl of Munster, and later King William IV...

 was previously known as the two localities of South Coogee (or Coogee South) and Woodman Point. Lake Coogee is now within that portion of Munster. In December 2005 a portion of Coogee was incorporated into the new suburb of North Coogee.

Facilities

There is a single government primary school, Coogee Primary School, located in the southern portion of the suburb.

The main recreation reserves are Poole Reserve on Hamilton Road and Coogee Beach on the Indian Ocean. Immediately south of Coogee Beach is the Coogee Beach Caravan Park.

Transport

Transperth

Transperth

Transperth is the brand name of the public transport system in Perth, Western Australia. It is operated by the Public Transport Authority.-History:...

's 825, 532 & 522 route buses pass through the suburb of Coogee, and connect it with Fremantle, Rockingham and Cockburn Central.