Midland, Western Australia
Encyclopedia
Midland is a suburb in the Perth
, Western Australia
metropolitan area, as well as the regional centre for the City of Swan local government area
that covers the Swan Valley and parts of the Darling Scarp
to the east. It is situated at the intersection of Great Eastern Highway
and Great Northern Highway
. Its eastern boundary is defined by the Roe Highway
. Midland is almost always regarded as a suburb of Perth, being only 16 km away from the city centre.
- the main workshops for the Western Australian Government Railways
(WAGR) for over 80 years. It was also a terminus for the Midland Railway Company
. At the end of the Second World War it was the junction of the Midland Railway, the Upper Darling Range Railway, and the main Eastern Railway.
The Transperth
suburban railway system currently has a terminus at Midland station
.
Until 1966 the earlier railway station at Midland was the connecting location for trains to Bellevue
and then onto Chidlow
. Prior to 1954 it included the passenger service from the Mundaring Loop - or the original Eastern Railway (Western Australia), which went through Mundaring
, Glen Forrest
and Darlington
. Until 1949 the passenger service to Kalamunda
on the Upper Darling Range Railway was still operating via the 'Zig Zag'
at Gooseberry Hill
to Midland.
roadfront residential properties to Bellevue was not complete before the 1990s.
In the 1970s the development of Midland Gate
Shopping Centre completely changed the focus of the community, with businesses traditionally within walking distance of the Post Office and Railway Station closing down or shifting over the following decades. The re-development of the Midland Gate Shopping Centre has reasserted the car oriented nature of the regional centre, and the old centre of Midland is currently undergoing revitalisation and redevelopment with mixed use commercial and residential property providing the main focus.
, which carries east bound traffic, and Victoria Street, which carries westbound traffic. It is possible to transfer from one to the other via the Padbury Terrace intersection to access Great Eastern Highway from Victoria Street, or use Helena Street to complete the reverse. Cale Street which forms the perimeter of the Midland Gate Shopping Centre also provides this access.
The townsite is lively and becoming increasingly busy attracting commuters from a wide surrounding area. Commercial and retail trade has been expanded further east on Great Eastern Highway. Continuing development in commercial and residential property within the original townsite means that despite the age of the townsite, it has taken on a modern character which blends seamlessly with the original and it is the main port of call for eastern travellers who do not bypass the historical area via Roe Highway.
The Midland Saleyards which are at the eastern end of the Railway Workshop site have been in the process of closing and all the related businesses and properties are in the process of being relocated and redeveloped. The Midland Military Markets at the northern edge of the Midland Saleyards - literally utilised an old Military site for a weekend market. The markets were destroyed by fire on 25 April 2007. Not far west and adjacent to the Lloyd Street railway crossing - a large Harvey Norman
store was opened in 2005 on the corner of Clayton and Lloyd Streets.
Parts of the Midland Railway Workshops site are now home to a campus of Curtin University and a large Western Australian Police
Operations Centre, as well as other projects. The Coal Storage dam at the western side of the Workshops has become an ornamental lake adjacent to residential redevelopment called 'Woodbridge Lakes'.
In November 2005 the State Government announced plans to construct a 326 bed Hospital on the site of the old railway workshops. Located on Clayton Street, the estimated new A$182.7 million dollar Swan Health Campus will be constructed by around 2010-2011 and replace the old Swan District Hospital.
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....
, Western Australia
Western Australia
Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...
metropolitan area, as well as the regional centre for the City of Swan local government area
Local Government Areas of Western Australia
The Australian state of Western Australia is divided into 141 local government areas...
that covers the Swan Valley and parts of the Darling Scarp
Darling Scarp
The Darling Scarp, also referred to as the Darling Range or Darling Ranges, is a low escarpment running north-south to the east of the Swan Coastal Plain and Perth, Western Australia...
to the east. It is situated at the intersection of Great Eastern Highway
Great Eastern Highway
The Great Eastern Highway is a major road between the Western Australian cities of Perth and Kalgoorlie. It is a key route for vehicles accessing the eastern wheatbelt and the eastern goldfields...
and Great Northern Highway
Great Northern Highway
The Great Northern Highway is a generally north-south Western Australian highway which links the state's capital Perth with its most northern port, Wyndham. It is in length, with being National Highway...
. Its eastern boundary is defined by the Roe Highway
Roe Highway
Roe Highway is a limited access dual carriageway in Western Australia. It links Great Northern Highway and Middle Swan Road with Kwinana Freeway. It is one of the key heavy vehicle routes in the Perth metropolitan area. Aside from intersections, the speed limit is 100 km/h for most of its length...
. Midland is almost always regarded as a suburb of Perth, being only 16 km away from the city centre.
Railway
Midland, known as Midland Junction, was the site of the Midland Railway WorkshopsMidland Railway Workshops
The Midland Railway Workshops in Midland, Western Australia were the main workshops for the Western Australian Government Railways for over 80 years.-History:...
- the main workshops for the Western Australian Government Railways
Western Australian Government Railways
Western Australian Government Railways was most common name of the Western Australian government rail transport authority from 1890 to 1976. It is, in its current form, known as the Public Transport Authority of Western Australia....
(WAGR) for over 80 years. It was also a terminus for the Midland Railway Company
Midland Railway of Western Australia
The Midland Railway of Western Australia was a privately built and operated railway in Western Australia, operated by the British-owned Midland Railway Company of Western Australia...
. At the end of the Second World War it was the junction of the Midland Railway, the Upper Darling Range Railway, and the main Eastern Railway.
The 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:...
suburban railway system currently has a terminus at Midland station
Midland railway station, Perth
Midland Train Station is a Transperth train station 16km from Perth Train Station, in Western Australia, and is the terminus of the current suburban rail service on the Midland Line.-History:...
.
Until 1966 the earlier railway station at Midland was the connecting location for trains to Bellevue
Bellevue, Western Australia
Bellevue is an eastern suburb of Perth, Western Australia. Its Local Government Areas are the City of Swan and the Shire of Mundaring, and it is located at the foot of the slopes of Greenmount, a landmark on the Darling Scarp that is noted in the earliest of travel journals of the early Swan River...
and then onto Chidlow
Chidlow, Western Australia
Chidlow is a small community in the Shire of Mundaring approximately 45 kilometres east of Perth, Western Australia.-History:The Chidlow townsite was originally named Chidlow's Well after a small waterhole near the old Northam road. The watering place had been known to travellers for many years and...
. Prior to 1954 it included the passenger service from the Mundaring Loop - or the original Eastern Railway (Western Australia), which went through Mundaring
Mundaring, Western Australia
Mundaring is a suburb located 34 km east of Perth on the Great Eastern Highway. The suburb is located within the Shire of Mundaring.The Aboriginal name of the area 'Mindah-lung', said to mean 'a high place on a high place', was anglicised to become 'Mundaring'.The Mundaring area is also considered...
, Glen Forrest
Glen Forrest, Western Australia
Glen Forrest is a suburb within the Shire of Mundaring, south of John Forrest National Park, west of Mahogany Creek, east of Darlington, and north of the Helena River...
and Darlington
Darlington, Western Australia
Darlington, Western Australia, is a locality in the Shire of Mundaring on the Darling Scarp, dissected by Nyaania Creek and north of the Helena River.- Location :...
. Until 1949 the passenger service to Kalamunda
Kalamunda, Western Australia
-Transport:Kalamunda Road serves as a major access road for Perth Airport, and provides the foothills suburbs with access to the Perth central business district....
on the Upper Darling Range Railway was still operating via the 'Zig Zag'
Kalamunda Zig Zag
The Kalamunda Zig Zag was completed in 1891, as part of the Upper Darling Range Railway line in Western Australia which was built by the Canning Jarrah Timber Company to supply railway sleepers to Perth's growing railway system....
at Gooseberry Hill
Gooseberry Hill, Western Australia
Gooseberry Hill is a suburb of Perth, Western Australia, located within the Shire of Kalamunda. It is the site of Gooseberry Hill National Park....
to Midland.
Commercial
Midland Junction developed around the Town Hall (1906) and Post Office (1913) sites and spread slowly east and north for over 70 years. The centrality of the main services, and the unusual presence of the Midland Railway Company sheds and yard directly adjacent to the Town Hall and Post Office, combined with the Government Railway Workshops, gave a focused sense of location to the commercial centre, and the local residences. The commercialisation of Great Eastern HighwayGreat Eastern Highway
The Great Eastern Highway is a major road between the Western Australian cities of Perth and Kalgoorlie. It is a key route for vehicles accessing the eastern wheatbelt and the eastern goldfields...
roadfront residential properties to Bellevue was not complete before the 1990s.
In the 1970s the development of Midland Gate
Midland Gate
Midland Gate Shopping Centre in Midland is located approximately 15 km North East of the Perth, Western Australia CBD and the most eastern regional Shopping Centre in the Perth metropolitan area....
Shopping Centre completely changed the focus of the community, with businesses traditionally within walking distance of the Post Office and Railway Station closing down or shifting over the following decades. The re-development of the Midland Gate Shopping Centre has reasserted the car oriented nature of the regional centre, and the old centre of Midland is currently undergoing revitalisation and redevelopment with mixed use commercial and residential property providing the main focus.
Townsite
Midland's townsite is based around both Great Eastern HighwayGreat Eastern Highway
The Great Eastern Highway is a major road between the Western Australian cities of Perth and Kalgoorlie. It is a key route for vehicles accessing the eastern wheatbelt and the eastern goldfields...
, which carries east bound traffic, and Victoria Street, which carries westbound traffic. It is possible to transfer from one to the other via the Padbury Terrace intersection to access Great Eastern Highway from Victoria Street, or use Helena Street to complete the reverse. Cale Street which forms the perimeter of the Midland Gate Shopping Centre also provides this access.
The townsite is lively and becoming increasingly busy attracting commuters from a wide surrounding area. Commercial and retail trade has been expanded further east on Great Eastern Highway. Continuing development in commercial and residential property within the original townsite means that despite the age of the townsite, it has taken on a modern character which blends seamlessly with the original and it is the main port of call for eastern travellers who do not bypass the historical area via Roe Highway.
Redevelopment
It currently is being re-developed in part by the Midland Redevelopment Authority, which is organising redevelopment of the Railway Workshops site. Although some museum and storage facilities are being developed at the old workshops site, most of the massive railway superstructure and presence in Midland has gone. The Redevelopment Authority has under its act been vested with lands that do not fully encompass the whole 'old town' of Midland, but only parts of it.The Midland Saleyards which are at the eastern end of the Railway Workshop site have been in the process of closing and all the related businesses and properties are in the process of being relocated and redeveloped. The Midland Military Markets at the northern edge of the Midland Saleyards - literally utilised an old Military site for a weekend market. The markets were destroyed by fire on 25 April 2007. Not far west and adjacent to the Lloyd Street railway crossing - a large Harvey Norman
Harvey Norman
Harvey Norman is a large Australian-based retailer of electrical, computer, furniture, entertainment and bedding goods. It is effectively a franchise and the main brand owned by Harvey Norman Holdings Limited...
store was opened in 2005 on the corner of Clayton and Lloyd Streets.
Parts of the Midland Railway Workshops site are now home to a campus of Curtin University and a large Western Australian Police
Western Australia Police
The Western Australia Police services an area of 2.5 million square kilometres, the world's largest non-federated area of jurisdiction. In 2008, its 7,526 employees included 5,647 police officers.-History:-Early history:...
Operations Centre, as well as other projects. The Coal Storage dam at the western side of the Workshops has become an ornamental lake adjacent to residential redevelopment called 'Woodbridge Lakes'.
In November 2005 the State Government announced plans to construct a 326 bed Hospital on the site of the old railway workshops. Located on Clayton Street, the estimated new A$182.7 million dollar Swan Health Campus will be constructed by around 2010-2011 and replace the old Swan District Hospital.
Notable people from Midland
- James KnoxJames KnoxJames Robert Knox was a Roman Catholic cardinal and former Prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments....
: CatholicRoman Catholic ChurchThe Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
ArchbishopArchbishopAn archbishop is a bishop of higher rank, but not of higher sacramental order above that of the three orders of deacon, priest , and bishop...
of MelbourneMelbourneMelbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
-1967 to 1974 - Ralph SarichRalph SarichRalph Tony Sarich is a Western Australian multi millionaire businessman and qualified engineer of Croatian descent—his parents came to Australia in 1930 from the Šibenik area. He was responsible for developing the Orbital Engine in 1972...
: Engineer, Inventor and Entrepreneur - Keith SlaterKeith SlaterKeith Nichol Slater is a former Western Australian and Australian cricketer and WAFL player....
: Australian Cricketer and Australian Rules Footballer - Jack Wong SueJack Wong SueJack Wong Sue, OAM, DCM, JP also known as Jack Sue was a Chinese Australian from Perth, Western Australia. Wong Sue served as a member of the commando/special reconnaissance section, Z Special Unit....
: Chinese AustralianChinese AustralianChinese Australian is an Australian of Chinese heritage. In the 2006 Australian Census, 669,890 Australian residents identified themselves as having Chinese ancestry, either alone or with another ancestry....
Soldier, Mariner, Author and Entrepreneur - Bruce YardleyBruce YardleyBruce Yardley is a former Australian cricketer who played in 33 Tests and 7 ODIs from 1978 to 1983...
: Australian Cricketer - Allan CuthbertsonAllan CuthbertsonAllan Cuthbertson was a naturalised Anglo-Australian actor.-Early life:Born Allan Darling Cuthbertson in Perth, Western Australia, son of Ernest and Isobel Ferguson Cuthbertson, he performed on stage and radio from an early age.During World War II, he served as a Flight Lieutenant with the RAAF...
: Actor - Nicholas Naitanui: Australian Rules Footballer - West Coast Eagles
- Chris YarranChris YarranChristopher "Chris" Yarran is an Australian rules footballer with the Carlton Football Club in the Australian Football League ....
: Australian Rules Footballer - Carlton Blues - Michael Walters: Australian Rules Footballer - Fremantle Dockers
- Albert FaceyAlbert FaceyAlbert Barnett Facey was an Australian writer and World War I veteran, whose main work was his autobiography, A Fortunate Life, now considered a classic in Australian literature. :)-Early life:...
: Author of the Auto-Biography - A Fortunate Life