Peppermint Grove, Western Australia
Encyclopedia
Peppermint Grove is an affluent western suburb of Perth
, Western Australia
on the north bank of the Swan River
at Freshwater Bay. Its Local Government Area
, the smallest in the country, is the Shire of Peppermint Grove
. The suburb was named after its trademark "Peppermint trees" (Agonis flexuosa
) lining many streets. The suburb has long been associated with Western Australia's wealthiest and oldest families: see Robert Pascoe's "Peppermint Grove: Western Australia's Capital Suburb". Their prosperity is reflected in historic houses in the area, such as 'St Just' and The Cliffe
. Peppermint Grove remains, to this day, the suburb with the highest average weekly income in Western Australia. Its Sydney and Melbourne equivalents, as Pascoe points out, would be Vaucluse
and Toorak
. Colin Barnett
, Premier
of Western Australia, has dubbed the suburb "Australia's Monaco
" due to its small size and concentration of wealth.
, red gum, banksia
as well as the peppermint trees
which gave the suburb its name.
In 1830, John Butler, an innkeeper, was given a grant of 250 acres (1 km²) on Freshwater Bay, after unsuccessfully attempting to secure land at Claremont
. From this location, he operated "The Bush Inn", a stone house he had built and rigged out with native mahogany
, commonly known as jarrah
. After a series of arguments with the colonial authorities of the day, Butler left for Sydney in October 1835, but did not dispose of the property.
After the death of Butler's wife, Ann, in 1886, a syndicate of businessmen, including Alexander Forrest
and George Leake
, persuaded Butler's children to sell the land. In 1891, it was subdivided and lots were sold for £7 to £12 each. Two of the earliest residents were Edward Keane, Lord Mayor of Perth, and John Forrest
, Premier of Western Australia
. Just four years later, residents got a road board, later to become the Peppermint Grove Shire Council
- to this day, the smallest in Australia at just 1.1 km².
on the west and the Swan River
at Freshwater Bay to the east. It spans six blocks, with its main streets named after the first post-subdivision residents of the suburb - McNeil, Forrest, Leake, Irvine, Keane, Johnston and Venn.
At the ABS
2001 census, Peppermint Grove had a high-income, mostly white population of 1,379 people living in 590 dwellings. The ABS noted that 69% of the suburb's workforce were managers or professionals.
are located within the suburb, as is the council office and library on Stirling Highway
, a small shopping centre opposite the Cottesloe
shopping area, and reserves along the riverfront, most notably Manners Hill Park and Keanes Point Reserve, which offer recreational facilities and jetties.
along Stirling Highway, and the Cottesloe train station on the Fremantle line. All services are operated by the Public Transport Authority.
. The federal seat is held by the centre right Liberal Party
. It is regarded as a safe seat as it has been continually retained by the Liberal Party
with the exception of former Liberal member Allan Rocher
as an Independent politician between 1996 and 1998. For the parliament of Western Australia, the state electoral district of Cottesloe
is also held by the Liberal Party
.
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...
on the north bank of the Swan River
Swan River (Western Australia)
The Swan River estuary flows through the city of Perth, in the south west of Western Australia. Its lower reaches are relatively wide and deep, with few constrictions, while the upper reaches are usually quite narrow and shallow....
at Freshwater Bay. Its Local Government Area
Local Government Areas of Western Australia
The Australian state of Western Australia is divided into 141 local government areas...
, the smallest in the country, is the Shire of Peppermint Grove
Shire of Peppermint Grove
The Shire of Peppermint Grove is a small Local Government Area in western metropolitan Perth, the capital of Western Australia, between Mosman Park and Claremont and lies about 12 km southwest of Perth's central business district...
. The suburb was named after its trademark "Peppermint trees" (Agonis flexuosa
Agonis flexuosa
Agonis flexuosa is a species of tree that grows in the south west of Western Australia. It is easily the most common of the Agonis species, and is one of the most recognisable trees of Western Australia, being commonly grown in parks and on road verges in Perth.The species is commonly known as...
) lining many streets. The suburb has long been associated with Western Australia's wealthiest and oldest families: see Robert Pascoe's "Peppermint Grove: Western Australia's Capital Suburb". Their prosperity is reflected in historic houses in the area, such as 'St Just' and The Cliffe
The Cliffe
The Cliffe is one of the first residential dwellings built in the Perth suburb of Peppermint Grove.The dwelling is located at 25 Bindaring Parade, Peppermint Grove and was constructed in 1894. The substantive additions to the dwelling, undertaken in 1899 were designed by prominent Western...
. Peppermint Grove remains, to this day, the suburb with the highest average weekly income in Western Australia. Its Sydney and Melbourne equivalents, as Pascoe points out, would be Vaucluse
Vaucluse, New South Wales
Vaucluse is an eastern suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Vaucluse is located north-east of the Sydney central business district, in the local government areas of Waverley Council and the Municipality of Woollahra....
and Toorak
Toorak, Victoria
Toorak is a suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 5 km south-east from Melbourne's central business district located on a rise on the south side of a bend in the Yarra River. Its Local Government Area is the City of Stonnington...
. Colin Barnett
Colin Barnett
Colin James Barnett , Australian politician, is the leader of the Western Australian Liberal Party, the 29th and current Premier of Western Australia since the 2008 election and served as the Treasurer of Western Australia in 2010. He was sworn into office by Governor Ken Michael on 23 September 2008...
, Premier
Premier
Premier is a title for the head of government in some countries and states.-Examples by country:In many nations, "premier" is used interchangeably with "prime minister"...
of Western Australia, has dubbed the suburb "Australia's Monaco
Monaco
Monaco , officially the Principality of Monaco , is a sovereign city state on the French Riviera. It is bordered on three sides by its neighbour, France, and its centre is about from Italy. Its area is with a population of 35,986 as of 2011 and is the most densely populated country in the...
" due to its small size and concentration of wealth.
History
At the time of European settlement and for some years after, the area was thickly wooded with tuart, jarrahJarrah
Eucalyptus marginata is one of the most common species of Eucalyptus tree in the southwest of Western Australia. The tree and the wood are usually referred to by the Aboriginal name Jarrah...
, red gum, banksia
Banksia
Banksia is a genus of around 170 species in the plant family Proteaceae. These Australian wildflowers and popular garden plants are easily recognised by their characteristic flower spikes and fruiting "cones" and heads. When it comes to size, banksias range from prostrate woody shrubs to trees up...
as well as the peppermint trees
Agonis flexuosa
Agonis flexuosa is a species of tree that grows in the south west of Western Australia. It is easily the most common of the Agonis species, and is one of the most recognisable trees of Western Australia, being commonly grown in parks and on road verges in Perth.The species is commonly known as...
which gave the suburb its name.
In 1830, John Butler, an innkeeper, was given a grant of 250 acres (1 km²) on Freshwater Bay, after unsuccessfully attempting to secure land at Claremont
Claremont, Western Australia
Claremont is a western suburb of Perth, Western Australia on the north bank of the Swan River.-History:Prior to European settlement, the Noongar people used the area as a source of water, for fishing and for catching waterfowl. In 1830, John Butler, a settler, set up an inn at Freshwater Bay to...
. From this location, he operated "The Bush Inn", a stone house he had built and rigged out with native mahogany
Mahogany
The name mahogany is used when referring to numerous varieties of dark-colored hardwood. It is a native American word originally used for the wood of the species Swietenia mahagoni, known as West Indian or Cuban mahogany....
, commonly known as jarrah
Jarrah
Eucalyptus marginata is one of the most common species of Eucalyptus tree in the southwest of Western Australia. The tree and the wood are usually referred to by the Aboriginal name Jarrah...
. After a series of arguments with the colonial authorities of the day, Butler left for Sydney in October 1835, but did not dispose of the property.
After the death of Butler's wife, Ann, in 1886, a syndicate of businessmen, including Alexander Forrest
Alexander Forrest
Alexander Forrest CMG, was an explorer and surveyor of Western Australia, as well as a politician.-Early life:Forrest was born at Picton, near Bunbury in Western Australia, the son of William and Margaret Forrest...
and George Leake
George Leake
George Leake CMG QC was Premier of Western Australia from 27 May 1901 to 21 November 1901, and again from 23 December 1901 until his death on 24 June 1902.-Early life:...
, persuaded Butler's children to sell the land. In 1891, it was subdivided and lots were sold for £7 to £12 each. Two of the earliest residents were Edward Keane, Lord Mayor of Perth, and John Forrest
John Forrest
Sir John Forrest GCMG was an Australian explorer, the first Premier of Western Australia and a cabinet minister in Australia's first federal parliament....
, Premier of Western Australia
Premier of Western Australia
The Premier of Western Australia is the head of the executive government in the Australian State of Western Australia. The Premier has similar functions in Western Australia to those performed by the Prime Minister of Australia at the national level, subject to the different Constitutions...
. Just four years later, residents got a road board, later to become the Peppermint Grove Shire Council
Shire of Peppermint Grove
The Shire of Peppermint Grove is a small Local Government Area in western metropolitan Perth, the capital of Western Australia, between Mosman Park and Claremont and lies about 12 km southwest of Perth's central business district...
- to this day, the smallest in Australia at just 1.1 km².
Geography
Peppermint Grove is situated between Stirling HighwayStirling Highway
Stirling Highway is, for most of its length, a four-lane single carriageway and major arterial road between Perth, Western Australia and the port city of Fremantle in Western Australia on the northern side of the Swan River. The speed limit is 60 km/h...
on the west and the Swan River
Swan River (Western Australia)
The Swan River estuary flows through the city of Perth, in the south west of Western Australia. Its lower reaches are relatively wide and deep, with few constrictions, while the upper reaches are usually quite narrow and shallow....
at Freshwater Bay to the east. It spans six blocks, with its main streets named after the first post-subdivision residents of the suburb - McNeil, Forrest, Leake, Irvine, Keane, Johnston and Venn.
At the ABS
Australian Bureau of Statistics
The Australian Bureau of Statistics is Australia's national statistical agency. It was created as the Commonwealth Bureau of Census and Statistics on 8 December 1905, when the Census and Statistics Act 1905 was given Royal assent. It had its beginnings in section 51 of the Constitution of Australia...
2001 census, Peppermint Grove had a high-income, mostly white population of 1,379 people living in 590 dwellings. The ABS noted that 69% of the suburb's workforce were managers or professionals.
Facilities
Cottesloe Primary School and Presbyterian Ladies' CollegePresbyterian Ladies' College, Perth
The Presbyterian Ladies' College , is an independent, day and boarding school predominantly for girls, situated in Peppermint Grove, a western suburb of Perth, Western Australia....
are located within the suburb, as is the council office and library on Stirling Highway
Stirling Highway
Stirling Highway is, for most of its length, a four-lane single carriageway and major arterial road between Perth, Western Australia and the port city of Fremantle in Western Australia on the northern side of the Swan River. The speed limit is 60 km/h...
, a small shopping centre opposite the Cottesloe
Cottesloe, Western Australia
-Transport:Cottesloe is served by Swanbourne, Grant Street, Cottesloe, Mosman Park and Victoria Street railway stations on the Fremantle line. Various bus routes along Stirling Highway and through the suburb's western and eastern sections link Cottesloe to Perth and Fremantle. All services are...
shopping area, and reserves along the riverfront, most notably Manners Hill Park and Keanes Point Reserve, which offer recreational facilities and jetties.
Transport
The western edge of the suburb is serviced by the CircleRouteCircleRoute
The CircleRoute is a pair of suburban bus routes in Perth, Western Australia. Like all Perth bus routes, the buses are branded Transperth and operated by companies contracted by the Public Transport Authority. The routes are identical except for direction: 98 is clockwise, and 99 is anticlockwise...
along Stirling Highway, and the Cottesloe train station on the Fremantle line. All services are operated by the Public Transport Authority.
Politics
Peppermint Grove is part of the federal division of CurtinDivision of Curtin
The Division of Curtin is an Australian Electoral Division in Western Australia. The division was created in 1949 and is named for John Curtin, who was Prime Minister of Australia 1941-45. It is located in the wealthy beachside suburbs of Perth, including Claremont, Cottesloe, Mosman Park,...
. The federal seat is held by the centre right Liberal Party
Liberal Party of Australia
The Liberal Party of Australia is an Australian political party.Founded a year after the 1943 federal election to replace the United Australia Party, the centre-right Liberal Party typically competes with the centre-left Australian Labor Party for political office...
. It is regarded as a safe seat as it has been continually retained by the Liberal Party
Liberal Party of Australia
The Liberal Party of Australia is an Australian political party.Founded a year after the 1943 federal election to replace the United Australia Party, the centre-right Liberal Party typically competes with the centre-left Australian Labor Party for political office...
with the exception of former Liberal member Allan Rocher
Allan Rocher
Allan Rocher , Australian politician, is a former Liberal Party of Australia Senator for Western Australia from 1978 to 1981 and member of the Australian House of Representatives Division of Curtin from 1981 to 1998. Up until 1996 he represented the Liberal Party of Australia.Rocher was born in...
as an Independent politician between 1996 and 1998. For the parliament of Western Australia, the state electoral district of Cottesloe
Electoral district of Cottesloe
The Electoral district of Cottesloe is a Legislative Assembly electorate in the state of Western Australia. Cottesloe is named for the western Perth suburb of Cottesloe which falls within its borders.-History:...
is also held by the Liberal Party
Liberal Party of Australia
The Liberal Party of Australia is an Australian political party.Founded a year after the 1943 federal election to replace the United Australia Party, the centre-right Liberal Party typically competes with the centre-left Australian Labor Party for political office...
.
Prominent residents and landowners
- Members of the Burt family, such as Hon. Sir Francis BurtFrancis BurtSir Francis Theodore Page Burt, AC, KCMG, QC , commonly known as "Red", Australian jurist, served as Chief Justice of Western Australia from 1977 until 1988 and as Governor of Western Australia from 1990 to 1993. He was also Lieutenant Governor of the State from 1977 to 1990...
, former Governor and Chief Justice of Western Australia - Members of the Lefroy familyAnthony O'Grady LefroyAnthony O'Grady Lefroy CMG , often known as O'Grady Lefroy, was an important government official in Western Australia before the advent of responsible government....
- Members of the Lee-Steere familyJames George Lee-SteereSir James George Lee Steere KCMG was a Western Australian politician and a prominent member of the six hungry families....
- Members of the Forrest family, including Alexander ForrestAlexander ForrestAlexander Forrest CMG, was an explorer and surveyor of Western Australia, as well as a politician.-Early life:Forrest was born at Picton, near Bunbury in Western Australia, the son of William and Margaret Forrest...
and his brother, Sir John ForrestJohn ForrestSir John Forrest GCMG was an Australian explorer, the first Premier of Western Australia and a cabinet minister in Australia's first federal parliament.... - Members of the Bunnings family
- Bessie RischbiethBessie RischbiethBessie Mabel Rischbieth, née Earle OBE was an influential and early Australian feminist and social activist. A leading or founding member of many social reform groups, such as the Women's Service Guilds, the Australian Federation of Women Voters and their periodical Dawn, she sought to establish...
- Hon. David MalcolmDavid MalcolmDavid Kingsley Malcolm, AC, QC is an Australian lawyer and was Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Western Australia from 1988 until his retirement from the bench on 7 February 2006....
, former Lieutenant-Governor and Chief Justice of Western Australia - Richard Goyder, CEO of Westfarmers
- James PackerJames PackerJames Douglas Packer is an Australian businessman.Packer is the son of the late media mogul Kerry Packer and grandson of Frank Packer. He inherited the family company, Consolidated Press Holdings Limited, which controls investments in Crown Limited, Consolidated Media Holdings and other companies...
, son of Kerry PackerKerry PackerKerry Francis Bullmore Packer, AC was an Australian media tycoon. The son of Sir Frank Packer and Gretel Bullmore, the Packer family company owned controlling interest in both the Nine television network and leading Australian publishing company Australian Consolidated Press, which were later... - Members of the Ollis family