Winthrop, Western Australia

Infobox Australian Place | type = suburb
name = Winthrop
state = wa
city = Perth


caption = Piney Lakes Reserve
pop = 6663 (2001 Census) [2001 Census, Australian Bureau of Statistics]
postcode = 6150
lga = City of Melville
area =
est = 1976
propval = $738,000 (Q2 2007) [ [http://reiwa.com/res/res-suburbprofile-display.cfm?Stats_ID=207 Suburb profile for Winthrop] REIWA]
stategov = Murdoch
fedgov = Tangney
near-nw = Myaree
near-n = Booragoon
near-ne = Brentwood
near-e = Bateman
near-w = Willagee
near-sw = Kardinya
near-s = Murdoch
near-se = Bateman
dist1 = 11
location1= Perth
dir1 = south

Winthrop is a suburb of Perth, Western Australia, located within the City of Melville.

Location

Winthrop is located south of the Swan River in Perth. Its postcode is 6150. This postcode is shared with the suburbs of Bateman and Murdoch

History

Winthrop was originally a pine tree plantation owned by the University of Western Australia. The first blocks were sold in the early 1980s. After the first residents moved in, more blocks were sold off in a number of phases. Shortly after the first residents, a convenience store opened for business. Soon the Winthrop Primary school and Winthrop village shopping centre were opened. Blocks were so sought after that many people resorted to sleeping near the sales office for up to a week just to secure a position.

The name is most likely derived from that of the first Chancellor of the University of Western Australia, Sir John Winthrop Hackett. There are very few reminders of Winthrop's past as a pine plantation, with scattered remnants of pine trees being the only indication.

Layout

Winthrop has made extensive use of a cul-de-sac type layout. There are no traffic signals in Winthrop; only the major entrance/exit (Leach Highway) is controlled by traffic signals. At local sources of congestion, a roundabout is employed to manage traffic.

Pedestrians have access to alleyways that cut between roads, allowing for a more direct route.This layout makes it hard for a comprehensive public transport system in Winthrop, so the only bus routes travel down the 2 main roads.

Transport

Road

Winthrop is bordered by 3 major roads: Leach Highway to the north, Murdoch Drive to the east, North Lake Road to the west and Somerville Boulevard to the south, which connects North Lake Road to Murdoch Drive.

There are 6 ingress/egress points via road in Winthrop.
*1 to North Lake Road
*4 to Somerville Boulevard
*1 to Leach Highway

The main local neighbourhood distributors are: Winthrop Drive, dividing the east and west of Winthrop, and Jackson Avenue, which passes both Winthrop Primary School and the Winthrop Village Shopping Centre. Other minor tier roads include 'Hatherley Parade', 'Aitken Drive' and 'Ten Seldam Circle.'

Bus

There are numerous bus routes serving Winthrop. These are:
*503 (Bull Creek - Murdoch)
*504 (Bull Creek - Murdoch)
*511 (Murdoch - Fremantle)
*940 (Hamilton Hill - Wellington Bus Station)

Train

The closest train stations are Bull Creek and Murdoch, both situated 1.2km east of Winthrop. Fremantle Train Station is located approximately 9km to the west.

Education

The primary schools in or around Winthrop are Winthrop Primary School, Booragoon Primary School, Caralee Community School, Kardinya Primary School and Yidarra Primary School. Nearby secondary schools include Applecross Senior High School, Corpus Christi College, Melville Senior High School, Murdoch College, Winthrop Baptist College and Somerville Baptist College. Nearby tertiary institutions include Murdoch University and Challenger Tafe.

Nature

Winthrop has many parks, with the central area of the suburb containing "Winthrop Park" (pictured looking ESE over above). It is bordered by pine trees.

There are few areas left of the original pine plantation, the largest of which is located near Winthrop Park.

To the north-east of Winthrop there is the Piney Lakes Reserve. There are a number of trails through it and a guided footpath. The Piney Lakes conservation centre hosts school visits, and aims to maintain the natural ecosystem in the area.

The Piney Lakes Nature Reserve is home to a number of native birds including Willie Wagtails, Warblers and Cockatoos. Southern Brown Bandicoots were last spotted in the Reserve in 1995, but it is doubtful they still inhabit the area.

A natural wetlands houses many native flora and fauna and is open to the public.

References