KWINANA

HEMA Map reference 74/D2

32° 14' 38" S 115° 45' 38" E

Statistics

Caravan Parks

See Rockingham

Services

See Rockingham

Attractions

The beaches, Kwinana 4wd recreation area, Slone's Reserve. Rockingham.

Buildings of note

Smirk cottage 1905, Postan's cottage 1860, Greenkeeper's cottage 1890s, Sloan's cottage 1911.

Calendar of events

Unknown

SS Kwinana

SS Kwinana on the beach

All that remains today is the concrete filled hull

Description

Perth’s ‘heavy industrial’ zone which was constructed on a beautiful stretch of coast starting in 1951. The industrial coastal strip is possibly the ugliest place near the city. (Note: The preceding description has apparently ruffled some feathers at the local shire council so I will qualify it by saying that my criticism of the area is confined the the industrial strip. Although this area is regrettably necessary, it does detract badly from the natural beauty of Cockburn Sound. The coastline south of the industrial area including Rockingham and Safety Bay is very attractive and there are a number of pleasant parklands but my dislike of the heavy industrial zone remains.) As a direct result of the industrial development seagrass beds suffered a decline of 78%. Due to new waste management policies this decline has apparently been arrested in recent years but according to EPA reports, some areas remain 'highly stressed'.

Kwinana was named after a ship which foundered there in 1922 – whose remains can still be seen as part of the Kwinana jetty. The ship was originally named Darius and was purchased by the state Government for 19,000 pounds. The name was originally meant to be Kimberley but a search of records found that name was already in use by another ship so it was changed to Kwinana (a subdivision in the Kimberley).

The ship started work for the state in 1912 and on one tip north the coal in one of her bunkers caught fire. The fire was eventually put out and the ship brought south for repairs but while under tow she collided with another ship and was deemed uneconomical to repair. While at anchor in Careening Bay (Garden Island) a storm came up and she broke her moorings and ended up on the beach that was to become her final resting place.

The word is said to originate from the Aboriginal people and means young woman or pretty maid.

From 1952 to 1970, BP, BHP, Alcoa and Western Mining all established an industrial presence in the area. This in turn attracted many other industries to the coastal strip and the area is a major employer for the surrounding suburbs.

Medina and Calista were built nearby to house the workforce for the industrial strip and a new wave of immigrants arrived from over 30 different countries.

A huge wheat handling facility has also been constructed and is reported to be the largest of its kind in the world.