City of Melville

This article is about a local government area in Australia. For the suburb, see Melville, Western Australia. For other cities named Melville, see Melville (disambiguation).

The City of Melville is a local government area in the southern suburbs of the Western Australian capital city of Perth, east of the port city of Fremantle and about 12 kilometres (7.5 mi) south of Perth's central business district. The City covers an area of 52.73 square kilometres (20.36 sq mi) and had a population of about 98,000 as at the 2016 Census.

City of Melville Western Australia
City of Melville Council Offices
Population	103,523 (LGA 2021)[1]
Established	1900
Area	52.73 km2 (20.4 sq mi)
Mayor	Katy Mair[2]
Council seat	Booragoon
Region	South Metropolitan Perth
State electorate(s)	Willagee, Alfred Cove, Bateman, Fremantle, Riverton
Federal division(s)	Tangney, Fremantle
Website	City of Melville
LGAs around City of Melville: East Fremantle Swan River South Perth Fremantle City of Melville Canning Fremantle Cockburn Cockburn

History

Melville was originally established on 14 December 1900 as the East Fremantle Road District under the Roads Boards Act 1871. It was renamed the Melville Road District six months later on 14 June 1901. On 20 July 1923, it received a large amount of land from Jandakot Road District when that entity was abolished.^[3]

On 1 July 1961, it became the Shire of Melville following the enactment of the Local Government Act 1960, which reformed all remaining road districts into shires. It was granted town status as the Town of Melville on 28 September 1962,^[4] and assumed its current name when it was granted city status on 3 May 1968.^[5]

The City of Melville maintains 463 km of roads and 2.10 km² of parks and gardens.

Wards

The City is divided into six wards, each represented by two councillors. Each councillor serves a four-year term, and half-elections are held every two years. The mayor is directly elected.

• Applecross-Mount Pleasant Ward
• Bateman-Kardinya-Murdoch Ward
• Bicton-Attadale-Alfred Cove Ward
• Bull Creek-Leeming Ward
• Central Ward
• Palmyra-Melville-Willagee Ward

Suburbs

The suburbs of the City of Melville with population and size figures based on the most recent Australian census:^[6][7]

Suburb	Population	Area	Map
Alfred Cove	2,830 (SAL 2021)[8]	1.1 km2 (0.42 sq mi)
Applecross	7,228 (SAL 2021)[9]	3.3 km2 (1.3 sq mi)
Ardross	4,578 (SAL 2021)[10]	2.2 km2 (0.85 sq mi)
Attadale	6,638 (SAL 2021)[11]	3.1 km2 (1.2 sq mi)
Bateman	3,832 (SAL 2021)[12]	1.9 km2 (0.73 sq mi)
Bicton	6,961 (SAL 2021)[13]	3.1 km2 (1.2 sq mi)
Booragoon	5,684 (SAL 2021)[14]	3.1 km2 (1.2 sq mi)
Brentwood	2,153 (SAL 2021)[15]	0.9 km2 (0.35 sq mi)
Bull Creek	8,030 (SAL 2021)[16]	4.2 km2 (1.6 sq mi)
Kardinya	9,137 (SAL 2021)[17]	4.4 km2 (1.7 sq mi)
Leeming *	10,883 (SAL 2021)[18]	7.5 km2 (2.9 sq mi)
Melville	6,204 (SAL 2021)[19]	2.4 km2 (0.93 sq mi)
Mount Pleasant	7,456 (SAL 2021)[20]	2.8 km2 (1.1 sq mi)
Murdoch	3,352 (SAL 2021)[21]	4.3 km2 (1.7 sq mi)
Myaree	2,105 (SAL 2021)[22]	1.3 km2 (0.50 sq mi)
Palmyra	7,585 (SAL 2021)[23]	3.1 km2 (1.2 sq mi)
Willagee	5,447 (SAL 2021)[24]	2.1 km2 (0.81 sq mi)
Winthrop	6,020 (SAL 2021)[25]	3.5 km2 (1.4 sq mi)

(* indicates suburb partially located within City)

Indigenous sites of significance

Main article: List of Noongar sites in the City of Melville

There are several significant Noongar sites within the City of Melville precinct.^[26][27]

• Niergarup
• Quaada Gabee
• Jenalup
• Dyoondalup
• Marradungup
• Wireless Hill

Population

Historical population

Year Pop. ±% p.a. 1911 565 —     1921 2,360 +15.37% 1933 4,628 +5.77% 1947 7,547 +3.55% 1954 19,810 +14.78% 1961 39,207 +10.24% 1966 47,887 +4.08% 1971 52,976 +2.04% 1976 54,384 +0.53%

Year Pop. ±% p.a. 1981 61,211 +2.39% 1986 67,131 +1.86% 1991 84,369 +4.68% 1996 88,422 +0.94% 2001 90,264 +0.41% 2006 93,003 +0.60% 2011 95,700 +0.57% 2016 98,083 +0.49% 2021 103,523 +1.09%

Mayors

Main article: List of mayors of Melville

The incumbent Mayor of the City of Melville is Katy Mair, who has held the position since 2023. She defeated previous Mayor George Gear during the 2023 Local Government elections. This is her second term as Mayor, having previously held the position under her married name Katherine Jackson between 1995 and 2007.

Heritage-listed places

Main article: List of State Register of Heritage Places in the City of Melville

As of 2024^[update], 172 places are heritage-listed in the City of Melville,^[28] of which 24 are on the State Register of Heritage Places, among them Canning Bridge and Wireless Hill Park.^[29]

Sports and recreation

The City is home to 23 active reserves, 100+ passive reserves and two leisure centres featuring indoor courts and 50m and 25m indoor heated pools. The City caters for a diverse number of sporting and recreation codes, including, but not limited to:

• Archery
• Athletics
• Australian Football
• Baseball/Softball/Tee-ball
• BMX
• Bowls
• Cricket
• Gaelic Football
• Golf
• Hockey
• Homing Pigeon
• Netball
• Personal Training/Fitness Groups
• Rowing
• Rugby League and Union
• Soccer/Football
• Squash
• Swimming
• Synchronised Swimming
• Tennis
• Touch Football
• Triathlon Training
• Walking/Running
• Water Polo

The City maintains a Community Information Directory which can be used to find locations and contact details for 70+ inclusive sporting and recreation clubs operating within the City of Melville.

Some of the clubs include:

• Applecross Cricket Club
• Booragoon Junior Football Club
• Kardinya Red Sox Ball Club
• Kardinya Junior Football Club
• Leeming Spartan Cricket Club
• Melville City Football Club
• Winnacott Kats Junior Football Club
• Melville City Hockey Club
• Melville City Football Club
• South Shore Swimming Club