Churchlands Suburb History
- Editor
- Feb 2
- 3 min read
European settlement of the area that is now Churchlands began in the 1830s when the land was granted to Henry Trigg (in 1831) and the Hokin family (in 1834).
The area was later acquired by William Strickland, who then in 1891, sold the land to Perth's Roman Catholic Bishop, the Right Reverend Matthew Gibney. Matthew Gibney (1 November 1835 – 22 June 1925) was an Irish-born metropolitan bishop in Australia and the third Roman Catholic Bishop of Perth, serving from 1886 until 1910.
Churchlands received its name based on this sale to the Catholic Church. The City of Perth referred to the area as 'Churchlands' as early as 1924 but it wasn't until the 1980s that significant residential development began in the suburb.
The 5 major residential subdivisions include:
1. FLOREAT WATERS ESTATE (1980s)
The Floreat Waters Estate runs along a body of water, named Floreat Waters, hence its name. Floreat Waters is an area of deep water that was part of the Herdsman Lake Concept Plan in 1976.
This estate sits between the western side of Herdsman Lake and Pearson Street in Churchlands. Records and photographs show that the subdivision of this area began as early as the late 1970s. The Floreat Waters Estate features many streets named after birds (e.g. Goldfinch Avenue) as well as The Lane - a prestigious group of homes that includes the Floreat Waters Tennis Courts.
2. CHURCHLANDS PRIVATE ESTATE (1980s)
The Churchlands Private Estate is located directly east of Churchlands Senior High School. It is accessed via Churchlands Avenue which comes off Hale Road. The western border of the estate is characterised by a red brick fence that can be seen from Pearson Street. The estate has a 'ring road' design with several cul-de-sacs. Based on aerial photographs, the Churchlands Private Estate was completed by the late 1980s.
3. FLOREAT LAKES ESTATE (1990s to current day)
The Floreat Lakes Estate is accessible through Bishop Hale Way. Like the Floreat Waters Estate, it sits between Herdsman Lake and Pearson Street and is named after the Floreat Lakes section of water within Herdsman Lake. The estate began construction in the early 1990s and there are still blocks of land available to buy today through The Foreshore at Floreat Lakes sales office.
4. ABBEY BROOK ESTATE (early 2000s)
This small estate was developed in the early 2000s and sits right next to Newman College.
It is accessible via Dolomite Court and is characterised by teal coloured fence decor and Liquidambar trees.
Abbey Brook Estate gets its name from the small brook (stream) that runs along the north-west border of the area. The estate is also right next to Abbeybrook Reserve.
5. CHURCHLANDS GREEN (2010s)
Churchlands Green contains over 300 dwellings and is situated on the site of the old Edith Cowan University (ECU) Churchlands Campus. The estate gets its name (presumably) from the bushland and greenery that is present in and around the estate, including a section called The Churchlands Bushland.
Churchlands Green has several main access roads and is characterised by modern, low-maintenance homes. The estate includes academic inspired sculptures to honour the former ECU site. The construction of the estate began in around 2006 and was virtually complete by 2015. The estate features some exquisite stone masonry work that was carried out by Stonecivil - one of WA's most renowned Stonemasons.
5. OTHER AREAS OF CHURCHLANDS
Other small pockets of housing in Churchlands include:
The area west of Churchlands Senior High School and Newman College with Valencia Avenue forming the western boundary.
Floreat Village on Pearson Street
Medium to high density residential areas on Waterway Court and also adjacent to The Herdsman Market.
Today, Churchlands suburb boundaries include:
Herdsman Lake to the East (Lakeside Road, The Foreshore, and Parkwater Gardens)
Hale Road to the North
Valencia Avenue to the West
Southern borders of Empire Avenue, Cromarty Road, and Pearson Street
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