Applecross, Western Australia

Applecross Perth, Western Australia
Jacarandas in bloom
Applecross Location in metropolitan Perth
Coordinates	32°00′50″S 115°50′20″E / 32.014°S 115.839°ECoordinates: 32°00′50″S 115°50′20″E / 32.014°S 115.839°E
Population	6,336 (2006 census)[1]
Established	1896
Postcode(s)	6153
Location	7 km (4 mi) from Perth
LGA(s)	City of Melville
State electorate(s)	Alfred Cove
Federal Division(s)	Tangney
Suburbs around Applecross: Swan River Swan River Swan River Swan River Applecross Swan River Alfred Cove Ardross Mount Pleasant

Applecross is an affluent riverside suburb of Perth, Western Australia, bounded by Canning Highway and the Swan River. It is located within the City of Melville.

Name and early history

The suburb of Applecross takes its name from the Applecross peninsula in Wester Ross, Highland, on the northwest coast of Scotland. Many of the streets in the suburb have names from the area, including Carron, Gairloch, Ullapool, Kintail, Strome, Ardross, Alness, Kishorn, Glenelg, Duncraig, Dunvegan, Killilan and Roskhill.^[2]

The suburb of Applecross was originally assigned to Lionel Lukin on 28 May 1830. The land was finally acquired by Alexander Matheson, second son of Sir Alexander Matheson, 1st Baronet of Lochalsh, in February 1896. Matheson formed the Western Australian Investment Company Limited and instigated and named the subdivision of the area.

A distinguishing feature of the suburb is the jacaranda trees that line its streets and flower in the late spring. In keeping with this theme, Applecross is home to an annual Jacaranda festival in late November.

World War II

In 1940, the suburb was the location of a Patriotic Grand Prix a once only usage of the streets of the suburb for a car race known at the time as a Round-the-houses race.^[3][4][5]

Landmarks

A number of well known landmarks and facilities are in Applecross. These include:

• Raffles Hotel and apartments at Coffee Point
• South of Perth Yacht Club
• The former Heathcote Hospital - used for mental health services from 1929 to 1994. Now used as a community recreation facility. The site also features a memorial to the actor Heath Ledger. Point Heathcote was named after Midshipman G.C. Heathcote. Captain James Stirling landed at the location in his 1827 expedition up the Swan River, and the site was seriously considered by Stirling as an alternative to the Perth site when establishing the Swan River Colony in 1829.
• The former Majestic Hotel site. The Majestic was a Federation style hotel with wide verandahs and balconies on Point Dundas, Applecross, built in 1903 as the Hotel Melville, and renamed the Majestic Hotel in 1924.^[6] The hotel was built for G.C.D. Forster and designed by architects M.F. and J.C. Cavanagh. The site was previously used by Sir Gerard Smith, Governor of Western Australia as a summer residence.^[7] The hotel was demolished in about 1990, remaining vacant for many years before residential subdivision.
• Waylen Bay
• Canning Bridge

Notable residents

• Glen Jakovich, former West Coast Eagles footballer
• Heath Ledger, actor.

Photos of the suburb

• 

  Views from old Heathcote Hospital site

• 

  The old Majestic Hotel site

• 

  Waylen Bay Near The Strand

• 

  South of Perth Yacht Club

• 

  Raffles Hotel and apartment complex

• 

  The view of Perth CBD across the Swan River from the Applecross fishing jetty

• 

  The art-deco Raffles Hotel

References

1. Australian Bureau of Statistics (25 October 2007). "Applecross (State Suburb)". 2006 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 2008-10-05.
2. City of Melville Suburb and street History "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 7 August 2008. Retrieved 2009-01-08.
3. Cocks, Graeme; Fremantle Motor Museum; Vintage Sports Car Club of WA (2006), Patriotic road racers : the Patriotic Grand Prix : 11 November 1940 : Applecross WA, Fremantle Motor Museum in association with the Vintage Sports Car Club of WA, ISBN 978-0-9757944-2-5
4. "PATRIOTIC GRAND PRIX AT APPLECROSS.". The Mirror. Perth. 19 October 1940. p. 3. Retrieved 15 April 2012.
5. "MOTOR RACING.". The West Australian . Perth. 4 November 1940. p. 3. Retrieved 15 April 2012.
6. "Hotel Melville". Daily News. Perth. 22 Jan 1904. p. 5. Retrieved 5 June 2014.
7. "An Attractive Resort". The West Australian. Perth. 22 Jan 1904. p. 2. Retrieved 5 June 2014.