pokerface

Welshpool is quite a large area devoted to a variety of small and large scale businesses. Since it is home to many businesses and workers there is the occassional take way food shop, office supplies stores and a banking section. However, most is devoted to large business and wholesalers supplying the rest of the city. The average person would be less likely to visit Welshpool because of the bigger scale of operations here, but many people work in the area.

Brigadoon was once owned by the Bond family and was developed into a housing estate over the last decade. The area is within the City of Swan and is situated on the edge of the Darling Scarp, near the entrance to the Avon Valley. Bells Rapids, a popular spot to view the Avon Descent race, is in the Brigadoon estate area. It lies some distance from the CBD with the closest shopping areas being Ellenbrook and Joondalup. Medical facilities, schools and other services would also be found within these areas, including Joondalup Hospital. With the growth of Ellenbrook, Henley Brook and The Vines the Brigadoon estates are no longer alone on the outskirts. There are around 600 people living in the area and this is likely to grow as new land is released. The housing quality is high, with some houses showcasing luxury living and others focusing on the bush surrounds.

Mount Richon was part of Armadale and was re-named in 2003 after a local vineyard in the area. It is within the Armadale Council area and lies between South West Hwy and Albany Hwy. This area has a range of housing styles from new 4 bed brick and tile to unique homes that take advantage of the hilly ground and offering great city views. The block sizes vary and 2000m2 is not uncommon, especailly with older style houses. The area has around 2000 people living in there, with a range of inhabitants - from families to singles. However, the dwellings are almost all houses, with smaller units to be found in nearby Armadale. Public transport, trains and buses, are accessed in Armadale as is the main shopping and medical district. Schools may be found throughout the surrounding suburbs of Armadale and Kelmscott.

Boya is right on the Darling Scarp and has a long history in Perth, mostly due to its use as the government's stone quarry. The stone from this quarry was used to build the Fremantle Harbour and moles. As a result, the blue stone quarry has been called Fremantle Harbour Quarry, Government Quarry and the Public Works Quarry. It is currently known as the Hudman Road Quarry. Apart from this history, the area is a hills suburb situated on the south side of Greenmount Hill and west of the highly desired suburb of Darlington. It is bound by the Greenmount Nat Park on one side and sits in the Shire of Mundaring. This location has made the area a hot spot for serious bushfire threats in recent years. The current population is under 1000 people with most residences situated on hilly, bush blocks of small acreage. The area has a rich variety of housing designs because of the need to be creative in accommodating the hilly, rocky slopes. Most services, shopping and educational needs are accessible within close range and Midland is the main public transport location to access the Perth CBD.

Mahogany Creek was named for the creek, Jayne Brook, running through jarrah forrests in the area - the early colonial settlers called it the red jarrah wood mahogany. This country feeling suburb is in the hills and lies within the Mudaring Shire on what was once called the Old York Rd. This is now Great Eastern Hwy and Mahogany Creek sit at the highest point after Greenmount Hill. The Mahogany Creek Inn is heritage listed and was originally an old colonical wayside stop, called the Prince of Wales Inn. Although it was on the original railway line, in modern times the only public transport is a bus to Midland. There are around 300 dwellings, mostly the homes of families seeking a bush retreat or country lifestyle with access to the city. The population is still quite low at around 1000, but has grown from 760 is 1991. The price of seclusion is high with million dollar prices tags and limited availability of properties. There is also limited services in the area, but these are accessible in nearby suburbs and further with a trip into Midland.

Malaga is about 11km from the CBD and is situated on Alexander Drive, after the Dianella/Morley outskirts and just before Ballajura. There are approximately 12 000 people working in the area and over the last 5 years the range of goods and services offered in the area has grown tremendously. Malaga has grown from a place of minor industry and the home of the local mechanic, into a major commercial and industrial hub. In the late 80s the main activity was on Victoria Rd and the other major access roads like Malaga Dr, Trugannia etc.... were lined with bush. As a nearby resident I was saddened to see all the native banksia bushland slowly disappear. After returning to the area after a few years, it was hard to navigate the streets because there were no land marks anymore (read trees!) - it was all buildings. There were also many more streets just to confuse the matter and they all started to look the same. These days you can find pretty much anything you want in Malaga from food to furniture. White goods, bedding and also with a Harvey Norman and Bunnings being built a few years ago pretty much everything you need for the house. The commercial area has diversified and has an abundance of kitchen specialists, metal works and furniture makers. The Malaga Markets are open on the weekends and there is a good selection of fast food outlets including Chinese and other cuisines. The area is surrounded by housing and there is a steady stream of business for the area. However, there is no residential component to the suburb. Buses pass by on Alexander Dr and Ballajura provides a nearby shopping centre. Incidently, Malaga is also the home of the RSPCA headquarters with their land bordering the Tonkin/Reid Hwy.

Anketell is a suburb with many large blocks of land and is situated inland near the Kwinana Freeway. It is between Rockingham and Fremantle in positioning, but also has good access to the CBD with the train line and freeway being very close. Access to schools and shopping, medical services and other amenities is good due to the surrounding developments. Naturally a littel travel is required but this is the price of living in a more natural, less crowded area. Much of the area is still undeveloped and there are presently pockets of land for sale which are earmarked for future urban development. Landowners have generally built well designed houses on existing properties, although some are older houses from earlier decades. The population is still quite low, at about 300 and the suburb falls in the Town of Kwinana. I merely visit the area though, so the specifics of living locally might be best left to someone more familiar with the daily experience of Anketell. But, I can't say I would be too disappointed if I found myself living there one day!