Balcatta, Western Australia

2025-06-09T01:00:17Z

86.4.32.148:

{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2014}}
{{Use Australian English|date=March 2014}}
{{More citations needed|date=February 2009}}
{{Infobox Australian place | type = suburb
| name = Balcatta
| city = Perth
| state = wa
| image = Balcatta high school south entrance.jpg
| caption = Southern entrance of Balcatta Senior High School
| lga = [[City of Stirling]]
| map_type = nomap
| local_map = yes
| zoom = 12
| coordinates = {{coord|31.876|S|115.817|E|display=inline,title}}
| postcode = 6021
| est =
| pop = 
| area = 7.3
| stategov = [[Electoral district of Balcatta|Balcatta]]
| fedgov = [[Division of Cowan|Cowan]]
| near-nw = [[Carine, Western Australia|Carine]]
| near-n = [[Hamersley, Western Australia|Hamersley]]
| near-ne = [[Balga, Western Australia|Balga]]
| near-w = [[Gwelup, Western Australia|Gwelup]]
| near-e = [[Westminster, Western Australia|Westminster]] and [[Nollamara, Western Australia|Nollamara]]
| near-sw = [[Stirling, Western Australia|Stirling]]
| near-s = [[Osborne Park, Western Australia|Osborne Park]] and [[Tuart Hill, Western Australia|Tuart Hill]]
| near-se = [[Yokine, Western Australia|Yokine]]
| dist1 = 10 | dir1 = NNW | location1= [[Perth CBD]]
}}
'''Balcatta''' is a [[suburb]] of [[Perth]], Western Australia. Its [[Local government areas of Western Australia|local government area]] is the [[City of Stirling]]. It is a primarily middle-class suburb made up of mainly Italian and Greek families as well as many families from other European countries. It is also one of the largest suburbs in the northern part of the Perth metropolitan area. Much of Balcatta is a commercial and industrial area.

== History ==

Balcatta's name was derived from the [[Aboriginal Australians|Aboriginal]] words "bal" meaning "his" and "katta" meaning "hill".<ref>{{Cite web |title=Balcatta |url=https://www.stirling.wa.gov.au/your-city/about-stirling/suburbs/balcatta |access-date=18 May 2024 |website=City of Stirling}}</ref> The name was recorded by [[Alexander Forrest]] in 1877 as referring to the northern portion of Careniup Swamp.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Perth suburbs Aboriginal names |url=https://www.noongarculture.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/Perth-suburbs-aboriginal-names.pdf |access-date=18 May 2024 |website=Kaartdijin Noongar}}</ref>

Before the 1960s, the area mainly consisted of market gardens, before residential and industry grew from the 1970s onwards.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Edwards |first=Kyra |title=Stirling Snapshot |url=https://htawa.net.au/WA-100-years/files/community/Stirling-snapshot-e.pdf |website=History Teachers' Association of Western Australia}}</ref>

The area became popular with Southern European migrant families, because it was one of the few areas that had not been settled and many migrant families wanted to build their own homes in their distinctive style, many complete with plaster figurines of lions and romanesque style columns adorning the front verandah and entry. Similarly, other European immigrant families had already settled in nearby suburbs such as Osborne Park, and made their living as [[market gardener]]s.{{Citation needed|date=May 2024}}

The area was especially popular with [[Macedonians (ethnic group)|Macedonian]] families, leading to the establishment of Macedonian Cultural Centre "Ilinden" on Grindleford Place. Balcatta was also a popular area among other peoples from the [[Balkans]].{{Citation needed|date=May 2024}}

As many of the older families pass on and others choose to update by building a newer home further north, the area is becoming increasingly popular with those of Asian cultural background, which has also led to some parts of Balcatta being subdivided into small units or villas.{{Citation needed|date=May 2024}}

== Areas of interest ==
{{unreferenced section|date=June 2019}}

===Jones Street===
The longest street in Balcatta. Winding through the locality, Jones Street has had repeated work done by the local council to resurface it out and make it safer for both pedestrians and motorists. A number of new round-abouts have been constructed in order to slow down traffic at various points on the road. Jones Street also runs past Takari Primary School and ends at Delawney Street behind the Water Corporation Depot and Stirling Recycling Plant.

===Amelia Street===
This hilly street runs east to west through Balcatta. It also goes past one side of Balcatta Senior High School.

===Balcatta Senior High School ===
{{main|Balcatta Senior High School}}

[[Balcatta Senior High School]] (BSHS) is the only [[Public school (government funded)|public]] [[Secondary education#Australia|high school]] in Balcatta. A large{{clarify|date=June 2019}} percentage of its students are from non-Anglo Australian backgrounds.{{citation needed|date=June 2019}} The school has [[Specialist school|specialist]] programs in the arts, such as dance and drama. BSHS was opened in 1967 and at the time was the northernmost school in the Perth metropolitan area.

===Jones Paskin Reserve===
This is a large oval mainly utilised in the summer as a cricket oval and for general use by the local community. This is the home ground of the Balcatta Cricket Club.

==Transport==

===Bus===
*{{legend2|#929800}} 402 [[Stirling railway station, Perth|Stirling Station]] to [[Perth Busport]] – serves [[Karrinyup Road]]<ref>{{Cite Transperth bus|402}}</ref>
*{{legend2|#929800}} 414 [[Stirling railway station, Perth|Stirling Station]] to [[Glendalough railway station|Glendalough Station]] – serves Jones Street, Amelia Street and Main Street<ref>{{Cite Transperth bus|414}}</ref>
*{{legend2|#929800}} 415 [[Stirling railway station, Perth|Stirling Station]] to [[Mirrabooka bus station|Mirrabooka Bus Station]] – serves Cedric Street and Amelia Street<ref>{{Cite Transperth bus|415}}</ref>
*{{legend2|#929800}} 416 [[Warwick railway station, Perth|Warwick Station]] to [[Mirrabooka bus station|Mirrabooka Bus Station]] – serves [[Erindale Road]], Balcatta Road and [[Wanneroo Road]]<ref>{{Cite Transperth bus|416}}</ref>
*{{legend2|#929800}} 427 [[Stirling railway station, Perth|Stirling Station]] to [[Warwick railway station, Perth|Warwick Station]] – serves [[Erindale Road]]<ref>{{Cite Transperth bus|427}}</ref>
*{{legend2|#929800}} 428 [[Stirling railway station, Perth|Stirling Station]] to [[Warwick railway station, Perth|Warwick Station]] – serves Cedric Street, Amelia Street, Odin Drive, Salmson Street, Dacre Street, Attra Street, Cadd Street, Knowles Street, Paskin Street, Jones Street, Natalie Way, Balcatta Road and [[Erindale Road]]<ref>{{Cite Transperth bus|428}}</ref>
*{{legend2|#008F9C}} 998 [[Fremantle railway station|Fremantle Station]] to [[Fremantle railway station|Fremantle Station]] (limited stops) – [[CircleRoute]] clockwise, serves [[Karrinyup Road]] and [[Morley Drive]]<ref>{{Cite Transperth bus|998}}</ref>
*{{legend2|#008F9C}} 999 [[Fremantle railway station|Fremantle Station]] to [[Fremantle railway station|Fremantle Station]] (limited stops) – [[CircleRoute]] anti-clockwise, serves [[Morley Drive]] and [[Karrinyup Road]]<ref>{{Cite Transperth bus|999}}</ref>

Bus routes serving [[Wanneroo Road]]:
*{{legend2|#929800}} 384 [[Perth Busport]] to [[Mirrabooka bus station|Mirrabooka Bus Station]]<ref>{{Cite Transperth bus|384}}</ref>
*{{legend2|#929800}} 386 [[Perth Busport]] to Kingsway City<ref>{{Cite Transperth bus|386}}</ref>
*{{legend2|#929800}} 386X [[Perth Busport]] to Kingsway City (limited stops)<ref>{{Cite Transperth bus|386}}</ref>
*{{legend2|#929800}} 388 [[Perth Busport]] to [[Warwick railway station, Perth|Warwick Station]]<ref>{{Cite Transperth bus|388}}</ref>
*{{legend2|#929800}} 389 [[Perth Busport]] to [[Wanneroo, Western Australia|Wanneroo]]<ref>{{Cite Transperth bus|389}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==

{{City of Stirling suburbs}}

[[Category:Suburbs of Perth, Western Australia]]
[[Category:Suburbs in the City of Stirling]]

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Balcatta, Western Australia