View source for Kalamunda, Western Australia

{{About|the suburb of Perth, Western Australia|the local government area|City of Kalamunda}}
{{Use Australian English|date=August 2012}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2021}}
{{Infobox Australian place
|type     = suburb
|name     = Kalamunda
|city     = Perth
|state    = wa
|image    = Kalamunda Road, Kalamunda.jpg
|caption  = Kalamunda Road, Kalamunda
|lga      = City of Kalamunda
| map_type = nomap
| local_map   = yes
| zoom        = 12
|coordinates = {{coord|31.974|S|116.058|E|display=inline,title}}
|area     = 10.6
|area_footnotes = <ref>{{Census 2016 AUS|id=SSC50702|name=Kalamunda (State Suburb)|accessdate=14 October 2019}}</ref>
|postcode = 6076
|pop      = <!-- Leave blank to draw the latest automatically from Wikidata. -->
|dist1    = 25 | location1=[[Perth]]
|est      = 1901
|fedgov   = [[Division of Bullwinkel|Bullwinkel]]
|stategov = [[Electoral district of Kalamunda|Kalamunda]]
|near-nw  = [[Maida Vale, Western Australia|Maida Vale]]
|near-n   = [[Gooseberry Hill, Western Australia|Gooseberry Hill]]
|near-ne  = [[Piesse Brook, Western Australia|Piesse Brook]]
|near-w   = [[Forrestfield, Western Australia|Forrestfield]]
|near-e   = [[Piesse Brook, Western Australia|Piesse Brook]]
|near-sw  = [[Forrestfield, Western Australia|Forrestfield]]
|near-s   = [[Lesmurdie, Western Australia|Lesmurdie]]
|near-se  = [[Walliston, Western Australia|Walliston]]
}}
'''Kalamunda''' ({{langx|nys|Karlamarda}}) is a town and eastern suburb of [[Perth]], Western Australia, located in the [[Darling Scarp]] at the eastern limits of the [[Perth]] metropolitan area.

==History==
Indigenous [[Noongar]] people were the first inhabitants of the area. The first permanent European settlers were the family of Frederick and Elizabeth Stirk, who arrived in 1881 and established a property called ''Headingly Hill'' at what is now ''Stirk Park''; their house, Stirk Cottage, is now a museum. More settlers moved in during the 1890s, aided by the advent of the [[Kalamunda Zig Zag]] railway. At this time the Kalamunda area was known as ''Gooseberry Hill''.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://www.kalamunda.wa.gov.au/docs/default-source/planningdocs/municipal-inventory-of-heritage-places/municipal-inventory.pdf|title=MUNICIPAL HERITAGE INVENTORY 2019|chapter=6.0 Thematic History|publisher=City of Kalamunda|date=May 2019|access-date=14 October 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.kalamundahistoricalsociety.com/copy-of-stirk-cottage|title=Stirk Cottage|publisher=Kalamunda and Districts Historical Society|access-date=30 July 2025}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-09-05/stirk-cottage-kalamunda-first-house/7814580|title=The story of Kalamunda's first house, Stirk Cottage|publisher=[[ABC Radio Perth]]|date=5 September 2016|first=Emma|last=Wynne|access-date=14 October 2019}}</ref> The name ''Kalamunda'' was declared on 13 December 1901 after a request from thirty-two residents to form a townsite. They requested the name ''Calamunnda'', derived from two words in the indigenous [[Noongar language]], as recorded in a book by Bishop [[Rosendo Salvado]]: {{lang|nys|cala}} meaning "fire", "home", "district", or "settlement"  and {{lang|nys|mun-da}} meaning "forest" or "bush". Surveyor-General [[Harry Johnston (surveyor)|Harry Johnston]] respelt the name as ''Kalamunnda'' and it was changed to ''Kalamunda'' by 1901.<ref>{{LandInfo WA|m|K|14 October 2019}}</ref> The local government area's unofficial motto is "A home in the forest".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.kalamunda.wa.gov.au/docs/default-source/strategies-plans/local-planning-strategy.pdf|title=Local Planning Strategy|publisher=City of Kalamunda|access-date=14 October 2019}}</ref>

==Environment==

===Geography===
At {{convert|300|m}} above sea level, Kalamunda and the surrounding areas experience colder night temperatures than the bulk of the Perth Metropolitan area to the west. Deep clay soils in the valleys in this area provide ideal growing conditions for stone fruits, apples and pears, wine production and for a small commercial rose growing industry.

The suburb of [[Gooseberry Hill, Western Australia|Gooseberry Hill]] is located to the north of Kalamunda where the terrain drops away sharply to the Helena Valley effectively isolating Kalamunda from other Darling Scarp population centres to the north. To the south and east the urban area transitions into the semi-rural and orchard growing areas of [[Bickley, Western Australia|Bickley]], [[Carmel, Western Australia|Carmel]] and [[Pickering Brook, Western Australia|Pickering Brook]], which in turn give way to extensive jarrah and marri forests.

Located nearby is the [[Kalamunda National Park]] and the northern terminus of the [[Bibbulmun Track]], a {{convert|963|km|adj=on}} recreational walking trail.

===Important Bird Area===
The town lies within the [[Mundaring-Kalamunda Important Bird Area]], so identified by [[BirdLife International]] because of its importance as a non-breeding season roost site and foraging base for [[Long-billed Black Cockatoo]]s.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.birdata.com.au/iba.vm |title=IBA: Mundaring-Kalamunda |access-date=2011-08-23 |work=Birdata |publisher=Birds Australia |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110706102341/http://www.birdata.com.au/iba.vm |archive-date= 6 July 2011 }}</ref>

===Climate===
Kalamunda has a [[Mediterranean climate]] with hot dry summers and cool wet winters. Due to the suburb's high elevation of around {{convert|250|-|300|m}} above [[mean sea level]] and location on the [[Darling Scarp]], it is a few degrees cooler in winter than Perth; however, this difference is less pronounced in summer as Kalamunda is less affected than Perth by the regular afternoon sea breeze, the [[Fremantle Doctor]], due to its inland location. Kalamunda is far wetter than the city with over {{convert|1000|mm|in}} of annual rainfall, [[Orthographic lifting effect|due to its location]] in the Darling Scarp.
<div style="width:91%;"> 
{{Weather box
|location = Kalamunda
|metric first = Yes
|single line = Yes
|Jan high C = 30.4		
|Feb high C = 30.3	
|Mar high C = 27.7	
|Apr high C = 23.8
|May high C =19.0		
|Jun high C = 16.4	
|Jul high C = 15.4	
|Aug high C = 16.3	
|Sep high C = 18.3
|Oct high C = 20.6	
|Nov high C = 24.5		
|Dec high C = 28.0
|year high C = 22.6
|Jan low C = 16.2	
|Feb low C = 16.3	
|Mar low C = 15.3	
|Apr low C = 13.4		
|May low C = 10.8		
|Jun low C = 9.1		
|Jul low C = 8.0	
|Aug low C = 8.1		
|Sep low C = 9.2
|Oct low C = 10.1	
|Nov low C = 12.5	
|Dec low C = 14.6	
|year low C = 12.0
|Jan precipitation mm =11.9	
|Feb precipitation mm = 17.4	
|Mar precipitation mm = 22.7		
|Apr precipitation mm = 55.7	
|May precipitation mm = 144.3		
|Jun precipitation mm = 216.2	
|Jul precipitation mm = 213.8		
|Aug precipitation mm = 165.9		
|Sep precipitation mm = 102.1	
|Oct precipitation mm = 70.5	
|Nov precipitation mm = 28.6	
|Dec precipitation mm = 19.6		
|year precipitation mm = 1063.3	
|Jan precipitation days = 2.5
|Feb precipitation days = 2.6
|Mar precipitation days = 3.9
|Apr precipitation days = 7.0
|May precipitation days = 13.3
|Jun precipitation days = 16.6
|Jul precipitation days = 18.5
|Aug precipitation days = 16.5
|Sep precipitation days = 13.1
|Oct precipitation days = 10.9
|Nov precipitation days = 6.2	
|Dec precipitation days = 3.7
|year precipitation days = 114.8
|source 1 =<ref>{{cite web
| url = http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/averages/tables/cw_009058.shtml
| publisher = Bureau of Meteorology |title = Climate statistics for Kalamunda |access-date = 21 June 2011}}</ref>
|date=June 2011
}}
</div>

==Transport==
[[File:Transperth Kalamunda Bus Station.jpg|thumb|Kalamunda bus station]]
[[Kalamunda Road]] serves as a major access road for [[Perth Airport]], and provides the foothills suburbs with access to the [[Perth (suburb)|Perth central business district]]. The suburb is serviced by the [[Kalamunda bus station]], which provides bus services across the Perth metropolitan area.

Kalamunda was once part of a thriving logging region, with [[Kalamunda railway station]] the largest station on the [[Upper Darling Range railway]]. The area has a number of features as a result of this railway including a museum at the site of the original station. Typical rail side road structures with a rail reserve between and the [[Kalamunda Zig Zag|Zig Zag]] road on the old section where the railway climbed the [[Darling Scarp]]. It is at [[Gooseberry Hill, Western Australia|Gooseberry Hill]] that the railway used to descend from the hills to [[Midland Junction railway station|Midland Junction]], dropping {{convert|300|m}} in a series of five zig-zag shunts. The railway line has been replaced by a single lane, one-way scenic drive that follows the old track.

===Bus===

====Bus stations====
*{{legend2|#00C8B5}} [[Kalamunda bus station|Kalamunda Bus Station]]

====Bus routes====
*{{legend2|#00C8B5}} 272 [[Kalamunda bus station|Kalamunda Bus Station]] to Kalamunda Community Centre – serves Mead Street and Crescent Road<ref>{{Cite Transperth bus|272}}</ref>
*{{legend2|#00C8B5}} 273 [[Kalamunda bus station|Kalamunda Bus Station]] to [[Kalamunda bus station|Kalamunda Bus Station]] – Circular Route, serves Canning Road, Recreation Road, Peet Road and Cotherstone Road<ref>{{Cite Transperth bus|273}}</ref>
*{{legend2|#00C8B5}} 274 [[Kalamunda bus station|Kalamunda Bus Station]] to [[Gooseberry Hill, Western Australia|Gooseberry Hill]] – serves Mead Street and Railway Road<ref>{{Cite Transperth bus|274}}</ref>
*{{legend2|#00C8B5}} 275 [[Walliston, Western Australia|Walliston]] to [[High Wycombe railway station, Perth|High Wycombe Station]] – serves Canning Road, Railway Road, Mead Street, [[Kalamunda bus station|Kalamunda Bus Station]] and [[Kalamunda Road]]<ref>{{Cite Transperth bus|275}}</ref>
*{{legend2|#00C8B5}} 276 [[Kalamunda bus station|Kalamunda Bus Station]] to [[High Wycombe railway station, Perth|High Wycombe Station]] – serves Mead Street and Railway Road<ref>{{Cite Transperth bus|276}}</ref>
*{{legend2|#00C8B5}} 279 [[Kalamunda bus station|Kalamunda Bus Station]] to Maddington Central – serves Canning Road and Lesmurdie Road<ref>{{Cite Transperth bus|279}}</ref>
*{{legend2|#00C8B5}} 282 [[Kalamunda bus station|Kalamunda Bus Station]] to [[Oats Street railway station|Oats Street Station]] – serves Canning Road<ref>{{Cite Transperth bus|282}}</ref>
*{{legend2|#00C8B5}} 283 [[Kalamunda bus station|Kalamunda Bus Station]] to [[Oats Street Station]] – serves Canning Road and Lesmurdie Road<ref>{{Cite Transperth bus|283}}</ref>
*{{legend2|#00C8B5}} 307 [[Kalamunda bus station|Kalamunda Bus Station]] to [[Midland railway station, Perth|Midland Station]] – serves Mead Street and Railway Road<ref>{{Cite Transperth bus|307}}</ref>

==Facilities==
Kalamunda has extensive areas with orchards, primarily involved in apple and [[stone fruits|stone fruit]] production. The region largely serves as a [[dormitory]] suburb for Perth workers. It has a modest [[retail]], [[government]] and [[education]] sector, and a small [[Industrial sector|industrial]] base.  While the town's retail centre is the largest in the Darling Scarp it primarily services Kalamunda and the contiguous urbanised areas of [[Lesmurdie, Western Australia|Lesmurdie]] and [[Walliston, Western Australia|Walliston]].

Kalamunda and the surrounding areas have an [[art]]s and [[craft]]s tradition, and are home to three major Perth residential colleges. Conservation groups are active within the community, and efforts have been made (largely successfully) to maintain native vegetation adjacent to the urban areas, and to some extent with the urban area.

Kalamunda is home to the television towers of all free-to-air Perth Television stations, and the approach control radar for [[Perth Airport]].

==Demographics==
In the {{CensusAU|2016}}, Kalamunda had a population of 6,970; 48.3% male and 51.7% female. The median age of Kalamunda residents was 47, and median weekly personal income was $676. Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people made up 0.7% of the population.<ref name=abs>{{Census 2016 AUS|id=SSC50702|name=Kalamunda (State Suburb)|quick=on|accessdate=14 October 2019}}</ref>

The most popular religious affiliations in descending order in the 2016 census were No Religion 33.1%, Catholic 22.4%, Anglican 18.8%, Not Stated 9.0% and Christian, nfd 3.8%. Christianity was the largest religious group reported overall (61.4%) (this figure excludes not stated responses).<ref name="abs"/>

The population profile of Kalamunda is slightly in advance of the Perth Metropolitan area with a media age of 47, compared with Perth Metropolitan areas median age of 36,<ref>{{Census 2016 AUS|id=5009|name=Perth SUA|accessdate=19 December 2019}}</ref> and it is likely that in time it will develop a large retirement population. The population of Kalamunda and the surrounding areas have a diverse ethnicity. Notably however, there are many [[Italians|Italian]] families who became involved in the [[orchard]] industry in the post-[[Second World War]] migration period.

Despite the steady encroach of the [[urban sprawl]] in recent times which has eroded the sense of a 'regional centre', Kalamunda remains a quiet town amongst the [[jarrah (tree)|jarrah]] forests on the [[Darling Scarp]].

Short stay accommodation in a forest setting close to Perth is a growth area, and Kalamunda is increasingly offering [[ecotourism]] experiences for local and overseas visitors.

==Gallery==
{{gallery

|File:Kalamunda fountain.jpg
|The gum nut fountain

|File:Stirk Park, Kalamunda.jpg
|Stirk Park
}}

==See also==
* [[City of Kalamunda]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* [http://www.kalamunda.wa.gov.au/ City of Kalamunda Website]

{{Commons category-inline}}

{{City of Kalamunda suburbs}}

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