Indigenous history The area that is now Glendalough was part of the greater
Perth Wetlands. The wetlands, especially around
Herdsman Lake (Njookenbooro) and Galup were of particular importance to the
Noongar people as a source of food and fresh water. The area was used as a camping ground and meeting place at least until the 1920s.
European settlement After the establishment of the
Swan River Colony in 1829, much of the wetlands were drained to provide the colony with farming land. The land between Herdsman Lake and Galup, part of which is now Glendalough, was reserved so that a connection between the two lakes could be constructed should the colony ever need additional fresh water. This reservation was later revoked after construction of a canal between the two lakes was deemed impossible. Helms named his property "Helmsville" and the area was known by this name until 1882.
Influence of the Catholic church In 1883, a 1094 acre grant for a roughly circular region centred on Herdsman Lake and extending to the north of Galup was given to
Bishop Martin Griver. Following Griver's death in 1886, the land was acquired by
Bishop Matthew Gibney in 1887. Around this time, the area began to be referred to by various names including "New
Subiaco" and "Church Lands". Various Catholic orders began to establish themselves in the area. A
Benedictine monastery was founded by Giuseppe (Joseph) Serra of
New Norcia next to Herdsman Lake in 1858, containing a vineyard, orchard and olive grove. They were given 300 acres east of Herdsman Lake to the north of Galup, closely corresponding to the modern boundaries of Glendalough. The school was opened by
Sir John Forrest in 1898. The Oblates were the first to refer to the area as Glendalough, after the
Irish monastery founded by
Kevin of Glendalough with similar scenery. A dairy was also operated in the vicinity by the Pianta family. The Oblates and their students worked to drain and clear much of the remaining wetland in Glendalough during this time. In 1924, many of the market gardens in the area were closed and demolished for the construction of Harbourne Street. In 1936, the land to the west of Harborne Street was sold off to developer Dudley & Dwyer Ltd. Glendalough was one of the first developments undertaken by the State Housing Commission after
World War II. In July 1954, Glendalough was officially gazetted as a suburb. In 1958, the
Archdiocese of Perth recognised a need for a parish to serve the rapidly growing population of the northern suburbs. The chapel at the Little Sisters of the Poor was deemed unable to support the population under
canon law, so it was resolved that a new church would be built. In 1959, Saint Bernadette's Catholic Church and the adjoining primary school were opened, being named by the Mother of the Little Sisters of the Poor. In 1974, the third stage of
Mitchell Freeway was completed, cutting the suburb in half. In November 1986,
Pope John Paul II visited the residents of the Little Sisters of the Poor Glendalough Home where he toured the grounds and gave an address. In 1993, the
Glendalough Railway Station was opened as part of the Northern Suburbs Rail Link. In July 2007, the part of Glendalough east of Mitchell Freeway was realigned to become part of the
City of Vincent. In 2008 it was renamed
Mount Hawthorn, amalgamating with that suburb. ==Geography==