Subiaco, Western Australia

Subiaco is located approximately west of the central business district (CBD) of Perth, the capital and largest city of the state of Western Australia. Subiaco is east of the Indian Ocean, and north of the Swan River. It is bounded to the south-east by Thomas Street, to the south by Nicholson Road, to the west by Railway Road, Hay Street, Tighe Street, Upham Street and Bishop Street, and to the north by Salvado Road and Railway Parade, except for a small part covering St John of God Subiaco Hospital protruding north to Cambridge Street. To the north is Wembley and West Leederville. To the east is West Perth and Kings Park. To the south is Shenton Park. To the west is Daglish and Jolimont, Western Australia. ==History==

Early history Prior to European settlement, the area was inhabited by the Mooro group of the Whadjuk Noongar people. They were led by Yellagonga and inhabited the area south of the Swan River, as far east as Ellen Brook and north to Moore River. In the 1860s and 1870s, investors began buying land in the area, speculating that a railway line would be built eventually. In 1871, a railway line between Fremantle and Guildford was first proposed, following on from the success of railways in Sydney and Melbourne. In 1874, two possible routes were suggested: one traveling north of the Swan River, and one travelling south of the river. In July 1878, the northern route was chosen. Construction on the railway began in 1879, and it was opened on 1 March 1881, as the Fremantle to Guildford railway line. The first station in Subiaco opened in 1883, as just a basic siding, east of the present day Subiaco railway station, at Salvado Road. The station was used to deliver goods, and serve the St Vincent’s Boy’s Orphanage. As more people started living along the line though, the station started serving as a passenger station for the general public. The first auction occurred in November 1883. Most of the land was sold over the following two years. Several wealthy land developers from the eastern colonies of Australia purchased lots in Subiaco, and subdivided them further, creating new streets to serve the smaller lots. Several churches were built in the mid- to late-1890s. A Methodist Church was opened in November 1896. A Presbyterian Church was opened the following year, and an Anglican Church opened in 1898. Around 1900, a Church of Christ building opened. On 9 January 1912, the Workers' Home Board Act passed the Parliament of Western Australia, causing the formation of the Workers' Homes Board, which was the state's first public housing organisation. The government bought land in Subiaco to use as public housing. At a ceremony on 29 August 1912, John Scaddan, the Premier of Western Australia, placed the first brick to be laid by the Workers' Homes Board, at a construction site on Hensman Road, Subiaco. The municipality's population in 1952 was 20,100. Thus, on 8 February 1952, the City of Subiaco was gazetted. By the late 1940s, many of Subiaco's older buildings were rundown and needing significant repairs, giving the suburb a bad image. The newer, nearby suburbs of Daglish and parts of Shenton Park were mostly owner-occupied, compared to Subiaco, where most properties were rentals. The construction of other apartment blocks followed. A lack of car parking in Subiaco's commercial areas became a problem. In the early 1960s, the council purchased a property in the town centre to provide parking. This opened in April 1962. Two more car parks were built over the following years. ==Demographics==

Subiaco had a population of 9,940 at the 2021 Australian census. This is an increase on the 9,202 recorded at the 2016 Australian census, the 8,015 recorded at the 2011 census, the 7,629 recorded at the 2006 census, and the 7,127 recorded at the 2001 census. 47.8% of residents were male, and 52.2% of residents were female. The median age was 40, above the state and national median of 38. At the 2016 census, 56.5% of Subiaco households were families, below the state average of 71.2%; 39.0% were single person households, compared to the state average of 25.4%; and 4.5% were group households, compared to the state average of 3.4%. Of those family households, 49.5% were couples without children, 36.6% were couples with children, 12.0% were single parents with children, and 1.6% were some other type of family. The state averages were 38.8%, 44.6%, 15.1% and 1.6% respectively. The average number of people per household was 2.1, compared to the state average of 2.5. Of the suburb's 5,333 dwellings, 4,482 were occupied at the 2021 census and 610 were unoccupied. Out of the 4,482 occupied dwellings, 38.8% were detached, far lower than the state average of 79.7%; 19.3% were semi detached, higher than the state average of 13.0%; 41.7% were a flat or apartment, far higher than the state average of 6.5%; and 0.1% were of some other type of dwelling. The average number of bedrooms per dwelling was 2.4, which is lower than the state average of 3.3. 28.7% were owned outright, close to the state average of 29.2%; 24.1% were owned with a mortgage, below the state average of 40.0%; 45.0% were rented, above the state average of 27.3%; and 1.9% were some other tenure type or not stated, compared to the state average of 3.5%. At the 2016 census, the median weekly personal income was $1,330, compared to the state average of $848 and national average of $805; the median weekly family income was $3,315, compared to the state average of $2,214 and national average of $2,120; and the median weekly household income was $2,219, compared to the state average of $1,815 and the national average of $1,746. Professionals and managers were the most common professions for those employed living in Subiaco, at 48.4% and 16.1% of residents respectively. Clerical and administrative workers were 10.2% of those employed, community and personal service workers were 7.6%, and sales workers were 5.7%. Blue collar jobs were low, with technicians and trades workers at 5.8%, labourers at 3.5%, and machinery operators and drivers at 1.4%. The most common industries of employment were hospitals (except psychiatric hospitals) (8.8%), legal services (3.4%), higher education (3.1%), cafes and restaurants (2.6%), and iron ore mining (2.4%). 56.2% of residents aged 15 years or older had a bachelors degree or above, significantly higher than the state average of 23.8%. The most common ancestries that people identified with at the 2016 census were English (38.2%), Australian (24.3%), Irish (13.3%), Scottish (10.7%), and Chinese (7.2%). 57.7% of residents were born in the country, slightly below the state average of 62.0%. The next most common birthplaces were England (8.1%), Malaysia (2.0%), New Zealand (1.8%), Ireland (1.7%), and South Africa (1.7%). 45.0% of residents had both parents born outside Australia and 34.1% had both parents born in Australia. The most common religious affiliations were no religion (47.5%), Catholic (18.0%), Anglican (10.4%), and Buddhism (2.4%). 7.1% of residents did not state their religion. ==Landmarks==

|alt=Oval shaped stadium |alt=8 storey brick building Landmarks of suburb include Subiaco Oval, Mueller Park, the Regal Theatre, the Subiaco Hotel, the Victorian terraces on Catherine Street and the Subiaco Arts Centre. The main street of Subiaco is Rokeby Road, which was named after General Henry Montagu, 6th Baron Rokeby, who was commander of the 1st Division during the Crimean War. Another important commercial road is Hay Street. Residential areas include Subi Centro, a modern housing development with the sunken Subiaco railway station on reclaimed industrial land near Wembley, and older heritage properties towards Shenton Park. Major hospital facilities include St John of God Subiaco Hospital and King Edward Memorial Hospital for Women. On the corner of Rokeby and Hamersley Roads is a clock tower war memorial, built in 1923 to commemorate soldiers from the district who died in World War I. The names of those who died in later conflicts have also been added. == Architecture ==

Subiaco has a large number of well-preserved high-quality historic homes, many with elaborate leadlight windows. Many houses in Subiaco are heritage listed, which recognises their cultural significance and ensures that any changes preserve their unique characteristics. The City of Subiaco publishes a self-guide walking tour of some of them. From 1989 until 2006 a Festival of Leadlights community event was run biennially. It was restarted in 2018. == Culture ==

Each year, the City of Subiaco supports a boutique street festival where Rokeby Road is closed off from traffic between Barker Road and Hay Street. It is commonly referred to as the "Subiaco Street Party" and is a free community event that promotes live music, street food, markets and family entertainment. Subiaco—along with Northbridge, Leederville and Fremantle—is one of Perth's major nightlife hubs. It attracts people from all over the metropolitan region for its pubs, bars and nightclubs. Subiaco's bars and restaurants are clustered around Rokeby Road and Hay Street. Subiaco encompasses small businesses, commercial retail chains, and franchise businesses. Notable business that have operated in Subiaco for over 30 years include the Subiaco Hotel, Farmer Jack Food Market, Coles Supermarkets, the Victoria Hotel and the Regal Theatre. The Crossways shopping precinct on Rokeby Road was constructed in 1954. Subiaco is also known for its Subi Farmer's Market, held every Saturday morning near the primary school on Bagot Road. It is used by locals and other shoppers, with fresh and organic produce and a lively market atmosphere. ==Education==

Subiaco has three schools: Subiaco Primary School, and Bob Hawke College. ==Governance==

Local Subiaco is mostly in the City of Subiaco local government area. The suburb takes up almost half of the City, with the other suburbs being Daglish, Jolimont and Shenton Park. The suburb of Subiaco takes up the entirety of the City's Central and East wards, and part of the City's North Ward. The Mayor of Subiaco is David McMullen. A small portion of Subiaco, covering the St John of God Subiaco Hospital in the north of the suburb, is within the Town of Cambridge. This area does not have any residents. State As of the 2021 Western Australian state election, for the Western Australian Legislative Assembly (lower house), Subiaco is part of the electoral district of Nedlands. This seat is part of the North Metropolitan Region of the Western Australian Legislative Council (upper house). The current member for Nedlands is Katrina Stratton, of the Australian Labor Party, the main centre-left party in Australia. Prior to the 2021 election, the Liberal Party of Australia, the main centre-right party, had held the seat every year since 1950. Federal Subiaco is within the division of Curtin for the Australian House of Representatives. The member for Curtin is the Liberal Party's Celia Hammond. ==Transport==

At the 2016 census, 48.7% of Subiaco residents travelled to work in a car, compared to the state average of 70.4%; 18.7% travelled to work on public transport, compared to the state average of 18.7%; and 11.1% walked to work, compared to the state average of 2.8%. East–west through Subiaco, Roberts Road and Hay Street form a pair of one way roads travelling opposite directions. To the east of Subiaco, they lead to the Perth CBD. To the west, Roberts Road intersects with Hay Street, which becomes a two way road. Continuing west on Hay Street leads to Floreat, City Beach and West Coast Highway. On the northern edge, there is Salvado Road and Railway Parade, the latter of which travels along the northern side of the railway line. Railway Parade continues east of Thomas Street as Roe Street, which leads to the Perth CBD and Northbridge. Bagot Road continues east of Thomas Street as Kings Park Road, which also leads to the Perth CBD. On the southern edge, there is Nicholson Road, which bridges across the railway line. Public transport Public transport in Perth is all under the Transperth brand. Train services are operated by Transperth Train Operations, a division of the Public Transport Authority. Bus services in Perth are contracted out to private companies. Subiaco is in the Claremont contract area, which is being operated by Swan Transit. Subiaco is served by three stations along the Fremantle line. From east to west, they are West Leederville railway station, Subiaco railway station, and Daglish railway station. West Leederville station is along Subiaco's border with West Leederville. It had 223,313 passengers board in the 2013-14 financial year. Subiaco station is at the centre of Subiaco Square, and is the third busiest station along the Fremantle line, after Perth railway station and Fremantle railway station. It had 975,390 passengers board in the 2013-14 financial year. Subiaco station has several bus routes linking to it. Daglish station is along Subiaco's border with Daglish. It had 186,725 passengers board in the 2013-14 financial year. Most bus services in Subiaco go roughly east–west, linking between the Perth CBD and suburbs further west or south-west of Subiaco. Others link to stations on the Yanchep line, to UWA or to the QEII Medical Centre. Along Cambridge Street is routes 81, 82, 83, 84 and 85, which all begin at Perth Busport. Routes 81, 82, 83 and 84 link to various coastal suburbs such as City Beach and Wembley Downs. Route 85 links to Glendalough railway station on the Yanchep line. Along Hay Street and Roberts Road is route 28, which goes between Perth Busport and Claremont railway station on the Fremantle line. Along Bagot Road is route 27, which goes between East Perth and Claremont station. Through streets in the southern part of Subiaco is route 25 and 24. Route 25 goes between Elizabeth Quay Bus Station and Claremont station, via Nedlands. Route 24 goes between East Perth and Claremont station via Dalkeith. Along Thomas Street is routes 26, 96 and 103. Route 26 goes between East Perth and the QEII Medical Centre. Route 103 goes between East Perth and Fremantle railway station, via the QEII Medical Centre. Route 97 is the only route that terminates at Subiaco station. Its path goes down Rokeby Road and Nicholson Road to UWA. ==See also==