Council History

1893 - 1905

The official opening of the railway line from Perth to Bunbury in 1893 accelerated the development of Armadale and Kelmscott. The Armadale siding soon grew into a busy railway station from which the products of the region were freighted.

In 1894, the southern section of the Canning Roads Board, an area of approximately 504 square kilometres was formed into the new Kelmscott Roads Board.

In 1905, Roleystone was opened up for closer settlement, with property brochures extolling the virtues of the beautiful scenery and fertile valley soils.

During the early 1900s, planting of orchards grew at an increasing rate in Roleystone and Karragullen. This was a time of Italian migration into the District.

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1920s to World War II

The 1920s brought to the area an increase in motorised transport, introduction of electricity, and the beginning of construction of Churchman Brook Dam (the first of three major water storage projects to be carried out in the hills).

The 1930s started badly as the Great Depression began to take its toll. However, the Armadale area was fortunate because the State Government started construction of nearby Canning Dam in 1933, which boosted the local economy. The dam was officially opened in 1940.

The era 1934 to 1944 was one of growth, with rural enterprises generally making good returns. In 1942 the munitions depot was established at Byford, providing employment for over 100 people during the war years.

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Post-war

The decade after the war saw the arrival of migrants from war-devastated Eastern and Central Europe. Initial housing was provided in two Nissen hut camps at Morrison Park (Brookton Highway) and the site of the Good Shepherd school in Kelmscott. Large numbers of migrants arrived from 1948.

By 1950, a minor housing boom occurred in the area as the State Housing Commission initiated a construction program of affordable but comfortable houses to counter the acute housing shortage.

By 1951 the new State brickworks situated just south of Armadale had been finished and the bricks produced were crucial to post-war recovery.

In 1956, the population of the Roads Board area was estimated at about 6,000 and the district still had the characteristics of a rural community. This began to change as increasing prosperity was reflected in the development of new civic and social facilities. In the same year, Armadale High School was also opened. In 1957, Kelmscott swimming pool was opened, which was the first pool to be constructed by a metropolitan municipal authority. Libraries were established at Armadale and Kelmscott in cooperation with the State Library Board - a first for any local government area.

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Buoyant growth in the 1960s and 1970s

In 1964, the opening of the Armadale Kelmscott Memorial Hospital, perhaps more than any event, demonstrated the progress the district was enjoying.

1964 to 1974 was an era of unprecedented population growth for the area. Whole new areas of housing appeared at Kingsley, Westfield Park and Clifton Hills, where many of the residents were British immigrants. By 1970 major urban development was taking place on the slopes of the Darling scarp. Community amenities and facilities matched the pace of growth with new railway stations, primary schools, shopping centres, sports grounds and playing fields.

In 1971 the Armadale business centre was recognised as a sub-regional centre and in 1973 Kelmscott Senior High School was opened.

Between 1967 and 1979, the population increased five fold from 7,000 to 35,000, which was the third highest growth for any local government area in Perth. There was also rapid growth in services and facilities, including:

• the opening of the Gwynne Park Recreation and Sporting Centre in 1979
• John Dunn Oval, on the site of a previous landfill site
• the Armadale Aquatic Centre in 1980
• a third Government High School, Cecil Andrews, in West Armadale in 1980

Light industry was established and service industries increased, with banks, service stations, building societies, accountancy firms, restaurants, fast food outlets, and tourism attractions

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City status in 1985

In 1985 Armadale was granted City status, coinciding with the opening of the City Administration Centre. The Armadale City business precinct underwent considerable change through unprecedented building activity. At Kelmscott the commercial and business area along Albany Highway had also changed dramatically.

Despite these changes to the built environment there was a growing consciousness of the need to appreciate and preserve the past. The name 'Heritage Country' was registered and there was also increased focus on the natural environment. One of the most significant achievements was the preservation and rejuvenation of Araluen Park in Roleystone, which draws thousands of Western Australians every year.

The Armadale Redevelopment Authority 2001

The Armadale Redevelopment Authority was established in 2001 to work with Council to revitalise the City. The Redevelopment Authority's primary role was to transforming the City into a strategic regional centre by generating investment, education and employment opportunities in the Armadale CBD and the Kelmscott town centre.

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