Ellenbrook, Western Australia

Ellenbrook is a northeastern suburb of Perth, Western Australia, about from Perth's central business district (CBD), located within the City of Swan. Ellenbrook, and its neighbouring suburbs of The Vines and Aveley, are unusual for Perth in being a significant distance from neighbouring suburbs. Given this relative isolation and the distance from the CBD, Ellenbrook has been designed and developed as a self-sustainable community. At the time of the 2016 census there were 22,681 people living in the gazetted suburb, by June 2018, it was estimated that the urban population for Ellenbrook and surrounds had grown to 41,382. It is envisioned that Ellenbrook will eventually become a satellite city, with a population of 80,000.
Transport links.
Ellenbrook is approximately from Guildford, from Midland and from the Perth CBD (via Beaufort Street and Tonkin Highway). Direct access to Tonkin Highway is nearby, with The Promenade interchange being the main access to Ellenbrook since the highway was extended northwards as part of the NorthLink WA road project in 2019. Alternatively, Tonkin Highway also has a junction with Gnangara Road, which links Ellenbrook with Wangara and the northern suburbs. West Swan Road, Drumpellier Drive (formerly Lord Street), and Reid Highway are also nearby. Bus services link Ellenbrook with Morley and Bassendean railway station. A journey to the Perth CBD by public transport takes approximately 60 minutes. Before 2017, public transport was limited in the evenings and weekends, but in that year, Transperth introduced upgraded services, including an hourly evening connection to Bassendean railway station and thus the city. In August 2017, a bus route was introduced which connected Ellenbrook to Whitfords railway station, via Gnangara Road.
During the campaign for the 2008 Western Australian election, both major political parties committed to building a rail line. The 15 km line was expected to cost $850 million and be finished around 2015, with construction starting around 2012. However, in May 2010, the premier Colin Barnett confirmed that his government would not be proceeding with the development. Following the election of the McGowan Labor government in 2017, it was announced that the Ellenbrook railway would be constructed as a part of the METRONET project with a projected opening date of 2022. Ellenbrook railway station is planned to be constructed as the terminus of the line on The Parkway in the Ellenbrook town centre.
History and development.
The name Ellenbrook is derived from the nearby Ellen Brook, a tributary of the Swan River named after Ellen Stirling, the wife of Captain James Stirling, Western Australia's first governor.
The development of the suburb was conducted by the Ellenbrook Joint Venture — a partnership between the Department of Housing and Works and Morella Pty Ltd now known as LWP Property Group Pty Ltd.
The following is a fact sheet produced by the Urban Development Institute of Australia (UDIA) providing details about the development:
Ellenbrook is a masterplanned community developed in stages called "villages" which are then given storybook English names such as Woodlake or Charlotte's Vineyard. The first, Woodlake Village, was built on the site of a former sand quarry, with development commencing in 1994. Subsequent villages include The Bridges, Coolamon, Morgan Fields, Charlotte's Vineyard, Malvern Springs, Lexia and Annie's Landing.
The Ellenbrook town centre is well established, hosting of retail space and major retailers, Coles, Woolworths, Big W, Kmart, Spotlight, and Spudshed as well as around 100 speciality stores and national retail giant Bunnings Warehouse.
Natural features.
Existing woodlands and wetlands (prior to development) such as conservation category wetlands, have been incorporated as public open spaces throughout the suburb. The Gnangara Pine Plantation just west of the suburb, features walks and picnic facilities accessible from Ellenbrook. Further west along Gnangara Road are great places for 4WD-ing, Quad-biking and Dirt-biking.
To the north of Ellenbrook, over 300 hectares of land was ceded for conservation prior to development, and is now protected under the Perth metropolitan Bush Forever strategy.
Education facilities.
Ellenbrook and surrounds have a wide variety of primary and secondary schools, both public and private.
Primary schools in the area include:
High schools in the area include:
Ellenbrook Community Library, operated by the City of Swan, is co-located within Ellenbrook Secondary College and Performing Arts Centre.
Sporting and leisure facilities.
There are four main sporting grounds in Ellenbrook: Woodlake Sports Ground, Coolamon Oval, Charlotte’s Vineyard Oval and Ellenbrook District Open Space (EDOS). Coolamon Oval and Ellenbrook District Open Space (EDOS) have clubroom and changing facilities and are the home of the Ellenbrook Eels Senior Football Club, the Ellenbrook Dockers Junior Football club (Australian Rules) and the Ellenbrook Rangers.
Other sporting facilities include:
The suburb is also home to a junior and senior soccer club, Ellenbrook United FC.
Planning for a recreation and aquatic centre adjacent to EDOS and Aveley Secondary College in Ellenbrook has commenced and will host: a 25m indoor lane lap pool, warm water pool, spa, sauna, steam facilities, indoor multipurpose sports courts, gym/ health club, group fitness rooms, café, crèche, changing facilities and car parking.