Applecross, Western Australia


Applecross is a riverside suburb of Perth, Western Australia, bounded by Canning Highway and the Swan River. It is located within the City of Melville.

Name and early history

The suburb of Applecross takes its name from the Applecross peninsula in Wester Ross, Highland, on the northwest coast of Scotland. Many of the streets in the suburb have names from the area, including Carron, Gairloch, Ullapool, Kintail, Strome, Ardross, Alness, Kishorn, Glenelg, Duncraig, Dunvegan, Killilan and Roskhill.
The suburb of Applecross was originally assigned to Lionel Lukin on 28 May 1830. The land was finally acquired by Alexander Matheson, second son of Sir Alexander Matheson, 1st Baronet of Lochalsh, in February 1896. Matheson formed the Western Australian Investment Company Limited and instigated and named the subdivision of the area.
A distinguishing feature of the suburb is the jacaranda trees that line its streets and flower in the late spring. In keeping with this theme, Applecross is home to an annual Jacaranda festival in late November.

World War II

In 1940, the suburb was the location of a "Patriotic Grand Prix", a once only usage of the streets of the suburb for a car race known at the time as a "Round-the-houses" race.

Landmarks

A number of well known landmarks and facilities are in Applecross. These include: