Ellenbrook, Western Australia


Ellenbrook is a northeastern suburb of Perth, Western Australia, about from Perth's central business district, 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 June 2018 the estimated urban population for Ellenbrook and surrounds was 41,382. At the time of the 2016 census there were 22,681 people living in the gazetted suburb. 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. Gnangara Road links Ellenbrook with Wangara and the northern suburbs, while West Swan Road and the Reid and Tonkin Highways are 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, with a projected opening date of 2022.

History and development

Ellenbrook takes its name from Ellen Brook, a tributary of the Swan, with the brook being named for Ellen Stirling, the wife of Captain James Stirling, Western Australia's first governor.
The developer is the Ellenbrook Joint Venture — a partnership between the Department of Housing and Works and Morella Pty Ltd.
The Urban Development Institute of Australia produced a fact sheet providing details about the development:

  • The sites were acquired by the respective owners in the 1980s as rural land. They had commenced informal rezoning discussions by 1989.
  • Given the challenges associated with rezoning and servicing, the owners formed the joint venture in November 1991.
  • The environmental approval involved a Public Environmental Review process.
  • The site was rezoned to Urban Deferred in December 1992 and to urban in December 1993.
  • Given its location adjacent to the Gnangara Water Mound, the Swan Valley and its distance from existing services, the rezoning was extremely challenging.
  • Structure planning occurred in detail during 1993, to facilitate receipt of planning approval in 1994.
  • The scale of the project demanded extensive consultation with all service providers, the local community groups and significant market research.
  • The Environmental approvals, including drainage and nutrient management, together with provision of water and sewer services, represented the major challenges.
  • Over $2m was expended by the owners in meeting the requirements of the rezoning process.
  • Approximately of land was set aside for conservation.

Ellenbrook is a planned community, and is being developed in phases called "villages". The first, Woodlake Village, was built on the site of a former sand quarry. The lowest point of the open-cut mine became the central lake and feature parkland, and the high points of the mine were set aside for the area now known as Woodlake Rise. Construction commenced in 1994, with the first home completed in 1995. Subsequent villages are The Bridges, Coolamon, Morgan Fields, Charlotte's Vineyard, Malvern Springs, Lexia and Annie's Landing.
The development of the town centre is well established, with of shopping centre including major retailers, Coles, Woolworths, Big W and a Kmart currently being built, with around 100 speciality stores. It contains the largest Woolworths in the state.
The town centre is being developed in four phases with stage 3 currently underway. It has already attracted major big box retailer Bunnings.
The villages and shops are linked and intertwined by a series of pathways and cyclepaths and there is a high standard of landscaping throughout.
StageVillage nameDeveloperPlanning and urban design consultant firmChief urban plannerChief urban designer
Village 1Woodlake VillageLWP Property GroupRobertsDay/Peter Cala & AssociatesTim TrefryMike Day
Village 2The BridgesLWP Property GroupRobertsDay/Blackwell & AssociatesTim TrefryMike Day
Village 3CoolamonLWP Property GroupRobertsDay/TRACT/Plan ETim TrefryMike Day
Village 4Morgan FieldsLWP Property GroupRobertsDayTim TrefryMike Day
Village 5Charlotte’s VineyardLWP Property GroupRobertsDay/Plan ETim TrefryMike Day
Village 6Malvern SpringsLWP Property GroupRobertsDay/Plan EJulie HarroldPeter Ciemitis
Village 7LexiaLWP Property GroupRobertsDay/Plan ETim TrefryPeter Ciemitis
TowncentreEllenbrook Town CentreLWP Property GroupRobertsDay/Plan ETim TrefryMike Day

Natural features

Some existing woodlands and wetlands, including conservation category wetlands, have been incorporated into public open space in the villages of Charlotte’s Vineyard and Malvern Springs. The neighbouring Gnangara pine plantation, west of The Bridges, includes walks and picnic facilities accessible directly from Ellenbrook.
Over 300 hectares to the south of Ellenbrook were ceded for conservation prior to the commencement of the development, and are now protected under Perth's metropolitan Bush Forever strategy.
The lake at the Edgecombe Brothers Estate, next to the suburb, is home to one of the last remaining wild populations of the critically endangered western swamp tortoise.

Education facilities

Ellenbrook and its surrounding area contain a number 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 colocated within Ellenbrook Secondary College and Performing Arts Centre.

Sporting and leisure facilities

There are four ovals in Ellenbrook. The main ovals at Coolamon Oval and Ellenbrook District Open Space have clubroom and changing facilities and are the home of the Ellenbrook Eels Senior Football Club, the Ellenbrook Dockers Junior Football club and the Ellenbrook Rangers.
Other sporting facilities include:
The town is also home to a junior and senior soccer club, Ellenbrook United FC.
There is a private swimming pool/school operated by State Swim located adjacent to the library.