Kwinana Council

The City of Kwinana is a local government area in Western Australia, covering approximately 118 square kilometers in metropolitan Perth. It is located about 38 kilometers south of Perth’s central business district, accessible via the Kwinana Freeway. The city maintains 287 kilometers of roads and had a population of nearly 39,000 according to the 2016 Census.

The name “Kwinana” comes from a Kimberley Aboriginal word meaning “young woman” or “pretty maiden.” The ship SS Kwinana was wrecked on Cockburn Sound in 1922 and blown onto Kwinana Beach, giving the area its name, which was officially adopted for a township in 1937. Some of its suburbs, such as Medina, Calista, and Parmelia, are named after the sailing ships that first brought immigrants to Western Australia.

The Kwinana Road District was formed from part of Rockingham on 15 February 1954 due to the passage of the Kwinana Road District Act 1953. The Act specified that there would not be an elected Road Board for the district; instead, the Governor could appoint a Commissioner with knowledge and experience in local government matters.

On 11 November 1960, an Order in Council divided Kwinana into five wards in preparation for an election on 11 February 1961. The Town ward would elect three councillors, while the Rural, Industrial, Naval Base, and Kwinana Beach wards would each elect one councillor. The Kwinana Road District Act was repealed on 14 February 1961, making the district subject to the same laws as other councils. The first elected councillors took office on 15 February 1961.

On 1 July 1961, the district became the Shire of Kwinana following the enactment of the Local Government Act 1960. It was designated the Town of Kwinana on 28 May 1977 and assumed its current name when it was proclaimed a city on 17 September 2012.

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/City_of_Kwinana