Bentley, Western Australia
Encyclopedia : B : BE : BEN : Bentley, Western Australia
| Bentley | |||||||||||||||||||
| Perth suburbs near Bentley | ||
| Kensington | East Victoria Park St James | Welshpool |
| Como Karawara | Bentley | Queens Park |
|---|---|---|
| Waterford | Wilson | Cannington |
Bentley is a locality of the City of Canning, partially contained within Town of Victoria Park. Its postcode is 6102. The internationally renowned Curtin University of Technology is located in the suburb, adjacent to a futuristic Technology Park, built on what was once a pine plantation and, before that, virgin bushland. Bentley is an established suburb with schools, restaurants, a large shopping centre, a hospital, and a large retirement housing complex.
History
Prior to the white settlement of Western Australia in 1829, indigenous Australians occupied bushland in what we today know as Bentley. Land close to the Canning River, near the Bentley-Waterford border, was a productive hunting and fishing ground for indigenous Australians. This part of Bentley was well forested with Jarrah trees but these were cut down for timber. It is believed that some of this timber was used to build the London Underground railway system. During the great depression, much of the land in Bentley owned by the state was used to grow pines. This project was a "work for the dole" scheme and some of the remaining pines can be seen at what is now Curtin University. Today, few indigenous Australians reside in Bentley.
In the 1950s and 1960s many state housing projects were initiated in Bentley. One such example was the twin 10-storey Brownlie Towers, often considered a failed experiment of social engineering. Housing was also provided by the government to reward former military servicemen for their efforts during the second world war. Some of these modest war service homes remain today, a few are still occupied by ageing veterans. The 1990s saw a trend away from state housing following rezonings allowing higher density housing in the suburb. Older weatherboard houses were torn down and replaced by smart, well designed privately owned townhouses. The movement away from state housing was generally well received by residents although there has been some concern that too few older buildings remain.
A Technology Park was established, adjacent to Curtin University, in the 1980s and expanded in the 1990s. Many high-tech companies of international standing have offices and research facilities at this gleaming and expensive modern centre where land prices can exceed that of the Perth CBD.
In recent times, the presence of Curtin University in Bentley has also attracted many fee-paying overseas students who make a major economic contribution to the local business and property ecosystem. The presence of Curtin University has lent a multicultural flavour to Bentley, which has a large community of foreign students from South East Asia and elsewhere. There is no apparent disharmony between overseas students and the local population. To the dismay of local residents, Bentley's only Chinese restaurant was firebombed by extremists in the late 1980s. This made front page news in Perth and the culprits were swiftly apprehended and given long jail sentences. The torched building was quickly rebuilt and today there are many restaurants in and around Bentley, catering to all tastes.
Industry
Although it is predominently a residential suburb favoured by students and young people, Bentley has a small retail and light-industrial component in the areas adjacent to Albany Highway. Most of Western Australia's fresh milk supply is processed at a major dairy located on the fringes of this vibrant and dynamic suburb.
Political
Bentley has traditionally leaned towards the moderate left in state and federal elections. The suburb's constituents are represented at a State and Federal level by politicians who belong to the Australian Labor Party. Bentley is considered a safe Labor seat and some residents believe that their parliamentary representatives have become complacent and uncaring of local peoples needs. A political swing away from sitting members has been observed in several past elections.
| Suburbs of the Town of Victoria Park | |
|---|---|
| Victoria Park | Burswood | Lathlain | Carlisle | Welshpool | St James | Bentley | East Victoria Park | Kensington | | |
| Suburbs of the City of Canning | |
|---|---|
| Bentley | Canning Vale | Cannington | East Cannington | Ferndale | Leeming | Lynwood | Parkwood | Queens Park | Riverton | Rossmoyne | Shelley | St James | Welshpool | Willetton | Wilson | |
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