Location
The Town of Bassendean is located approximately 10 kilometres north east of Perth and 5 minutes from the Swan Valley vineyards. With a total area of 11 square kilometres, the Town is bounded by the Swan River, the City of Swan to the north and the City of Bayswater to the west. It has a river frontage of 7 kilometres.
History
Beginning as a small settlement called West Guildford in 1829, Bassendean was renamed in 1922. Bounded on town sides by the Swan River, Bassendean, became a separate local authority in 1901. The town now has a mix of housing, parks and recreational areas, as well as light industry and commercial areas. It also has riverside public open spaces, some of which was land used by Aboriginal people for thousands of years as ceremonial places.
The name “Bassendean” was first recorded by Surveyor J.W. Gregory in 1841 as the name of 1455 acres for Mr. P. Brown, who had his homestead on the West Bank of Swan River. Peter Brown (or Broun) was WA’s first Colonial Secretary in 1832 and apparently named his property on the Swan River after a family property in England, Bassendean in Berwickshire. This area was also previously known as West Guildford. A competition to choose a new name for the area was held in 1922, two school children nominated the name ‘Bassendean’ after Peter Brown’s property.
Initially populated by gentleman farmers and Pensioner Guard families, West Guildford grew rapidly during the goldrush years of the 1890’s, breaking away from Guildford to become a separate local authority in 1901.
Transport
Well served by metropolitan train and bus services, the International Airport terminal is 20 minutes and the Domestic Terminal only 10 minutes from the town centre by car.
Community Events
Each year, the Town of Bassendean presents a range of events for the community. For information on what is happening now, visit their website: www.bassendean.wa.gov.au
