Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are warned that this website may contain images and voices of deceased persons.

Jandakot

The name Jandakot was recorded in an 1844 survey as the name of a lake in the area (now Forrestdale Lake).

The bulk of today's Jandakot is a remnant of the large-scale colonial government enterprise known as the Jandakot Agricultural Area, first opened in 1890. Looking for ways to entice gold-rush migrants to stay in the state, Premier John Forrest allowed small farmland plots to be taken up at low or no cost, provided settlers remained on their land and improved it with farming or market gardening.

Market gardens and dairies

Jandakot became a primary supplier of fruits, vegetables and dairy to the growing population of Fremantle as well as to the Goldfields.
 
Jandakot Agricultural Hall, 1901
They struggled with a lack of good roads to the markets at Fremantle, and with the lack of a railway to transport their produce. The Jandakot Roads Board was separated off from Fremantle and Canning districts in 1892, and tried to rectify these imbalances.

 Jandakot community

Despite hardships, local settlers became a close-knit community, building the Jandakot Agricultural Hall in 1897, and the Jandakot Hotel in 1902. They succeeded in campaigning for a railway to be built from Fremantle through Jandakot to Armadale, completed in stages from 1905 to 1907, but it did not bring the prosperity they had hoped for. They formed the district's first soccer team in 1914, and were well known as a sporting district.

Falling behind

By the 1920s, neighbouring Spearwood was reaping more of the benefits of the railway, and Jandakot was falling behind due to a lack of modern conveniences, like connection to electricity and sewerage. The Jandakot Roads Board fell into disarray and was disbanded by the State Government in 1923, and the Jandakot and Banjup localities were resumed by the Fremantle District Roads Board (precursor to the modern Cockburn Council).

The area remained largely rural, with segments being carved out to create newer suburban developments: South Lake in 1982, and Cockburn Central in 2006. The Jandakot Airport was opened in 1963.

 
Print Form

Submit information about this article

All fields are required except where indicated
 

 

Contact

Address

City of Cockburn
Whadjuk Boodja
9 Coleville Crescent,
Spearwood 6163

Po Box 1215, Bibra Lake DC,
Western Australia, 6965

Visit the City of Cockburn homepage

Cockburn Nyungar moort Beeliar boodja-k kaadadjiny. Koora, yeyi, benang baalap nidja boodja-k kaaradjiny.
Ngalak kaditj boodjar kep wer kaadidjiny kalyakool yoodaniny, wer koora wer yeyi ngalak Birdiya koota-djinanginy.

City of Cockburn acknowledges the Nyungar people of Beeliar boodja. Long ago, now and in the future they care for country.
We acknowledge a continuing connection to land, waters and culture and pay our respects to the Elders, past, present and emerging.