Mooro Boodjar

The Nyoongar people have occupied and managed the southwest of Western Australia for over 40,000 years. Nyoongar is the name for the indigenous people whose ancestors originally occupied and still occupy the whole southwest area. The word Nyoongar means 'person' or 'people'. As the Nyoongar language was not written prior to colonisation, there are many spellings of the word Nyoongar.

Nyoongar Boodja (people's country) is comprised of at least 13 Nyoongar groups. The Wadjak Nyoongar people traditionally occupied the country that is the Perth Metropolitan area. The Mooro people's country lies within Wadjak country and within the City of Stirling local government area.

The Mooro people traditionally lived in extended family groups, caring for country through cultural ceremonies such as song, dance and use of fire. Access to certain areas such as the sea was regulated according to season, the status of a family group member, totem and the presence of sacred sites.

Beach Inspector

The first Beach Inspector was appointed in 1932, to keep watch on people at Scarborough Beach. He was also instructed to take the names of all male bathers who rolled down the tops of their swimming trunks.

By 1935 the Perth Road Board relented and bare topped men were allowed on the beach. Scarborough was one of the first beaches to allow this. They had to regain their decency before coming up to The Promenade. It wasn’t until the late 1950s that women began causing a stir with the latest trend – the bikini.

Transport

The Nyoongar Mooro people walked the tracks, or bidi, for thousands of years before European settlement - across many kilometres of Country following the six seasons. Some of these tracks later became the roads that were to transport horses, carts and the early cars.

Iconic Architecture

Scarborough’s architecture reflects its transformation from a small coastal settlement into one of Perth’s most popular beachfront destinations. Early development in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries was characterised by modest timber and weatherboard holiday cottages, reflecting the area’s relaxed seaside lifestyle. Post-war, increasing tourism and suburban growth brought low-rise apartments, motels and beachside commercial buildings influenced by mid-century modern design. In recent years, significant the 2018 Scarborough Beach Redevelopment has reshaped Scarborough’s skyline with contemporary apartment towers, public spaces and mixed-use developments creating a more urban coastal identity. Despite these changes, Scarborough’s architecture continues to be defined by its connection to the Indian Ocean, with each generation of buildings reflecting evolving lifestyles, planning priorities and community aspirations.

Scarborough Senior High School

Scarborough Senior High School was a prominent part of the local community, standing on the corner of Newborough Street and Grand Promenade in Karrinyup for four decades. Opened in 1959, it was the first high school established in the Scarborough area and quickly became a focal point for generations of local students. The school adopted a crest designed by Frank McKenzie and approved by the Parents and Citizens Association. The design reflected the character of the coastal community, incorporating symbols of the sun, sea and sand, alongside the torch of learning.

Founding Principal Bill Bridson recalled that the high school site was a hill full of trees, while local resident Nancy Brown remembered “swamps alive with birds and even two clear crystal springs so close to the ocean.” These recollections offer a glimpse of a natural environment that has largely disappeared beneath decades of suburban development. Scarborough Senior High School closed in December 1999 after 40 years of operation. During its history, the school nurtured a number of notable Australians, including acclaimed author Tim Winton, musician Mark Lizotte (Diesel), internationally recognised blues guitarist Dave Hole, and Olympic hockey player Jenny Sefton.

Following its closure, the school buildings were demolished and the site was redeveloped for housing. The State Government considered the land highly valuable for residential purposes and the former school grounds were transformed into a high-density housing estate. The redevelopment was not without controversy. Some community members argued that there had been insufficient public consultation and expressed disappointment when assurances that the school's pool and gymnasium would remain available for community use were not fulfilled. The Scarborough High Open Space Action Group campaigned to preserve the site as public open space and the issue became a significant point of discussion within the community, potentially influencing the WA state election in 2000.

Amusements

These days, Scarborough is a vibrant coastal destination where recreation, leisure and social life came together. Beachside amusements played a crucial role in transforming the coastline from a simple swimming destination into one of Western Australia's most popular recreational centres. As improved transport brought increasing numbers of visitors to the coast from the 1920s onward, attractions such as Luna Park, which opened in 1939 with rides, arcades and a dance floor, provided affordable entertainment for families and young people, while later venues such as the Snake Pit became important social gathering places that helped shape Perth's post-war youth culture. These entertainment venues encouraged tourism, supported local businesses, fostered community connections.

Plank Roads

The Perth Roads Board was established in 1871.

During its first 20 years, the Perth Road Board focused on constructing and repairing roads and bridges. A makeshift road made from wooden planks connected isolated coastal rural areas to Scarborough and Innaloo. That plank road was an early version of Scarborough Beach Road. the plank road making horse and buggy transport easier. The plank road remnants are historically significant to the City of Stirling, with main thoroughfares such as Balcatta Road and Scarborough Beach Road being constructed of timber.

Sea Shells: Shelley Taylor-Smith

Shelley Taylor-Smith grew up in Yokine, on Fairway East, near the golf course and attended Yokine Primary School. She learnt to swim at Mettam's Pool as a child. Shelley went on to Tuart Hill High School which had a pool, that first opened in 1962. She joined the State swim team and won several races. Shelley went on to swim competitively as an adult and became a world champion open water swimmer. Shelley decided to create a community swimming group for all ages and abilities. The Sea Shells group meets at Mettam's Pool twice weekly and it has turned into a community event, a meeting place for social connection, and to learn skills in swimming and ocean awareness.

Delphi Open Air Palais

The Delphi Dance Palais was an open-air dance floor located at Scarborough Beach. During the 1930s and 1940s it hosted lively open-air dancing nights right by the coast. There were also Saturday night dances with extra buses running until 12:15pm to get everyone home safely.

Mamung

Mamung holds deep cultural and spiritual significance. In Noongar culture, Mamung (whale) is a spirit being, a guardian of the sea and a messenger between realms. One of the most sacred and powerful stories told by Noongar Elders is of whales beaching themselves not by accident, but as an act of deep spiritual purpose. In Noongar tradition, when a whale beaches itself, it is returning Wirrin (spirit) back to Country. This act is seen as a final offering, a sacred return of energy, knowledge, and connection to the land from which all life flows.

Whales were hunted in Western Australia in the nineteenth century, for their oil, almost to extinction. Patrick Marmion ran a whaling station along the coastline close to Watermans Bay

A Double Tragedy

On a winter’s day, 19 July 1947, the sea at Trigg Beach turned from calm to unforgiving in a heartbeat. Frederick “Fred” Floyd had come to the shore with his young son Don and a friend, rods in hand, ready for a quiet morning of fishing. But the rhythm of the waves was broken by a cry, a distressed nun, Sister Mary Chrysostom, had been swept into the surf.

Without hesitation, Fred rushed forward, a stranger answering a desperate call for help. The ocean fought back with all its force. Fred battled through the churning water and reached Sister Mary, grasping her against the pull of the tide. For a fleeting moment, rescue seemed within reach until a powerful wave crashed over them. His hold slipped.

The undertow tightened its grip, dragging them both beyond safety. On the shore, those watching could do nothing as the sea claimed them. Later, the ocean returned their bodies, bearing silent witness to courage and tragedy intertwined. Not long after, a memorial was raised at Trigg Beach to honour Fred’s selfless act, placed near the very spot where he gave his life trying to save another. Time and weather wore the original plaque away, but the story endured. In 2018, the City of Stirling, with the Floyd family’s guidance, restored the tribute. Visitors standing by the shore today still hear echoes of that day, when one man’s bravery turned an ordinary morning into a lasting legacy.

Osborne Park Residents' Annual Picnic

Residents of the then-rural community of Osborne Park travelled to Scarborough Beach for their annual picnic. The group travelled by horse-drawn carts and wagons, which were a common means of transport before motor vehicles became widespread in the district. Participants are dressed in turn-of-the-century fashions: Men typically wore jackets, waistcoats, ties, and brimmed hats. Women wore long dresses or skirts with high-necked blouses and large hats. Children were often dressed in formal clothing that would seem quite elaborate by modern picnic standards.

In 1910, Osborne Park was very different from today's commercial and industrial suburb. At the turn of the century, Osborne Park was a community of market gardens, dairies and small farms, with families living on rural properties. Annual picnics were important social events providing an opportunity for local families to gather, share food, enjoy the beach, and strengthen community ties. Excursions by horse and cart to Scarborough Beach were a significant outing!

Bob Taylor

Bob Taylor remembers when Scarborough was a world away from the bustling beachside suburb we know today. After securing a block of land through the War Service Homes scheme, he arrived to find little more than bushland, sandy tracks and dusty dirt roads stretching towards the coast. He recalls the simple pleasures that brought the growing community together, from nights at the local picture theatre and strolls through the gardens, to family outings at the iconic Metro Drive-In. Bob also shares memories of the Scarborough buses that connected the suburb to the wider city, and the local footy culture that became the heartbeat of community life, creating friendships and traditions that defined a generation.

Fish Traps

Did you know that the City of Stirling has cultural heritage sites dating to nearly 40,000 years ago? Whadjuk Noongar people walked, hunted, camped and lived on Mooro Country long before European settlement. There is evidence of sustainable fishing at Trigg Beach, with the crafting of fish traps from rocks and branches. As the tide receded, fish would be caught in these traps, allowing the Nyoongar people to gather their catch.

Elder Oriel Green remembers her grandfather telling her "The old people used to go through the bush to the water, to the sea, and he said they'd put their fish traps down there and when we lived in North Beach he said to me "old people used to live there a long time ago and they used to catch fish down there not far from you, and he used to talk about old people meeting up in the bush."

Before European settlement, the local Nyoongar people built fish traps at Trigg Beach with rocks and branches. The fish would swim into the traps and at low tide the Nyoongar people would gather their catch caught in the fish trap.

It is believed that the local Nyoongar people travelled from Star Swamp at North Beach, where there is evidence of them having used the area before colonisation, and lived a sustainable hunter-gatherer lifestyle. The plaque has been recently replaced in 2026 as the Elders' request.

Beach Shacks

The Wearnes' first became acquainted with Scarborough through friends who spent their holidays there. Mrs Wearne and one son shared accommodation with Mrs Steele and her son on one occasion. This was behind Gow’s shop and consisted of one-room cubicles. The shop was on Scarborough Beach Road and located where the new Post Office is today. Each cubicle was just large enough for a double bed and a wardrobe. The showers were situated on the beach. It was quite usual for four people to share a bed. Mr Wearne says that during World War Two when housing was in short supply, the cubicles on the beach and backing on to the limestone retaining wall were used as temporary housing. The walls and floors of the cubicles were concrete and the roofs were made of asbestos.

Living at Scarborough Hotel

Although we only spent just over a year living at the Scarborough Hotel, that time left me with very vivid memories. The change from the restrictions of living in Post War England to the freedom of Australia was amazing. We just seemed to live a life of constant fun and relaxation. My love of our coastal scenery was born in Scarborough and I will never tire of the views of endless sea and sky. Although we only spent just over a year living at the Scarborough Hotel, that time left me with very vivid memories. The change from the restrictions of living in Post War England to the freedom of Australia was amazing. We just seemed to live a life of constant fun and relaxation.

Gold, Lime & the Kool Korner

  Michael Georgeff and his wife, Patrana, moved to Australia in the early 1910s, initially gold-mining in the Murchison area. By 1913 they were operating a wood-carting business and living in Osborne Park. Michael went on to open a quarry and lime kilns in Carine and an additional quarry in Wembley Downs. He was engaged to work on various construction projects in the 1920s and 1930s in the coastal areas now part of the City of Stirling, including the widening of Scarborough Beach Road, the creation of limestone retaining sea walls at Scarborough beach and Watermans Bay. He was also involved in the building of the Surf Life Club and beach cubicles at Scarborough beach.

Around 1935 Michael constructed a new shopping centre on the corner of The Esplanade and Scarborough Beach Road which came to be called Kool Korner. His company was also involved in the creation of the foundations for the Scarborough Hotel in 1939.

Scarborough Beach

Many settlers in Perth ventured northwards to explore the beaches to the north of Perth.

The coastal suburb of Scarborough was named after the English beach resort of the same name located in North Yorkshire on the east coast of Great Britain. The name is believed to have first been used in 1892 by Patrick Callaghan, a Melbourne developer. Scarborough started with beach shacks, then single detached houses built in the post-war era and occupied by workers. Though many detached residences remain, in recent years a vast transformation has occurred along the coastal strip.

Numerous units and flat developments have appeared, some of which are multi- storey and echo the style of the Observation City development. Housing designs range from the timber-framed workers' houses to 1960s flats through to modern home units. In 2018 an extensive redevelopment of the Scarborough beach front created new and improved space and an ocean side pool.

Australia’s First Trackless Tram

In 2023, the City of Stirling became the testing ground for Australia’s first trackless tram, a cutting-edge transport technology being explored as a future link between Glendalough Train Station and Scarborough Beach. The impressive 30-metre-long vehicle arrived in September and underwent extensive testing by transport and engineering experts from across the country.

Researchers examined how the tram performed on local roads, its impact on road surfaces, and the comfort and quality of the passenger experience. Funded by the Australian Government, the trial ran until November 2023 and attracted interest from government agencies, industry leaders, and local businesses. The project provided a unique opportunity to assess how trackless tram technology could operate in Australia and explore the benefits it may bring to future transport networks and urban development.

Peter's Special Ice Cream

Stan Bessen discusses his recollections from the summer of 1939. He started work for the Rinaldi family on the beach setting up tents and chasing after surf shooters. In 1939,when Peter McGovern built his the new ice-cream parlour on The Promenade, as the Esplanade was still known. Sadly, the store burnt down in June 1939.

Ernie (Pop) Bowler

Ernie (Pop) Bowler ran the amusement park at the corner of the Esplanade next to the Delphi tea rooms. Ernie can be seen here with money bag around his waist at the Perth Royal Show.

Observation City

The hotel was build by Alan Bond in 1986, as he anticipated the demand for accommodation that the 1987 America's Cup challenge would create. The hotel provided a great vantage point from which to view the yachts. The complex was purchased by the Singapore based Straits Trading Company in 2008. Initial plans to redevelop the site were put on hold due the the global financial crisis. The hotels' rooms, suites and restaurants were refurbished in 2014 and the Rendezvous Hotel was relaunched with Premier Colin Barnett attended the official ribbon cutting ceremony. The building is 70 metres tall, with 337 rooms and suites spread over 17 floors. The hotels also includes a gym, outdoor pool, spa, tennis courts, pool bar, restaurants and games room.

Fun Land

Funland was operated by Ben and Don Burke - Ben's truck and trailer can be seen parked out the front.

Peters By the Sea

Peter Kakulas, the proprietor of Peter's Greengrocers in Murray Street, Perth was holidaying at Scarborough Beach in 1937 when he started a conversation with a couple of locals. They owned the house on a large block between West Coast Highway and the Esplanade and were looking to sell. Peter bought the house and in 1951 building was started for Peters By The Sea. The shop had a milk bar section in which Peter's daughter Kathleen worked, while her three brothers served pies, hamburgers and fish and chips. The Kakulas family are no longer involved in the daily operation of the shop but it remains largely unchanged and is a popular venue for beachside meals and drinks.

Luna Park

A trip to Scarborough Beach wasn’t complete without a visit to Luna Park. The amusement park opened on the corner of Scarborough Beach Road and West Coast Highway, where the Luna Maxi Mart now sits, in late 1939. The bright lights, excitement of rides like the Flying Boats, Gee Wizz and dodgem cars drew crowds year after year. Although World War II blackout regulations forced the park to close after dark, Luna Park continued to thrive, expanding from a summer-only attraction to year-round operation in 1943. By the 1950s, it had become a favourite meeting place for teenagers and a lively venue for community events, including beauty contests. Luna Park sparked its share of debate over issues such as gambling licences, Sunday trading and noise. Eventually, Luna Park was demolished in 1972 to make way for a shopping centre.

Locally Made Hawke Surfboards

Hawke Surfboards began in 1954 when teenage brothers Peter and Len Hawke began making surfboards. After discovering a passion for surfing at Watermans Bay, they began making plywood boards in their parents’ backyard workshop in Tuart Hill. The brothers became pioneers in the development of fibreglass surfboards in WA. In 1962, the business expanded into larger premises on Scarborough Beach Road, Osborne Park, close to the heart of Perth’s growing surf culture. Hawke Surfboards became synonymous with quality craftsmanship and innovation, producing boards that were ridden by generations of Western Australian surfers. As technology evolved, the company diversified into other fibreglass products and water-sports equipment, eventually operating as Hawke Brothers Pty Ltd. The Hawke brothers’ contribution to surfing extended beyond manufacturing. Their experimentation with surfboard materials and design helped shape the development of the local surf industry, while their business provided employment and training for many surfers and craftsmen. Today, Hawke Surfboards is remembered as one of Western Australia’s pioneering surfboard manufacturers.

La Spiaggia aka the Snake Pit

Rosina Spiaggia and her husband Don ran La Spiaggia (the Beachfront) cafe at Scarborough Beach from 1953. The cafe became hugely popular with the local bodgies and widgies who came to dance to rock and roll music played in the area outside the cafe. Rosina intially played Italian and Latin records imported from Argentina but they soon gave way to "Rock around the Clock". There has been speculation as to why the dance area became known as the Snake Pit but Rosina remembers it being due to the snakey style of dancing.

Bodgies and Widgies

Andy Andros was one of the legendary figures of Scarborough’s famous Snake Pit, the open-air dance area where Perth’s bodgies and widgies gathered during the rock ’n’ roll era of the 1950s. Known as the“King of the Snake Pit” and later the“Pit Boss,” Andy was renowned for his jiving skills, larger-than-life personality and ability to keep the peace among the crowds of teenagers who flocked to Scarborough to dance to the latest records. The bodgies, dressed in black jeans and T-shirts, and the widgies in colourful skirts and fitted tops, created a vibrant youth culture that transformed the beachfront into the heart of Perth’s rock ’n’ roll scene. Under the lights, with jukebox music filling the air, the Snake Pit became a symbol of freedom, friendship and post-war teenage excitement.