Dianella

Dianella got its name from a small blue lily, known botanically as dianella revolute, a narrow-leafed plant plentiful in the area before residential redevelopment. The land that now forms Dianella was originally distributed to Robert Thomson, George Darby, James Drummond and James Birkett between 1829 and 1930, although early development was slow because the soil was deemed unsuitable for agriculture.

Much of Dianella was subdivided in the 1880s by the Intercolonial Investment Company of Sydney but the sandy soil continued to hamper growth. By 1919, the only development in Dianella was along Walter Road, which was then a track leading to dairy farms in the Morley area. At this time, Dianella consisted of four localities known as North Inglewood, East Yokine, Morley Park and Bedford Park, which were amalgamated to form Dianella in 1958—and a growth boom occurred soon after. Early settlers such as Birkett, Drummond and Drake are honoured in Dianella’s Street names. Dianella’s development progressed rapidly during the boom years of the 1960s with housing construction first occurring north from Walter Road and Grand Promenade. St Andrews and Dress Circle Estates were the last major areas to be developed. Dianella lies at the heart of the Perth Jewish community, with Carmel school and a small synagogue known as Dianella Shul. Dianella is also part of Perth's small Greek community, the second biggest hub for the Greek Orthodox Community in Perth

The character of housing varies considerably and ranges from modest post-war homes to large, modern 2-storey dwellings. Most houses are single-detached and of brick construction but there are a significant number of duplexes and villas, as well as some older flats in the southern part of Dianella.

Dianella has a number of small parks while a large, regional open space in the heart of the suburb provides a central focus for the community and is an important landmark, providing a significant landscape feature for the suburb. Located at the junction of Alexander and Morley Drives, Dianella Regional Open Space offers opportunities for many kinds of recreation and includes a community recreation centre, soccer field and tennis courts. The suburb’s main shopping centre is Dianella Plaza, built in 1968, although several smaller stores also cater for local needs.  Education is provided by a number of primary schools and Mirrabooka High School, and the suburb also has a senior citizens centre and public library. Dianella was also home to the three commercial television stations operating in Perth, now moved to Osborne Park and Perth, and their studios and associated infrastructure had an impact on the suburb.