Menora

The area now known as Menora was once included in Mount Lawley. George Williams arrived in the Swan River Colony in 1830 but was slow to take up his grants, and did not select Location Ab until 1832. In 1834 Mr Williams was informed that his grant was not as large as described because a large grant northwest of Herdsman Lake included some of this location.  As Mr Williams made no attempt to develop this area the land passed to William Tanner in 1837.   Mr Tanner bought more land in the area so that he owned a good portion of the land which became east Mount Lawley as well.  A small number of agricultural lots were taken up in the future Menora so the Perth Road Board gazetted roads along the current alignment of Learoyd and Flinders Streets.  In 1871 the Comptroller General withdrew all convict labour from the Perth Road Board area so the Board had to hire workers and buy the necessary equipment, which reduced the funds available for the roads themselves.

Plans for a sanitary pan service for toilets was introduced in the Board area by the Osborne Park Local Board of Health in 1912, and met with great protest from residents because it entailed additional costs.  Eventually the plan came to fruition and the area later to be Wordsworth Reserve was used as the first Maylands sanitary depot and nightsoil dump.  This site was closed and the dump moved to the current site of Brightwater Homes in Inglewood.  Perth City Council was using another site in Mount Lawley following closure of their Charles Street, North Perth, dump.

Further subdivision did not commence until the 1940's. The current name was chosen in 1954 and was influenced by the location of the Menora Picture Theatre in Walcott Street, which opened in 1953.  In 1961, Menora formed part of the second suburban area outside of Perth itself, in conjunction with Mount Lawley, Coolbinia and adjoining parts of Inglewood.   Menora was designed on the principles of the Garden Suburb, and thus incorporated green streets, parks within walking distance of all residents and a curvilinear street system.

Menora traditionally has a strong association with the Jewish community. This is reflective in the name 'Menorah', which is a seven branched candlestick considered the symbol of good. Menora was a part of the original crown land granted to Charles Bourne in 1840. The name Menora was chosen in 1954, and was influenced by the location of the Menora Picture Theatre in Walcott Street. A Jewish synagogue was opened on Plantation Street in 1973. The area was designed on the principles of the Garden Suburb, and thus incorporated green streets, parks within walking distance of all residents, and a curvilinear street system.