Two Rocks is an outer suburb at the northern edge of Perth, the state capital of Western Australia, located 61 kilometres (38 mi) northwest of the city's central business district. It is part of the City of Wanneroo local authority and represents the furthest northern extent of the Perth metropolitan region.
| Two Rocks Perth, Western Australia | |||||||||||||||
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 View north from Two Rocks. | |||||||||||||||
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| Coordinates | 31°29′42″S 115°35′17″E / 31.495°S 115.588°E | ||||||||||||||
| Population | 3,822 (SAL 2021)[1] | ||||||||||||||
| Established | 1975 | ||||||||||||||
| Postcode(s) | 6037 | ||||||||||||||
| Area | 52 km2 (20.1 sq mi) | ||||||||||||||
| Location | 61 km (38 mi) NNW of the Perth CBD | ||||||||||||||
| LGA(s) | City of Wanneroo | ||||||||||||||
| State electorate(s) | Butler | ||||||||||||||
| Federal division(s) | Pearce | ||||||||||||||
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While the suburb has a large area, at the 2001 census the suburb's entire population was recorded living within a 2.3 km2 (0.9 sq mi) region near the coast surrounding Two Rocks marina. However in more recent years residential development has spread to areas to the east and south-east of the established suburb. Large sections of the suburb are fenced off due to unexploded ordnance left behind from past military activity in the area.
A major landmark in the suburb is a large limestone sculpture of King Neptune by American sculptor Mark Le Buse, a remnant of the defunct Atlantis Marine Park, which operated between 1981 and 1990.[2] The sculpture, which had sat abandoned and fenced off since the park's closure, was heritage listed by the Western Australian Heritage Council in 2006,[3] before being restored and the surrounding area reopened to the public in May 2015.[4]
In addition to the marina, the suburb also contains a small shopping centre, a public library, and two schools: the private Atlantis Beach Baptist College and the public Two Rocks Primary School.
History
editThe suburb of Two Rocks takes its name from two prominent rocks offshore from Wreck Point. It was approved as a suburb name in 1975.[5]
As well as being the former location of Atlantis Marine Park, the suburb was also a hub of Alan Bond's failed Yanchep Sun City development plan in the 1980s. Sun City was the state's first private residential, commercial and recreational investment project.[6]
In recognition of this, the Sun City precinct, which encompasses the marina, shopping centre, the King Neptune sculpture, and the former site of Atlantis Marine Park, was added to the State Register of Heritage Places in January 2023.[6]
A large bushfire in the area in 1991 destroyed many dwellings in the suburb. Large parts of the suburb were also affected by a major bushfire in December 2019. The fire, which burnt over 14,000 ha over several days, came close to Two Rocks Primary School.[7]
On 24 May 2023, an unnamed 15-year-old shot three times into a classroom at the Atlantis Beach Baptist College.[8][9]
Transport
editBus
edit- 498 Two Rocks to Yanchep Station – serves Gift Way, Breakwater Drive, Lisford Avenue, Sovereign Drive, Enterprise Avenue, Azzurra Loop, Two Rocks Road, Blaxland Avenue, Fawkner Road and Montibello Boulevard[10]
References
edit- ^ Australian Bureau of Statistics (28 June 2022). "Two Rocks (suburb and locality)". Australian Census 2021 QuickStats. Retrieved 28 June 2022.
- ^ "Lost Atlantis: King Neptune Reigns". State Library of Western Australia. 28 February 2023.
- ^ "King Neptune Sculpture - inHerit Stage Heritage Office listing". Government of West Australia. 7 November 2016.
- ^ Jarvis, Lucy (21 May 2015). "King stands proud again". Community News - Wanneroo Times. Archived from the original on 24 May 2015. Retrieved 21 May 2015.
- ^ "History of metropolitan suburb names – T". Western Australian Land Information Authority. Archived from the original on 16 March 2022. Retrieved 17 April 2007.
- ^ a b Templeton, David (11 January 2023). "King Neptune statue given heritage recognition within Sun City Precinct". Government of West Australia. Archived from the original on 11 January 2023. Retrieved 28 January 2024.
- ^ Jarvis, Lucy (24 January 2020). "Fire impact remains front of mind". The West Australian. Retrieved 28 January 2024.
- ^ Menagh, Joanna (4 December 2023). "Boy admits school shooting at Atlantis Beach Baptist College in Perth". ABC News Australia. Retrieved 28 January 2024.
- ^ Peppiatt, Rebecca; Holt, Ezra (4 December 2023). "Teenager pleads guilty to shooting at Perth school". WA Today. Retrieved 28 January 2024.
- ^ "Route 498". Bus Timetable 55 (PDF). Transperth. 31 July 2024 [effective from 18 August 2024].
