HIGH WYCOMBE
High Wycombe is part of the Foothills / Plains area of the Shire of Kalamunda and is bordered by the suburbs of Maida Vale, Forrestfield, Hazelmere (not within the Shire of Kalamunda) and the Perth Airport.
Primarily a residential area, High Wycombe is made up of housing estates, with more currently under development. High Wycombe is especially popular with young families. There are also industrial and rural pockets within High Wycombe. The total population for the suburb of High Wycombe is approximately 10 500.
Features of High Wycombe include Fleming Reserve, Ollie, Worell Reserve, Scott Reserve, High Wycombe Recreation Centre, three shopping centres, Hillview National Lifestyle Village, three schools (High Wycombe Primary, Edney Rd Primary and Matthew Gibney Catholic Primary) and excellent road links with easy access to Roe, Tonkin and Great Eastern Highways.
Attractions
Hillview High Wycombe – National Lifestyle Villages
Hillview provides a unique lifestyle model for youthful over 45s who are ‘too young, too active and too healthy for a traditional retirement village’.
At Hillview, you can free up capital and live the life you’ve always dreamed about, while enjoying security, community and fun as well as constant access to fully maintained resort-style facilities and beautifully landscaped grounds.
Hillview Lifestyle Village is the fourth community to be conceived, designed, built and managed by National Lifestyle Villages, a company with the express purpose of enriching the lives of over 45s.
Fleming Reserve
On Newburn Road (between the intersections of Sorensen Road and Smith Crescent) lies Fleming Reserve. A community success story, the Reserve had been disused after many of the trees had been cut down to stop the spread of European Borer. Eager to claim the space back, a redevelopment project was initiated by local resident Michelle White with the support of local residents. The Fleming Reserve Redevelopment Project was an initiative driven by the High Wycombe Community Association in partnership with the Shire of Kalamunda. The community vision for Fleming Reserve was to create a multigenerational community play space that encourages physical activity and social interaction. The reserve includes upgraded facilities such as; skatepark / BMX Track and multi use youth area, children’s playground catering for children from 2-12 years of age, Community BBQ area, New Toilet / Changeroom, kiosk building, 1km internal pathway system, landscaping and public art. The project was a great success and today the reserve is bustling with youthful and family activities and community events.
To read more about Fleming Reserve click here and here
High Wycombe Recreation Centre
Located next to Scott Reserve on Newburn Road in High Wycombe, the Community and Recreation Centre facilities include a gymnasium, main hall, a commercial kitchen, theatrical stage, meeting room and access for people with disabilities. The main hall can be used for group functions such as weddings, quiz nights, dances or sporting activities such as badminton, basketball, soccer and netball. Adult and junior programs are run throughout the year and court hire is available for casual and permanent use.
Opening times: 9:00am to 12:00noon; 3:00pm – 7:30pm, Monday to Thursday and 9:00am to 5:00pm Friday and after hours by booking only.
Details: 200 Newburn Road, High Wycombe, WA 6057
Ph: 9257 9978
Email: [email protected]
History
High Wycombe has a relatively short history having come into existence as late as 1958 when real estate developers Sloan Homes and General Agency opened up the “High Wycombe Estate”. Prior to this, High Wycombe was a part of Maida Vale and, older residents of that suburb describe High Wycombe’s origin with resentment; “land was bought up, bulldozed, roads slapped down and a huge sign declared the area High Wycombe Estate”. Although land in High Wycombe was available for 30/- an acre, there was little interest. Locals considered the area poor for growing crops and orchards as there was too much Banksia and white sand. Subsequently, real estate developers moved in, and by choosing the name ‘High Wycombe’ it is presumed that they were particularly targeting English immigrants under a Realty Development Corporation housing scheme which was operating in Perth at the time. Slow to start, there were only a handful of families in High Wycombe when it was first created (namely – the Smiths, the Hughes, the MacPhersons, the McLaughlins and the Watsons), but from 1965 onwards the suburb experienced a development explosion.
Notable characters in High Wycombe’s early history include:
Mr Peter and Mrs Billie Madderson
pioneering residents of Maida Vale since 1913, and then High Wycombe, the Madderson’s were primarily orchardists. They purchased their first truck in 1926 and became carriers for the whole district until the end of the Second World War. They also helped to develop the place, especially the roads. Peter Madderson recalls orchards (stone fruit, figs and oranges), an olive oil farm, pig and dairy farming and wood cutting as being the main activities in the area.
Mr Percy R. Emms
Came out from England in 1909, loaded his wife and three daughters and a milking goat on a horse and cart and made his way to their property near Wittenoom Road. He started up a poultry farm and a Reserve has been named after the family in honour of the good work they did for the district.
Mrs Watson and family
Residents of High Wycombe since the beginning, Mrs Watson recalls High Wycombe as being a large bush area and a nice quite suburb where everybody knew each other. The Watsons’ supplied the airport and the planes with fresh milk for the passengers because their dairy property was at one boundary of the airport. Mrs Watson recalls herding the cows across the Perth Airport by halting at the boundary, signalling the tower and receiving a signal back indicating that all was clear and no planes were due.
Mrs Rene Charleton
A prominent member of High Wycombe, Mrs Charleton played a large part in the Girls Guide movement and was also strongly associated with the St John Ambulance.