City of Stirling - Scarborough

Image of Canoe Championships held at Scarborough

The local community describes Scarborough as a vibrant, coastal and relaxed neighbourhood. To better understand what is means to be ‘a local’ our suburb profile seeks to understand the local stories Koora (past), Yeyi (present), Boordawan (future) and respond to Ngalang Maya (our place). This snapshot identifies the unique character of Scarborough’s neighbourhood and helps the City rethink how we deliver services with a local focus.

Named after the English beach resort, Scarborough was once dominated by holiday homes and single detached houses.

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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. As land at Scarborough was sandy and of little agricultural value, early grants were not made in the area. It was not until 1869 that John Hughes and Jesse Golding were each given lots of 40 acres.

In 1885 a visiting Sydney journalist explored the coastline at Scarborough and promoted the high quality of the beach. Encouraged by the publicity, some real estate agents investigated the possibility of developing the area. In 1885 Perth firm Laurence and Cooke purchased and subdivided land, followed in 1892 by Patrick Callaghan of Melbourne. Lots sold poorly and Scarborough was eventually re-subdivided into smaller properties in 1914.

The City of Stirling's predecessor, the Perth Road Board, later put the land to public auction and in the years following World War II large-scale development occurred. At that time street names in the area were altered to mimic the suburb's namesake in Yorkshire. By the 1960s there was little remaining undeveloped land. However, in the mid 1980s extensive redevelopment began, particularly along the beach frontage.

What you've told us so far

"Better parking at Scarborough Beach."

What we're doing

The State Government’s commitment to a free Surf Cat bus service aims to connect the community along Scarborough Beach Road, enabling you to ride with your surfboard, and ease parking congestion by providing better free transport access to Scarborough Beach.

Due to limitations associated with suitably located available land the City is progressing several initiatives to improve access to the precinct and encourage alternatives forms of transport.

In August 2024, Council endorsed eight parking principles to enable a consistent, informed and flexible approach to the supply and management of car parking throughout the City of Stirling.

Installing static and dynamic parking wayfinding signage
Progressing designs for localised bus lanes on Scarborough Beach Road in conjunction with Public Transport Authority (PTA) and Main Roads WA (MRWA)
Advocating to PTA for enhanced public transport (routes and frequency) serving Scarborough
Funding additional PTA bus services during Thursday Night Markets
Traffic signal phasing and intersection design modifications – MRWA
Investigating coastal board walk to improve access to public parking at South Trigg
Advocating to MRWA for the sinking of West Coast Highway in a four-lane enclosed tunnel
Assessing pedestrian crossing points.

Learn more on the Feels Like Scarborough webpage, or find out more about parking and transport in the City.

What you've told us so far

"Better security at night for anti-social behaviour."

What we're doing

The City will implement key recommendations from a crowded places assessment of the Scarborough Beach Precinct to help prevent unauthorised vehicle access to pedestrian areas and improve public safety. This includes enhancements to the CCTV network and ongoing collaboration with the WA Police Force through joint operations in the precinct.

To make a report, call the City's Community Patrol on 1300 365 356 (24/7 services) or report online.

Learn more about community safety initiatives in the City.

What you've told us so far

"Better connectivity with public transport to other areas of Perth, particularly along the coast north and south."

What we're doing

The provision of public transport services is the responsibility of the State Government under the Public Transport Authority. At the 2025 State Election, the State Government announced a commitment of $14.2 million for a new free SurfCAT service, offering public transport between Stirling Station and Scarborough Beach Bus Station. The commitment also includes proposed upgrades to the Scarborough Beach Bus Station and improvements to the bus lanes at the West Coast Highway–Scarborough Beach Road intersection.

What you've told us so far

"A boardwalk between North Scarborough and South Trigg so we don't have to walk on the shared path adjacent to West Coast Highway."

What we're doing

The City is currently undertaking a feasibility study for a proposed boardwalk. Community consultation will form part of this study.

Learn more about the Coastal Boardwalk Feasibility Study.

What you've told us so far

"More trees and grass please."

What we're doing

Tree planting and greening efforts continue across City-managed land, with an average of 8,000 trees planted annually. Funding has been allocated to support the continuation of these programs in 2026, and the City is currently applying for State Government grants to further expand planting numbers. Close to 200 trees are planned for planting in Scarborough during the winter 2026 season.

Learn more on the Living Green Program webpage, or sign up for the Living Green newsletter for more updates.

Scarborough population

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Average number of people per household

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The average age in Scarborough is 36 years old

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Top five birthplaces

Australia (62%), England (8%), New Zealand (3%), South Africa (2%), Brazil (2%)

Median weekly household income

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86% of residents are satisfied with liveability

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Scarborough was once dominated by holiday homes and 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. Lot sizes average 800 m² in Scarborough, though lots north of Scarborough Beach Road are smaller.

The Scarborough Beach precinct contains, as well as Rendezvous Hotel Perth, a variety of shops including a supermarket and weekend markets. Other local shopping complexes and stores scattered throughout the suburb provide for daily needs. The suburb is also home to the newly built Scarborough Beach Pool facility, which is the first of its kind in WA. It is also home to the Stirling Leisure - Scarborough that houses a gym and sports facilities.

In addition to the popular ocean foreshore, Scarborough contains 22ha of public open space, made up of nine local open spaces, three community open spaces and two district open spaces. Abbett Park offers a variety of sporting facilities, including football, squash, lawn bowls, tennis and cricket.

Scarborough Beach also hosts a surf lifesaving club and other recreation facilities. The suburb has two primary schools, and a library and community recreation centre are located near the eastern boundary of Scarborough.

For more information, including parking and transport advice and tourist spots, visit the Explore Scarborough page.