Coolbinia

Coolbinia, the Aboriginal word for mistletoe, was part of Mount Lawley until 1953. It was designed for green streets with low-density dwellings, reflecting different eras of residential development.

History

An Aboriginal word for mistletoe, Coolbinia was named back in 1953 to differentiate the area from Mount Lawley.

Coolbinia was originally considered part of Mount Lawley and designed according to garden suburb principles first devised by Ebenezer Howard, advocating the creation of green streets with low-density dwellings.

Residential development

To enforce the standards, many lots in Coolbinia had restrictive covenants placed on land to limit the majority of development to single residential and an interesting element of design saw developers ensuring each dwelling was within walking distance of a small park or recreational reserve.

Many of the street names within Coolbinia commemorate towns and districts across WA and include Carnarvon, Ardross, Mullewa and Koorda.

The character of Coolbinia dwellings varies considerably and can be attributed to the different eras of residential development housing from the 1930s to the 1960s.

Predominantly characterised by brick-and-tile homes on large lots, the area also has a small pocket of unit development located on Adair Parade.

Types of housing in Coolbinia include Californian bungalows, art-deco, post-war austerity housing and international-style dwellings. This variety of housing has substantially contributed to the unique character of the streetscapes.

Community development

Coolbinia contains a number of small parks (some are located at the rear of properties with entry obtained via access ways) and include Bandy Park and Nissy Mossenson Park.

The area also contains the Coolbinia Primary School and Sir David Brand Centre and School to serve educational needs, both situated on Bradford Street.

Squash courts are located on Walcott Street, along with a strip of retail development to serve local needs. Yokine Reserve is a significant regional recreational reserve located on the northern boundary of the suburb. It contains a mixture of playing fields and passive recreation areas and the Coolbinia Sporting Club.

Significant landmarks

386 Walcott Street is a single-storey masonry building oriented south-west, in an open garden comprising lawn, mature trees and perimeter planting. It has rendered and painted brick walls on the exterior and a tiled roof. The front parapet wall marks the entrance to the building with a symbol of an Aesculapian Staff above the central opening. There are timber-framed double hung sashes in the rooms to the west of the entrance and timber-framed hopper windows to the south, which are shaded under a concrete hood. 

The medical centre has aesthetic value as a good example of an Inter-War Functionalist style building and associated with the development of Coolbinia in the 1930s.