North Beach was the former location of the famous Castle Hotel. It has a diverse range of housing types including old holiday dwellings, former workers' houses, modern dwellings and character houses.
History
The name 'North Beach' was first given to the locality in 1888 when surveyor Charles Crossland referred to the pastoral leases of Samuel Richard Hamersley as his "north beach coastal run". It was not until 1954 however, that the name was formally approved.
Edward Hamersley settled in the North Beach area in 1837 and built a home known as 'The Castle' on the site of the former Castle Hotel. Edward Hamersley died in 1874 and the land was passed on to his son Samuel.
During the gold rush era, North Beach became a quarantine station for camels entering the country for service in the goldfields. Throughout the 1940s and 1950s the area became a holiday destination for the people of Perth. As a result many coastal shacks and holiday houses were built in North Beach, some of which are still there today.
In the late 1950s and early 1960s North Beach developed into a residential suburb and the town site was gazetted in 1964.
Significant landmarks
The site of the old Castle Hotel was one of the suburb's significant landmarks. Although demolished in late 1998, the Castle Hotel had been a feature of the area for over 75 years. The hotel was developed on the site of the original Hamersley home, and thus represents an important part of the history of North Beach. The site has now been subdivided into 24 single house lots.
Residential development
There is a diverse range of housing types within North Beach, including holiday dwellings from before and after World War II, as well as some former workers' houses. There are also many modern dwellings throughout the suburb. There are still some of the older character houses, which were generally constructed of fibro and timber, while the newer developments are predominantly brick.
Single detached dwellings dominate housing within North Beach, although there is an increasing number of unit and duplex developments in the suburb. The average lot size is around 900 m², and block sizes can range between 530 m² and 1100 m².
Community development
The major shopping centre in North Beach is West Coast Plaza, located on the corner of West Coast Drive and North Beach Road. There are also smaller centres to serve local residents scattered throughout the suburb.
North Beach is well provided with open space and parks, including Star Swamp Bushland Reserve and Charles Riley Memorial Reserve. Charles Riley Memorial Reserve contains tennis courts and a bowling club, as well as a recreation centre. The suburb has an extensive length of beachfront, which also serves recreational needs. North Beach hosts a community centre and 2 primary schools.