.png)
Matilda Bay and Crawley History
During WWII, Crawley was used as a flying boat base, with aircraft operating from the Swan River and military personnel occupying buildings at the University of Western Australia.
This history covers Matilda Bay and Crawley from the wartime base to the current ferry terminal proposal. It includes the military withdrawal, recreational use of the bay, changes to the foreshore and environment, and earlier ferry services, including the Applecross-Nedlands service launched in 1994.
The latest proposal has raised a range of concerns, including the proposed removal of trees, the effect on Sailability WA and whether the existing jetty at Jojo’s could be used instead.
These issues are examined through the planning and environmental reports, alongside interviews and the community campaign against the proposed terminal.
-
Matilda Bay: Location and name
-
Before WWII: Ferries, bathing and boating
-
The WWII flying boat base
-
Postwar use and changes to the foreshore
-
Later ferry services and proposals
-
The current proposal and community response
1. Matilda Bay and Crawley
Matilda Bay is on the northern side of the Swan River beside the suburb of Crawley. It extends from Pelican Point towards the foot of Kings Park. Matilda Bay Reserve runs along the foreshore between Hackett Drive and the river, opposite the University of Western Australia. Crawley is the suburb, while Matilda Bay refers to the bay and gives the foreshore reserve its name.
.jpg)
Crawley townsite plan, 1930 (cropped). State Records Office of Western Australia, AU WA S2168- cons5698 0468, Tally No. 506383. Highlighting and annotations added by Delphine Jamet.
The name Matilda Bay is generally attributed to Matilda Roe, née Bennett, wife of Western Australia’s first Surveyor-General, John Septimus Roe. Historical accounts also refer to Eliza Bay, Currie’s Bay, Sutherland’s Bay and Crawley Bay.
.jpg)
Matilda Leay (Bennett) Roe
Historical accounts also refer to the bay as Currie’s Bay, Sutherland’s Bay, Crawley Bay and Eliza Bay. Currie and Sutherland were early owners of the adjoining land. The dates when each name came into use and whether they replaced or overlapped one another have not been confirmed.
Crawley takes its name from Crawley Park, the property of Henry Charles Sutherland, who named it after his mother’s maiden name. The property later belonged to George Shenton. Following his death in 1909, the State Government purchased the estate in 1910 as part of its acquisition of riverfront land for public recreation. The former residence, now Shenton House, remains within the university grounds.
2. Ferries before the war
Ferries were serving Crawley well before WWII. During parliamentary debate on the proposed university location on 28 October 1913, members discussed whether students could travel across the river from Applecross. When the service was mentioned as a future possibility, Mr Lewis interjected that ferries were already running. Mr Underwood also acknowledged that a service was operating, although he questioned whether ferries would provide dependable transport for university students.
The opening of Crawley Baths on 7 February 1914 provided another destination for passengers travelling by river. A newspaper report published on 18 January had announced that the steamer Westralian would carry passengers between Barrack Street Jetty and the baths for the opening. The report also anticipated that the existing Crawley ferry service would include a stop at the new baths.
001046D Crawley Baths, 1920s
By January 1915, an advertisement confirmed a regular ferry service between Barrack Street and Crawley Baths, operated by Sutton and Olson. Weekday departures from Barrack Street were advertised at 2.30 pm, 3.15 pm and 8 pm, with return trips from the baths at 4.30 pm and 9.50 pm. Sunday departures included morning, afternoon and evening services, with the final advertised return leaving the baths at 9.50 pm.
Crawley Baths and swimming
Crawley Baths opened on the Mounts Bay Road shoreline with a swimming carnival and lifesaving demonstrations. The site offered a sandy riverbed, unlike the muddy conditions that had caused difficulties at the earlier city baths closer to central Perth.
4689B479 Where thousands took refuge from the hot spell, Crawley Baths, 12 January 1918
The baths stood along Mounts Bay Road, approximately 1 kilometre northeast of the site proposed for the new Matilda Bay ferry terminal.
The timber structure enclosed an area of river water used for recreational swimming, lessons and competitions.
Swimming also took place outside the enclosure. A January 1926 newspaper account described the Crawley shore as gently sloping and suitable for children. It reported that the bay had become popular with families, with its proximity to Perth making it more accessible than some other river beaches.
Camping and development of the foreshore
Following the Government’s purchase of the Crawley estate, the foreshore was used for camping and recreation. A tram route along the river towards Nedlands Baths provided access from Perth.
By 1926, the Crawley foreshore had undergone substantial landscaping. The West Australian reported that between 1,000 and 2,000 trees had been planted along the riverbank, including along the shore between the Perth-Fremantle road and Pelican Point. The article attributed the improvements to a development scheme prepared some twelve years earlier.
Swampy ground had been drained, lawns established and sanitary facilities improved. Camping at Pelican Point was organised under permit conditions. The article also recorded terraces at intervals along the shore.
These works show that the lawns, planted shade trees and recreational areas were already being developed before the wartime base arrived. The foreshore used by swimmers, campers and boating parties in the 1920s had been altered through drainage, planting and other improvements.
University rowing
The University of Western Australia Boat Club was established in 1919, with students competing in intervarsity rowing that year. Its boatshed was constructed on Matilda Bay in 1929, funded through debentures purchased by members of the public supporting university rowing. The building provided a permanent base for the club on the Crawley foreshore before the university’s main campus moved there.
By the outbreak of the Second World War, the Crawley shoreline accommodated ferry landings, public baths, camping grounds and university rowing facilities. Military occupation subsequently introduced flying boats and their support operations into an area already used for transport, swimming and recreation.
