Perth, Western Australia
The Names of Perth: Canning River
Where the date of naming and the person who named a feature is known, entries are presented in the following format: Date named; Person who named it; reason for giving names. The names are listed from north to south, commencing at Cape Leschenault.
There are many gaps in this list, indicating that the origins of many names were unable to be verified when this list was being compiled. The authors welcome any contributions by readers that will help fill in the gaps.
Canning River: Named after George Canning, the Prime Minister of England in 1827 who instigated the expedition by James Stirling to examine the west coast of Australia for a suitable site for a colony. The river had previously been named Entree Moreau by the French explorer Louis de Freycinet in 1801, believing it to be an estuary which led to the sea.
Coffee Point: The name is believed to relate to A.P. Matherson & Co., chandlers, who built a warehouse and jetty there in 1896. Coffee was one of the main products the company imported and roasted there.
Deep Water Point
Deep Water Point: Descriptive.
Mt Henry Bridge
Point Henry / Mount Henry: Recalls Lieutenant John Henry of the HMS Challenger, who came with Captain Stirling on the first survey of the Swan River and led an exploratory party of 25 men from the ship into the Manning area on 26.6.1829 to trace the headwaters of the Canning River. During this exploration, Henry discovered the source of the river and investigated the soil of the country between the mountains and the sea. He returned to the main party on 1 July, after having explored the country from Cockburn Sound to the Darling Mountains . He followed the course of the Canning River, from the source to the mouth. a journey of more than 160 km, and found the soil well suited for the purposes of agriculture. During the whole journey, not one indigenous Australian was seen.
Canning River: Aquinas Bay It is situated alongside Aquinas College.
Salter Point Lagoon
Salter Point: Recalls a building contractor, Charles Salter, who is believed to have lived there.
Bull Creek: Recalls colonial landowver, Henry Bull. It was originally known as Bull's Creek.
Prisoners Point: Previously known as Mumms Point.
There are many gaps in this list, indicating that the origins of many names were unable to be verified when this list was being compiled. The authors welcome any contributions by readers that will help fill in the gaps.
Canning River: Named after George Canning, the Prime Minister of England in 1827 who instigated the expedition by James Stirling to examine the west coast of Australia for a suitable site for a colony. The river had previously been named Entree Moreau by the French explorer Louis de Freycinet in 1801, believing it to be an estuary which led to the sea.
Coffee Point: The name is believed to relate to A.P. Matherson & Co., chandlers, who built a warehouse and jetty there in 1896. Coffee was one of the main products the company imported and roasted there.
Deep Water Point
Deep Water Point: Descriptive.
Mt Henry Bridge
Point Henry / Mount Henry: Recalls Lieutenant John Henry of the HMS Challenger, who came with Captain Stirling on the first survey of the Swan River and led an exploratory party of 25 men from the ship into the Manning area on 26.6.1829 to trace the headwaters of the Canning River. During this exploration, Henry discovered the source of the river and investigated the soil of the country between the mountains and the sea. He returned to the main party on 1 July, after having explored the country from Cockburn Sound to the Darling Mountains . He followed the course of the Canning River, from the source to the mouth. a journey of more than 160 km, and found the soil well suited for the purposes of agriculture. During the whole journey, not one indigenous Australian was seen.
Canning River: Aquinas Bay It is situated alongside Aquinas College.
Salter Point Lagoon
Salter Point: Recalls a building contractor, Charles Salter, who is believed to have lived there.
Bull Creek: Recalls colonial landowver, Henry Bull. It was originally known as Bull's Creek.
Prisoners Point: Previously known as Mumms Point.
Clontarf Bay:
Takes its name from Clontarf estate, which is situated on the northern banks of the Canning River between the river and Manning Road, east of Elderfield Road. Opening in 1901, the facility has been used for a number of purposes since, most notably as an orphanage for boys but also as a convent and as a day and boarding school. The name comes from Clontarf, a wealthy suburb in the north-east of Dublin, Ireland, reflecting the origins of the founder of the Christian Brothers, Edmund Ignatius Rice, as well as many of the early Christian brothers.
Shelley Water
Shelley Beach / Shelley Water: It is believed the name refers to shells found on the shores of the Canning River here. Formerly part of Riverton, the suburb of Shelley was approved as a separate suburb in the mid 1960s. It takes its name from Shelley Water.
Wadjup Point: The name is of Aboriginal origin. It is believed to be the Aboriginal name for this locality.
Bannister Creek: Recalls early landowver, John Bannister.
Whistlepipe Gully:
Woodlupine Brook: Flowers growing on its banks resembled the English plant of that name.
Yule Brook: Recalls early colonist and landowner, Thomas Newte Yule.
Lesmurdie Falls
Lesmurdie Brook: The brook flowed through the original 'Lesmurdie' property. In 1897, Mr Archibald Sanderson, a Perth journalist commenced the acquisition of a number of these properties, with a view to building up a "rural retreat" and he named his property "Lesmurdie". Lesmurdie Cottage was a shooting-box in Banffshire, Scotland, near Dufftown and was let to Mr Sanderson's father for shooting. It was in memory of this cottage that Sanderson applied the name to his property.
Crystal Brook: Presumed descriptive of the clearness of the brook's water.
![]()
Victoria Dam, Bickley Brook
Bickley Brook: Recalls Wallace Bickley. A pioneer in the area and a member of the first Legislative Assembly - Samuel Wallace Alexander Walsh Bickley or Wallace Bickley, as he was more commonly known, was the original owner of 640 acres on the Canning River in 1843 and the brook which entered the Canning River at the corner of the land was known as "Bickley's Brook".
Shelley Water
Shelley Beach / Shelley Water: It is believed the name refers to shells found on the shores of the Canning River here. Formerly part of Riverton, the suburb of Shelley was approved as a separate suburb in the mid 1960s. It takes its name from Shelley Water.
Wadjup Point: The name is of Aboriginal origin. It is believed to be the Aboriginal name for this locality.
Bannister Creek: Recalls early landowver, John Bannister.
Whistlepipe Gully:
Woodlupine Brook: Flowers growing on its banks resembled the English plant of that name.
Yule Brook: Recalls early colonist and landowner, Thomas Newte Yule.
Lesmurdie Falls
Lesmurdie Brook: The brook flowed through the original 'Lesmurdie' property. In 1897, Mr Archibald Sanderson, a Perth journalist commenced the acquisition of a number of these properties, with a view to building up a "rural retreat" and he named his property "Lesmurdie". Lesmurdie Cottage was a shooting-box in Banffshire, Scotland, near Dufftown and was let to Mr Sanderson's father for shooting. It was in memory of this cottage that Sanderson applied the name to his property.
Crystal Brook: Presumed descriptive of the clearness of the brook's water.
Bickley Brook: Recalls Wallace Bickley. A pioneer in the area and a member of the first Legislative Assembly - Samuel Wallace Alexander Walsh Bickley or Wallace Bickley, as he was more commonly known, was the original owner of 640 acres on the Canning River in 1843 and the brook which entered the Canning River at the corner of the land was known as "Bickley's Brook".
Pickering Brook:
The brook is named after an early settler, Captain Edward Picking whose name was sometimes recorded as Pickering. The suburb of Pickering Brook was officially created on the 12th January 1973. Part of it was formerly known as Carilla.
Old Barrington Quarry, Ellis Brook
Ellis Brook: Recalls a local farmer, Edward Ellis.
Southern River: It is the southern branch of the Canning River.
Wright Brook: Recalls agriculturalist, William Wright.
Stony Brook: Descriptive.
Wungong Dam
Wungong Brook: A name of Aboriginal origin. It was re-named Marshall River in Janyary 1835 by A Hillman, but its original name was retained when recorded by FT Gregory in 1853.
Churchman Brook Reservoir
Churchman Brook: Recalls the first grantee of Canning Location 32, Charles Blissit Churchman.
Stinton Creek: Recalls Josiah Stinton, a stonemason of Wallaston.
Kangaroo Gully: Presumably numerous kangaroos were seen here by an early explorer.
Turtle Brook: Presumably turtles were seen in the creek by an early explorer.
Death Adder Creek: Presumably a snake resembling a death adder was seen here by an early explorer.
Neerigen Brook Weir
Neerigen Brook: The name is of Aboriginal origin. It is believed to be the Aboriginal name for this brook. The name was first recorded by AC Gregory in 1853.
Old Barrington Quarry, Ellis Brook
Ellis Brook: Recalls a local farmer, Edward Ellis.
Southern River: It is the southern branch of the Canning River.
Wright Brook: Recalls agriculturalist, William Wright.
Stony Brook: Descriptive.
Wungong Dam
Wungong Brook: A name of Aboriginal origin. It was re-named Marshall River in Janyary 1835 by A Hillman, but its original name was retained when recorded by FT Gregory in 1853.
Churchman Brook Reservoir
Churchman Brook: Recalls the first grantee of Canning Location 32, Charles Blissit Churchman.
Stinton Creek: Recalls Josiah Stinton, a stonemason of Wallaston.
Kangaroo Gully: Presumably numerous kangaroos were seen here by an early explorer.
Turtle Brook: Presumably turtles were seen in the creek by an early explorer.
Death Adder Creek: Presumably a snake resembling a death adder was seen here by an early explorer.
Neerigen Brook Weir
Neerigen Brook: The name is of Aboriginal origin. It is believed to be the Aboriginal name for this brook. The name was first recorded by AC Gregory in 1853.
