Perth Suburb Profiles

Balga

Situated 11km from the Perth GPO.

The name "Balga" was adopted in 1954 and derived from an Aboriginal word for the indigenous grass tree Xanthorrhoea, commonly known as the "Black Boy". Before large scale development of Balga began in the late 1950's, the area was used primarily for market gardens and poultry farms. The laying out of streets in Balga commenced in 1959 and the majority of housing was constructed between 1964 and 1973. The area is largely characterised by single storey residential dwellings with lot sizes averaging 700m2. The brick construction materials of most dwellings in Balga reflect the period during which development occurred. Historically, the area contained a significant concentration of public housing. Since, 1999 the "New North" project has transformed the area and has encouraged a shift to private ownership. The original street planning has resulted in a large number of parks and recreational reserves. The largest of these is Brian Burke Reserve, which contains an aquatic centre, recreational centre, tennis courts, cricket club and soccer club. When the suburb was divided by the REID Highway, the southern section was renamed Westminster.

2011 Census Summary	Balga	Perth Metro Region
Population - Usually Resident	10,701	1,645,573
Median Age of Residents (Years)	31	35
Residents less than 19	29%	27%
Residents 20-64	61%	62%
Residents over 65	12%	13%
Average Household Size (persons)	2.00	2.55
Couples without children	23%	28%
Couple family with children	25%	34%
Single parent family	18%	11%
Other families	2%	2%
Lone Person	31%	24%
Group Household	6%	5%
Total Households	3,873	604,425
Number of Occupied Dwellings 1	4,206	595,499
House	72%	79%
Duplex, Villa, Town House	22%	12%
Flat,Unit, Apartment	8%	10%
Other 2	0%	1%
Number of Unoccupied Dwellings	331	57,529
Fully Owned 2	20%	30%
Being Purchased 2	32%	42%
Being Rented 2	48%	28%
Other 2	1%	2%
Median Weekly Household Income	$934	$1,481
Median Monthly Mortgage Repayment	$1,076	$2,008
Median Weekly Rent	$299	$327
Local Schools:	Balga P.S., Warriapendi P.S., Gladys Newton School, Majella P.S., Balga S.H.S., North Balga P.S., Balga TAFE Campus
Other Nearby Schools:	St Lawrence Primary School (Balcatta) , Our Lady of Mercy Primary School (Girrawheen) , Mercy College (Koondoola) , Our Lady of Lourdes School (Nollamara) , St Gerard's Primary School (Westminster)
Shops:	Mirrabooka Square, Westminster Shopping Centre, Stirling Central
Train Stations:	No train service
Bus Services:	Local bus service, Bus Port at Mirrabooka Square
1. Excludes visitor only households 2. % Calcs exclude Not Stated Component