Stirling, Western Australia

Stirling is a suburb of Perth, the capital city of Western Australia, about 10 km north of Perth's central business district (CBD) along the Mitchell Freeway. Its local government area is the City of Stirling, whose council offices and administration centre are located in the southwest of the mostly residential suburb.HistoryStirling is named after James Stirling, the first Western Australian governor (1829–1838). The name was approved in April 1976 at the request of the City of Stirling, as the area contained the Council's headquarters. The suburb was part of Balcatta until 1976.Throughout the wetland regions, Aboriginals hunted for kangaroo, emu, snakes, tortoise, mudfish, gilgies and water birds and their eggs, to name a few food sources. Aboriginal sites are known to have existed in a few locations in the Gwelup-Balcatta region.Early European settlement (to 1960)The area's first European settlement was as an extension of the Osborne Park market area. Its initial growth in importance as an agricultural area in the 1920s came from three major factors: retired Chinese miners from the Eastern Goldfields, the post-World War I Soldier Settlement Scheme (many of whom had no experience in intensive farming), and an influx of Italians prior to Mussolini's effective banning of emigration in 1927, who mostly started life in Western Australia as miners and woodcutters. Dino Gava noted: "The process of (Italian) chain migration was strong in Osborne Park and Wanneroo. They arrived ill-prepared with regard to language and education but their youth and willingness to work made them desirable settlers." By 1935, the area was producing all sorts of fruit and vegetables, and a 1961 newspaper reported that "hundreds of acres are under cultivation, (and) nearly all types of vegetable are produced in the area. Part of the produce is exported to other countries."