Bentley

Bentley is a southern suburb of Perth located 8 km southeast of Perth’s central business district.

Its Local Government Areas are the City of Canning and the Town of Victoria Park.

Bentley is home to the main campus of Curtin University of Technology and Technology Park, and therefore students comprise a substantial portion of the demographic.

Prior to European settlement, the area was originally home to the Beeloo Nyungar people, whose territory extended from the Canning River to the Darling Scarp.

In 1830, the land was granted to James McDermott, and changed hands several times before being subdivided in 1885. The suburb was known as “Bentley Hill” from the 1860s onwards, honouring John Bentley (1822-1871), a prison warder and Crimean War veteran.

In the 1940s, the State Housing Commission commenced urban residential development in the area. Housing was also provided by the government to reward former military servicemen for their efforts during the Second World War. Some of these modest war service homes remain today, a few are still occupied by ageing veterans. In 1960-1961, two large retirement housing complexes, Bentley Park (formerly Swan Cottage Homes) and Rowethorpe Homes, were built in the suburb’s west and West Australian Institute of Technology (WAIT, later Curtin University) was opened in 1967.

The Western Australian Technology Park was established opposite the university in 1985, and expanded in the 1990s. Over 90 companies, government departments and research groups with over 2,500 employees across a range of technological and scientific fields opened offices and research facilities at the park. It claims to contribute over $2 billion per annum to the Western Australian economy.

Other schools in the area include Canning College, Al-Hidayah Islamic College and Bentley Primary School. Some of the sporting clubs include Canning Lawn Tennis Club, Canning Aquatic Centre, Wesley Curtin Football Club, SNESA Football Club and Bentley Cricket Club.

Bentley is bounded by Kent Street to the west, Manning Road and Burton/Mills Streets to the south, Jarrah Road, Holder, Coolgardie and Tate Streets to the north and the Armadale railway line to the northeast. Although it is predominantly a residential suburb, Bentley has a retail and light-industrial component in the areas adjacent to Albany Highway.

The suburb is served by a range of bus services, including the Circle Route from Oats Street railway station and routes between Perth City and Cannington interchange. These services are operated by the Public Transport Authority.

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