Area Overview: Winthrop

The land originally formed part of a larger holding endowed to the University of Western Australia. 

For many years the land was part of a pine plantation. The City of Melville chose the name Winthrop in 1977, in recognition of Sir John Winthrop Hackett, Founding Editor of the West Australian and first Chancellor of the University of Western Australia (from 1912 – 1916).

When the area was developed in the mid-eighties, traces of the pine plantation were retained giving the suburb a green, village sensibility. In the early days, many people chose to camp out near the sales office to secure a block – some for up to a week! Decades on, the housing in Winthrop is mostly low density and is characterised by larger homes built in the 1908’s and 1990’s. 

Winthrop is a leafy suburb with some fantastic family-friendly parks, like the impressive Piney Lakes Reserve, as well as a local shopping precinct and sought after schools.

There are a few units and villas around Winthrop, but the typical property is a four bedroom house with one, or quite often two storeys. There a still a few vacant blocks to be found for those wanting to build their own house.

Winthrop has great transport options available with the nearest train stations nearby at Bull Creek and Murdoch, each just over one kilometre away.

Nearby suburbs may have the lure of major shopping centres like Westfield Booragoon but Winthrop takes care of itself with its own local shopping mall equipped with a supermarket, post office, butchers, bottle shop and some other personal services. 

Local Council: City of Melville