Ellenbrook, Western Australia

the suburb

Ellenbrook is a northeastern suburb of Perth, Western Australia, about from Perth's central business district (CBD), located within the City of Swan. Ellenbrook, and its neighbouring suburbs of The Vines and Aveley, are unusual for Perth in being a significant distance from neighbouring suburbs. Given this relative isolation and the distance from the CBD, Ellenbrook has been designed and developed as a self sustainable community. Since the upgrade of Gnangara Road and the completion of the Tonkin Highway Northlink, access to Ellenbrook has improved. The Morley–Ellenbrook railway line is well underway as at June 2021 and this will enable better public transport. At the time of the 2016 census there were 22,681 people living in the gazetted suburb, by June 2018, it was estimated that the urban population for Ellenbrook and surrounds had grown to 41,382. It is envisioned that Ellenbrook will eventually become a satellite city, with a population of 80,000.

Ellenbrook is approximately from Guildford, from Midland and from the Perth CBD (via Beaufort Street and Tonkin Highway). Direct access to Tonkin Highway is nearby, with The Promenade interchange being the main access to Ellenbrook since the highway was extended northwards as part of the NorthLink WA road project in 2019. Alternatively, Tonkin Highway also has a junction with Gnangara Road, which links Ellenbrook with Wangara and the northern suburbs. West Swan Road, Drumpellier Drive (formerly Lord Street), and Reid Highway are also nearby. Bus services link Ellenbrook with Morley and Bassendean railway station. A journey to the Perth CBD by public transport takes approximately 60 minutes. Before 2017, public transport was limited in the evenings and weekends, but in that year, Transperth introduced upgraded services, including an hourly evening connection to Bassendean railway station and thus the city. In August 2017, a bus route was introduced which connected Ellenbrook to Whitfords railway station, via Gnangara Road. During the campaign for the 2008 Western Australian election, both major political parties committed to building a rail line. The 15 km line was expected to cost $850 million and be finished around 2015, with construction starting around 2012. However, in May 2010, the premier Colin Barnett confirmed that his government would not be proceeding with the development. Following the election of the McGowan Labor government in 2017, it was announced that the Ellenbrook railway would be constructed as a part of the Metronet project with a projected opening date of 2024. Ellenbrook railway station is planned to be constructed as the terminus of the line on The Parkway in the Ellenbrook town centre.