Clarkson, Western Australia

Clarkson is bounded to the west by Mindarie (Marmion Avenue) and to the north by Merriwa and Ridgewood (Hester Avenue). The Joondalup railway line divides Clarkson from the Neerabup National Park in the east. South of Clarkson is Tamala Park, which is uninhabited.[2]

It is approximately 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) away from the Indian Ocean and the coastlines of Claytons Beach and Quinns Beach.

Clarkson had a population of 7,082 at the 2006 census, an increase of 1,214 persons since the 2001 census.[13] The population of Clarkson is predicted to continue to grow at an exponential rate, peaking at 18,645 in 2026.[14] Only 58.9% of Clarkson's population were born in Australia compared to a nationwide average of 70.9%. The suburb has a significant British-born population, comprising 15.4%, although this figure is minor compared to British populations in neighbouring suburbs, such as Mindarie. Most other major immigrant groups in Clarkson hail from Anglophone countries, such as New Zealand and South Africa.

Clarkson has a very young population, with an average age of 28, a figure drastically lower than all surrounding suburbs, as well as the national average age of 37. Income levels in Clarkson are generally in line with the Australian national average, with an average household income of $1,049 per week, compared to $1,027 per week nationally.[15]

Christianity is the predominant religious affiliation declared by Clarkson's residents, at 44% of the population, across various denominations. Several churches are scattered throughout the suburb; Clarkson Seventh-day Adventist Community Church, St. Andrew's Catholic Church and Ocean Keys Community Church (Lutheran). 28% of the suburb declared no religion.

2.8% of Clarkson's population is composed of Indigenous Australians, compared to 2.3% nationwide. Only neighbouring Merriwa reflects this trend; the Aboriginal population is much less significant in the suburbs surrounding Clarkson.

Ocean Keys Shopping Centre, Clarkson

Compared to surrounding suburbs, Clarkson is a very mixed-use area with an abundance of facilities and a very large shopping and retail district, establishing it as a commercial town centre for the northern suburbs beyond the nearby city of Joondalup. The main road, Ocean Keys Boulevard, is home to the Ocean Keys Shopping Centre, a major shopping mall with a large number of major retail outlets, including Target, Kmart, Coles, Woolworths, JB Hi-Fi, City Beach and 115 specialty retailers.[16]

Many more commercial outlets surround the centre, including a large Bunnings Warehouse, a post office, two service stations and Toyota, Ford, Holden and Nissan car dealerships.

A strip of restaurants and take-away outlets are situated directly west of the Shopping Centre, including branches of Oporto, KFC, Hungry Jack's, Wokinabox, Subway, Eagle Boys, Sushi Noodle World and Masala Indian Restaurant. There are also other restaurants located within the suburb, such as Nando's and a kebab shop that are both located on the external perimeter of the shopping centre (north-east corner), new Indian restaurants opening near the train station, and a fish and chip shop located at the Clarkson Mini-Mart. The Whale+Ale pub and restaurant is located on the north side of Ocean Keys Boulevard, opposite the shopping centre. It is the only pub and main hub for nightlife in the suburb. There are 3 medical centres in the suburb, which are the Clarkson Family Practice, Ocean Keys Family Practice and The Somerly Central Medical Centre.

Clarkson also has a smaller shopping market built in the first area of Clarkson developed. It is located opposite the Clarkson Primary School on the corner of Renshaw Boulevard and Ainsbury Parade. It features the mini-mart store, dentist, bottle shop, fish supply (plus fish and chips) and other small businesses.

There is an abundance of entertainment and leisure facilities around Clarkson. Over ten parks are located throughout the suburb,[17] the two main ones being Anthony Waring Park and Richard Aldersea Park in the centre of the suburb. Anthony Waring Park is the largest by area and features sporting facilities. Many smaller parks around Somerly include playgrounds and free barbecue areas for families. The Clarkson Youth Centre, near Ocean Keys Shopping Centre, functions as a community centre and is also part of a wider youth precinct, incorporating a skate park and BMX tracks.[18] Nearby is also the Clarkson Library, one of four public libraries in the Wanneroo area.

Clarkson also accommodates the Clarkson Police Station, which serves all surrounding suburbs from Tamala Park to Butler and Jindalee.[19] A Western Power electricity substation is located off Hester Avenue in the north-east of the suburb, near the Joondalup railway line. Telephone services are provided by the Mindarie & Quinns Rocks telephone exchanges.[20]

Two state K-7 primary schools are established in Clarkson, serving different parts of the suburb. Clarkson Primary School is the oldest established school and caters to western Clarkson, while Somerly Primary School serves the Somerly estate in the east. Students also have the option of St. Andrew's Catholic Primary School, a private Catholic school located next to St. Andrew's Catholic Church.

Clarkson Library

Clarkson also accommodates Clarkson Community High School, a large Year 8-12 state high school established in 1996. As it is the only state high school in the vicinity (other than the 11-12 Mindarie Senior College), it covers a large catchment area, extending up to Butler and Jindalee in the north.[21] In 2010, Trades North, a TAFE campus specializing in skilled trades and apprenticeships, was built next to the high school and opened for the 2011 school year.[22] It is part of the North Metropolitan TAFE.

Marmion Avenue is the main arterial road that links Clarkson to Joondalup and the rest of suburban Perth. Connolly Drive also runs parallel to Marmion Avenue through the middle of Clarkson, approximately a kilometre to the east, and into Kinross and Currambine. Wanneroo Road is nearby and can be accessed via Hester Avenue, Clarkson's northern boundary road.

There are no other roads into Clarkson and surrounding suburbs, due to the location of Tamala Park to the south, which creates a 2 km bushland buffer between Clarkson and Joondalup. Work has been completed to extend the Mitchell Freeway to Clarkson from its current terminus at Burns Beach Road in Currambine, with exits to the suburb at Neerabup Road and Hester Avenue.[23]

There is one polling booth in Clarkson, at Clarkson Community High School.[26] Along with its neighbouring suburbs, Clarkson is part of the Mindarie electoral district. At the federal level it was formerly part of the Pearce federal division, but was transferred to Moore, along with Mindarie and Neerabup, as of 2010.[27]

Clarkson has traditionally been an Australian Labor Party stronghold since the early 2000s (decade) in State elections, in line with many northern Perth suburbs. At federal level, the voting is much less clear-cut, with both major parties gaining consecutive election victories in the suburb since 2001.