Kelmscott, Western Australia


Kelmscott is a southeastern suburb of Perth, Western Australia in the local government area of the City of Armadale. It is southeast of Perth along the Albany Highway.
Kelmscott was one of the very early towns established in the Swan River Colony and was named after Kelmscott, Oxfordshire, the birthplace of the first Anglican clergyman in the colony, Thomas Hobbes Scott.
The suburb of Kelmscott is bisected by the Canning River. On the western side of the river is the flat coastal plain upon which most of Perth is situated. This area includes the Stargate Kelmscott and Kelmscott Village shopping areas along Albany Highway, the light industrial area, the Kelmscott Senior High School and a residential area. To the east, the suburb rises into the western Darling Scarp.
Kelmscott celebrated its 175th anniversary on 9 October 2005. The highlight of the celebrations was the running of the Hotham Valley Railway steam locomotive Pm706 from Perth railway station to Kelmscott station, with stops at Cannington, Gosnells, then Armadale station. This was the first running of steam "under the wires" on the Transperth network for some time. The event was specially arranged by the Public Transport Authority, whose Minister is also the member of parliament for the local electorate.
Kelmscott is home of the first Red Rooster restaurant, as well as Australia's busiest drive-through KFC service.

Schools

On 6 February 2011, a declared total fire ban day, a bushfire occurred on private property adjacent to the Brookton Highway in the Roleystone / Kelmscott area. A total of 72 homes were destroyed and 37 homes damaged. This is the single biggest house loss in Western Australia to a single bushfire event. Some loyal Kelmscott residents managed to return to their homes in the fire zone, as described by Premier Colin Barnett, and could be seen on their balconies giving hope to fellow residents that their properties were safe.