History of Banjup

Banjup is a charming, semi-rural area of the City of Cockburn that runs off Armadale Road.

The actual meaning of the name Banjup is unknown. However, in 1889, surveyor James Oxley recorded the name of Lake Bangup and this was shown on regional maps. Land in the area was resumed in 1907 for the Armadale-Jandakot Railway link and a station was constructed 3.6km north of Bangup Lake, named Banjupp. This was considered to be a correction to the original name and was used until the mid 1930s when it was changed to Banjup.

One of the places of historic interest in this area is the Banjup Memorial Park. Established shortly after World War I, individual trees were planted in memory of the 14 Banjup men, including three sets of brothers, who served in the war. Six of the men were killed, four wounded and four returned home. Sadly, Banjup holds a record in the state for having the highest proportion of casualties compared to population.

Local history questions or anything to add? Please let us know by commenting below.

This article can also be seen on the Cockburn Libraries’ Local History blog and first appeared in the February 2012 edition of Cockburn Soundings