History of Maylands Lakes
Originally settled as farmland in 1830, Peninsula Farm was one of the first farms in the colony and is now listed with the National Trust. The flat landscape of the peninsula meant it was also an ideal site for the Maylands Aerodrome which was opened in 1924. The aerodrome has a rich history in Australian aviation, including record breaking flights by Sir Charles Kingsford Smith. It was also used by the Australian Airforce and the US Army Airforce during WW2.
Lake Brearley is named after Sir Norman Brearley, a pioneer of Australian commercial aviation. Lake Bungana is named after the ‘Bungana’, a DC-2 that flew the Perth to Adelaide route from Maylands. Many street names in the Maylands Peninsula Estate are named after aircraft that were based here. The Aerodrome closed in 1963.
The presence of good quality clay on the peninsula resulted in the Maylands Brickworks being established in 1885 and the iconic chimney and the Hoffman kiln is listed by the Heritage Council of WA. A proposed reactivation of the Brickworks site to promote the precinct to the community and visitors is yet another reason why the Lakes need to be restored back to health. Indeed, the Lakes were created from the original clay pits.