West Lakes was constructed on part of the River Torrens Wetlands, commonly known as the Reedbeds, decades after the Torrens was diverted out to sea at West Beach. It was largely swampymarshland, with expanses of sandy dunes along the coast towards Alberton.[7]
Property developer Delfin, now Lendlease Communities, spearheaded the masterplanned development as a joint venture with the Government of South Australia[7], the private enterprise transformed suburban land into Lake Delfin Island by dredging the upper sections of the Port River. The name was formalized under the West Lakes Development Act in 1969.[8]
Development earthworks commenced in September 1970, with approximately 10 million tonnes of earth shifted to form the tidal lake and create developable land.[7]
Due to the suburb being built on reclaimed marshland, particular consideration went into the engineering and construction of houses. During the initial development, only single or double-storey homes could be built, with specific areas designated for taller and larger buildings (such as the shopping centre and apartments).
In many instances, raft foundations were utilised in order to counteract subsidence and general movement due to the nature of the soil.[9]: 138
Housing design during the initial development phase of West Lakes was controlled by land title encumbrances, with Delfin having guidelines in place to dictate acceptable architectural design and external finishes in accordance with their vision for individual neighbourhoods, as well as for the wider suburb. Notably, West Lakes was also one of the first urban developments in South Australia to feature underground power and telephone lines.
Encumbrances also placed restrictions on the positioning and appearance of external fixtures (such as clotheslines, outbuildings, and TV aerials) as well as a total ban on front boundary fencing.[9]: 18
West Lakes was officially opened on 18 March 1977 by the Hon Des Corcoran, MP, Deputy Premier and Minister of Marine. West Lakes Post Office opened in August 1975.[10]
The development phase of the West Lakes scheme spanned from 1970 to 2001, for a total duration of 31 years.[9]: 53
Cadmium and PFAS contamination
In 2000, the City of Charles Sturt undertook soil testing in the area of West Lakes surrounding the former Port Adelaide Waste Water Treatment Plant adjacent Frederick Road. Test results indicated cadmium present in the soil, affecting 200 homes. This was largely due to the dispersal of sludge over the land during initial development earthworks in the 1970s. In the following years, the state government recommended various measures to reduce and prevent exposure to cadmium, with funding allocated to implement these on a property-specific basis.[11]
Cadmium was used as a corrosion-resistant plating on steel, with cadmium compounds often used as red, orange, and yellow pigments, to colour glass, and to stabilise plastic
In 2020, the South Australian Environment Protection Authority (EPA) was notified of the presence of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in groundwater, soils and sewage sludge in the same vicinity. The EPA notified owners of the affected properties that measures taken to reduce and prevent cadmium exposure will also work to mitigate PFAS exposure.[11]
Sampling of water in the vicinity, including shallow groundwater and lake water, determined that PFAS had contaminated the groundwater. The EPA advised residents to strictly avoid the use of groundwater, and that lake water, tap water and rainwater remain safe.
Testing also confirmed that fish caught from the lake remain fit for human consumption, with PFAS levels low enough to not pose a threat.[11]
Tidal lake
The south-eastern section of the tidal lake, extending towards Frederick Road
The most prominent feature of West Lakes, aside from Delfin Island, is the large freshwater lake. At the southern end of the lake, an underground inlet duct runs from Inlet Reserve out to shore at Tennyson Beach.
At high tide, sea level rises above lake level and fresh seawater is fed into the lake through the underground pipe, where an automatic hydraulic gate opens. At low tide, that same gate shuts as the lake reaches its highest level, and at the northern end of the lake, an automatic outlet gate opens allowing water to flow through to the Port River. This system results in approximately 410 megalitres of fresh seawater flushing the lake daily.[9]: 135
The lake began filling in November 1974, in time for the opening of the adjacent regional shopping centre (now Westfield West Lakes). The first inflow of ocean water was unscreened, causing a larger and more diverse influx of marine life into the lake. A large stingray was sighted in the lake, which was incorrectly reported to have been a shark. Due to the lake's intended recreational function, which included swimming and diving, larger marine life — such as the stingray — were captured by professional divers and removed.[9]: 140
Today, only smaller marine life is able to flow into the lake from the ocean, with designated fishing spots marked around the lake for recreational fishers.[12]
Due to polluted stormwater runoff into the lake, it's recommended to avoid prolonged contact with the water (e.g. swimming) for 2-3 days after rain.[13]
A.M. Ramsay Regatta Course
The boating lake was constructed with an international-standard rowing course in mind, and the largely straight and wide southern portion of the lake was reserved for a 2 kilometre rowing course. Today, it's known as the A.M. Ramsay Regatta Course.
Officially opened on 17 March, 1978[9]: 59 and named after the company that developed West Lakes, Delfin Island is a 106 hectare residential island and remains unique in the context of South Australian urban developments — although man-made residential islands appear in places such as the Gold Coast. Early concept drawings of West Lakes didn't explicitly include a residential island.
After initial earthworks and construction formed the island, two additional peninsulas were created through further excavation at the northern and southern tips of the island, resulting in more waterfront allotments. McDonald Grove and Martin Court service the peninsulas at the north and south of Delfin Island, respectively.
One of the pedestrian bridges linking Delfin Island to the mainland
Delfin Island is linked to the mainland by a singular road — West Lakes Boulevard – in addition to two pedestrian bridges. One on the west of the island links Bartley Terrace with Keppel Grove, and one on the east links Lochside Drive to Kerr Grove and Corcoran Drive.
The island is comprised primarily of quieter cul-de-sacs within distinct "neighbourhoods". There are only a handful of entry points onto the island from West Lakes Boulevard. Real estate on Delfin Island generally holds a premium over most other parts of the development area.
The Island Point apartment complex, completed in 1990, is prominently situated at the southern end of the island, and was an early pioneer of high-rise suburban apartment living in South Australia.[9]: 52
Freshwater Lake, commonly known as the Delfin Island duck ponds, is also located on the island and occupies about 3 hectares (7.4 acres).[16][9]: 59
West Lakes Boulevard
An aerial photo of the north-western suburbs of Adelaide (photo taken facing south). West Lakes and Delfin Island are in the centre
West Lakes Boulevard is the primary linking thoroughfare through the development, extending from Port Road in the east through to Military Road in the west.
The thoroughfare was initially planned to cut north-east through the established adjoining suburb Albert Park, however, protests from residents and the local parish resulted in an altered route that utilised (and renamed) part of Clark Terrace parallel to the Grange railway line.[9]: 141-142
A spur of the Grange railway line was planned to run parallel to West Lakes Boulevard, likely terminating near the shopping centre (currently Westfield West Lakes). This, however, didn't proceed due to financial constraints, and the reserved land was converted into Magarey Grove — a linear tree grove containing 100 spotted gum trees, each dedicated to the first 100 Magarey Medallists.
WEST development
Townhouses within the WEST development along The Pinery
In 2015, property developer Commercial & General commenced work on a masterplanned, mixed-use subdivision on the former Football Park precinct named "WEST".[17]
The area bounded by Frederick Road, West Lakes Boulevard, Brebner Drive and Football Park/AAMI Stadium — formerly home to the Crows Shed, a large grass oval, and a grandstand — formed the development site.
Housing typology largely consists of townhouses and apartments, deviating from the detached, single-family character of the original West Lakes development. Contrasting with the original West Lakes development, it is a much denser urban environment that reflects contemporary urban planning practices — namely, higher density housing through smaller block sizes, and a large presence of attached housing.
A small ornamental lake was also constructed as part of the subdivision. However, it is not connected to the aforementioned tidal lake and relies on mechanical surface aerators for water flow and oxygenation.
To make way for a linear walking trail parallel to the Grange Golf Club, Brebner Drive was rerouted through the subdivision via the newly-formed Troubridge Drive. Doing so retained a largely direct link between Frederick Road and Westfield West Lakes.
Attractions
In addition to Westfield West Lakes, the suburb is also home to the Lakes Resort Hotel (established in 1985) and the West Lakes Golf Club — one of several within the coastal western suburbs.
West Lakes was home to Football Park (also known by its sponsored name AAMI Stadium), which functioned as a 51,240-seat sports stadium where AFL and SANFL games were played. Demolition of the grandstands and light towers were completed in 2019. The oval itself was left intact, and currently serves as the home training ground for the Adelaide Football Club (similar to Waverley Park in Melbourne).[18]
A Douglas C-47 Skytrain military transport aircraft was owned by the McDonald's adjacent Westfield West Lakes, used as part of a play area for children's parties. The plane was removed in the late 1990s, and is now being restored privately.[19]
Demographics
According to the 2021 Census, the population of the West Lakes census area was 6,768 (2021 Australian census, suburb and locality, 2021) .
Approximately 47% of the population was male, and 53% female. West Lakes has a median age of 54, which is 13 years older than the median South Australian age.
Median household weekly income sat at $1,548, and 27% of West Lakes residents had completed tertiary education.
71% of residents were born in Australia, with England (6%), Italy (2%), China (1.7%) and Germany (1.2%) rounding out the top five. 0.9% of West Lakes residents identified as Indigenous Australians.
Public transport
As of 2020[update], bus routes that go through West Lakes are 110, 112, 115, 117, 155, 157, 157X, 288, 371, 372, 376, AO18, H30, H30C, H30S, J7, J7M, J8, N30, X30, X30C, & X30S.[citation needed]
^Casey, T.M. (30 September 1976). "GEOGRAPHICAL NAMES ACT"(PDF). The South Australian Government Gazette. Government of South Australia. p. 1035. Retrieved 15 July 2019. the Geographical Names Board has recommended that the names "West Lakes Shore", "West Lakes", "Semaphore Park", "Tennyson", "Seaton", "Grange" and "Royal Park" be assigned to the areas defined hereunder in the first, second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh schedules respectively
West Lakes: You'll want to live here. Promotional film includes footage of the area pre-development, then South Australian Premier Don Dunstan and Deputy Premier Des Corcoran, aerial views of the land and coastal development, creation of the central lake, Football Park and the finished suburb. South Australian Film Corporation, Adelaide, 1974.
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