Mandurah is a coastal city in the south west, 74 kilometres south of Perth. Land was originally reserved for a townsite named "Peel" on the west side of the entrance to Peel Inlet in July 1831 but no development took place and most early settlers took up residence on the east shore, the Aboriginal name of which was "Mandurah". The name is believed to be derived from the Aboriginal word "mandjar", meaning "trading place". Thomas Peel, an early settler in the area, named his residence "Mandurah House".
In July 1855, Thomas Peel surrendered to the Crown the area now bounded by Mandurah Terrace, Peel, Sholl and Gibson Streets to settle outstanding debts. It is likely that this area would have eventually become a townsite under the Land Act, but in 1898, it was discovered that the same area was included in lands held under Certificate of Title by G.C. Knight of Fremantle. The Registrar reported that the land had passed beyond the reach of caveat and consequently the Crown was unable to regain possession. As a result, Mandurah, although a fast growing settlement worthy of government interest, was developed purely by means of private subdivisions. The area was declared a townsite under the Local Government Act in 1950.
(Source: Western Australia. Department of Land Administration. Names and Places. )
