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Melville
In 1827, Captain James Stirling named Melville Water after Lord Melville, First Lord of the Admiralty 1812-1830. The land adjacent to Melville Water became known as the Melville Water Park Estate (later Applecross) when it was subdivided from 1896.
To the Aboriginal people, the area in Melville that was later developed as the Willagee Park Hotel was a significant site of a well-known fresh water spring.
The complex including Melville Recreation Centre and A.H. Bracks Library at the corner of Canning Highway and Stock Road provides library facilities, gymnasium and café services as well as meeting rooms. A.H. Bracks Library is a vibrant facility with a special emphasis on young readers with three story-time sessions a week, Baby Rhyme Time, and a large and diverse Junior and Young Adult Collection.
The neighbouring Melville Plaza District Shopping Centre hosts the popular rotary markets on Sundays. On the Palmyra side of Stock Road is an amateur theatre group and a 'Meals on Wheels' kitchen.
The suburb also includes Applecross/Melville District Guides, Melville District Scout Hall Association, a women's choir and the Melville-Palmyra Tennis Club. On its western boundary is Craigcare Retirement Village.
Melville Reserve has both winter and summer sport for juniors and seniors including cricket, football and tennis.
The old Melville Primary School library on Kitchener Road was the first public school library building in the state and is now home to the MORE Community Group. The whole old Melville Primary School site is being transformed into an iconic public open space with landscaped parkland, playground and natural bush areas. The project is expected to be completed by the end of September 2010.