Baldivis owes its unusual name to three ships. In 1922, under the state government’s Group Settlement Scheme, settlers arrived within six weeks of each other aboard the Balranald, Diogenes and Jervis Bay, and locals stitched together a name from the syllables: BAL-DI-VIS. For most of the twentieth century that name applied to a quiet rural district south of Rockingham, but land in the western portion was rezoned for urban development in the 1990s, and Stockland’s Settlers Hills estate became the first residential subdivision to break ground. What followed was one of the most dramatic growth stories in Western Australian suburb history: Baldivis’s population climbed from 31,653 in 2016 to 37,697 by the 2021 Census, a 19 percent jump in five years, making it one of the fastest-growing communities in the entire state.
Suburb Boundary Map
Baldivis sits south of Rockingham and east of the Kwinana Freeway, roughly 45 kilometres south of the Perth CBD, and is one of the largest suburbs by population in the City of Rockingham. The map below traces the suburb’s official boundary.
Quick Facts
| Local Government Area | City of Rockingham |
| Postcode | 6171 |
| Population (2021 Census) | 37,697 |
| Named After | Three 1922 settler ships: Balranald, Diogenes and Jervis Bay |
| Median House Price | Approximately $810,000 |
| Key Landmark | Stockland Baldivis Shopping Centre |
| Distance from Perth CBD | Approximately 45 kilometres |
Sources: Australian Bureau of Statistics 2021 Census QuickStats, REIWA suburb data, Wikipedia, City of Rockingham, Homely.
Who It Suits
Baldivis suits young families chasing affordable, newly built homes on generous blocks, with a genuinely large cluster of primary and secondary schools, from Baldivis Primary and Baldivis Gardens Primary through to Baldivis Secondary College and Ridge View Secondary College, plus private options like Mother Teresa Catholic College and Tranby College.
Homely reviewers consistently describe it as one of the best value suburbs for buyers wanting the classic Australian dream of a house, backyard and established trees, with plenty of parks and a genuinely multicultural, friendly community.
It’s a strong fit for buyers who prioritise space and affordability over a short commute, since reviewer opinion on the trip into the Perth CBD is genuinely mixed, some accept the roughly hour-long bus-and-train combination as a fair trade-off, while others find the distance and fuel costs a real drawback. It suits buyers who want a self-contained suburb, given Stockland Baldivis’s shopping centre, medical facilities, gym and pub, over those who want to be close to established inner-city amenity.
From Three Settler Ships to WA’s Fastest-Growing Suburb
Baldivis’s name is a genuine piece of Western Australian settlement history. Under the 1920s Group Settlement Scheme, a state government program designed to bring British migrants to WA’s south-west to establish dairy farms, three ships, the Balranald, the Diogenes and the Jervis Bay, arrived within six weeks of each other in 1922, carrying settlers bound for the district. Locals combined syllables from the three ship names to create Baldivis, and the district remained a rural farming area for most of the twentieth century, known for dairying and market gardens rather than suburban housing.
That changed decisively in the 1990s, when the western portion of Baldivis was rezoned for urban development and Stockland began developing the Settlers Hills estate, the suburb’s first residential subdivision. What followed was rapid, sustained growth: by the 2021 Census, Baldivis’s population had reached 37,697, up from 31,653 just five years earlier, a 19 percent increase that made it one of the fastest-growing suburbs anywhere in Western Australia. New estates have continued to open across the suburb’s remaining undeveloped land, and Baldivis today functions as one of the primary growth engines for the entire City of Rockingham.
Attractions: Stockland Baldivis and the Local Parks
Stockland Baldivis is the suburb’s commercial and social hub, anchoring a town centre that includes medical facilities, a dentist, a gym, cafes and The Chase, the local pub, giving residents genuine day-to-day amenity without needing to leave the suburb.
Baldivis’s rapid growth has been matched by a substantial rollout of parks and playgrounds across its newer estates, with established trees giving some of the older pockets, particularly around Settlers Hills, a more mature, leafy feel than many comparably new outer suburbs. The suburb’s proximity to Rockingham’s beaches, along with easy Kwinana Freeway access south to Mandurah and north to Perth, makes it a practical base for residents who want to explore the wider region.
Life in Baldivis Day to Day
The 2021 Census recorded 37,697 residents in Baldivis, with a young median age of 31, reflecting the suburb’s dominance by new residential estates and young families. Residents here describe a genuinely friendly, multicultural community, with plenty of schooling and childcare options and a strong sense of the suburb offering real value for money compared with established suburbs closer to the city.
Local opinion on commuting is honestly split: some residents accept the bus-to-Warnbro-then-train combination, often over an hour door to door, as a reasonable trade-off against Perth’s high fuel and toll costs, while others find the distance genuinely limiting, describing the suburb as too far from the action with fuel costs adding up quickly. It’s a suburb, on balance, that rewards buyers prioritising space, affordability and family amenity over a short commute.
Realty Market: House Prices and What They Buy
Baldivis’s median house price sits at approximately $810,000, with annual growth around 15 percent, reflecting continued strong demand for the suburb’s mix of established and brand-new housing stock. Buyers are typically choosing between older, established pockets like Settlers Hills, with more mature gardens and trees, and newer estates further from the town centre offering larger, more affordable blocks.
Hospitals and Healthcare Nearby
Baldivis has medical facilities within the Stockland Baldivis town centre for everyday healthcare needs, while Rockingham General Hospital, a full-service public hospital, sits a short drive north for more serious or emergency care. St John of God Murdoch Hospital is also accessible for residents wanting private hospital care further north.
Schools and Education
Baldivis has an unusually large concentration of schools for a single suburb, including Baldivis Primary School, Baldivis Gardens Primary School, Makybe Rise Primary School, Pine View Primary School, Rivergums Primary School, Sheoak Grove Primary School, Settlers Primary School and Tuart Rise Primary School, alongside secondary options at Baldivis Secondary College and Ridge View Secondary College.
Private schooling is well represented too, with Mother Teresa Catholic College, Tranby College and Rockingham John Calvin School all serving the local area, giving Baldivis families a genuinely broad range of choice.
Industry and Work Life
Baldivis functions primarily as a residential and retail suburb, with Stockland Baldivis providing local retail and service employment, though most residents commute out of the suburb for work, either into Rockingham and the Kwinana industrial area or further north into the Perth metropolitan area. The suburb’s rapid growth has also supported significant ongoing construction and trades employment as new estates continue to be developed.
Parks, Greenspaces and Other Public Amenities
Baldivis has been developed with a strong provision of parks and playgrounds across its many estates, and the older pockets around Settlers Hills offer established trees and more mature landscaping than typical for a suburb this young. Tamworth Hill Swamp Reserve offers a developed native bushland trail, and there is a 6 km linear parkland and trail the follows Baldivis Road, connecting smaller parks along the way.
Baldivis Sports Complex provides a major sports ground and indoor sports complex. There are several more sports grounds spread across the suburb including Holbeck Way Reserve, Peckham Reserve, Steel Tree Reserve, and Arpenteur Park.
Residents also have easy access to Rockingham’s beaches and foreshore parks a short drive away (10 min), giving the suburb a genuine coastal lifestyle option despite sitting slightly inland itself.
Transport and Getting Around
Baldivis has no train station of its own, and residents typically rely on bus services connecting to Warnbro Station on the Mandurah Line.
Warnbro Station is a seven-minute drive and there is ample parking at the station. Bus 564, 565, 567 and 568 service the station with journey times ranging from 15 to 25 mins depending on whether you are central, south or north. The train into the CBD takes around 44 min.
The Kwinana Freeway runs along the suburb’s western edge, giving drivers reasonably direct access both north to Perth and south to Mandurah, though peak-hour traffic and fuel costs are a genuine consideration for residents commuting daily.
What Locals Know
Longtime residents know the older Settlers Hills estate offers noticeably more established trees and gardens than Baldivis’s newer subdivisions, a genuine point of difference for buyers who want a more settled streetscape. Locals also know Stockland Baldivis gets genuinely busy on weekends, and many prefer weekday errands when the car park and stores are quieter. Commuters who’ve made the trade work long-term generally recommend treating the bus-to-Warnbro-train combination as a fixed part of the day rather than fighting it, since driving the Kwinana Freeway at peak hour rarely saves meaningful time.
Trade-Offs to Weigh
Baldivis’s distance from the Perth CBD is a genuine trade-off, and reviewers are honest that the commute, whether by car or public transport, adds real time and cost to daily life. The suburb also lacks its own train station, leaving residents dependent on bus connections for public transport into the city. Against that, Baldivis offers some of the most affordable new housing in the greater Perth area, an exceptional concentration of schools, and a genuinely family-friendly, multicultural community, a combination that continues to draw new residents at one of the fastest rates in the state.
The Honest Verdict
Baldivis’s growth from a small rural district named after three settler ships into one of Western Australia’s fastest-growing suburbs, with nearly 38,000 residents by the 2021 Census, is one of the more remarkable transformation stories south of Perth. Compare it to Secret Harbour, more coastal and lifestyle-focused, or Rockingham itself, more established and centrally positioned within the LGA, and Baldivis reads as the suburb for young families prioritising affordability, school choice and space above a short commute. For that buyer, it remains one of the best value propositions in the greater Perth area.
FAQ
Why is Baldivis called Baldivis?
The name comes from three ships, the Balranald, Diogenes and Jervis Bay, which brought settlers to the area under the 1920s Group Settlement Scheme, with locals combining syllables from each ship’s name.
Is Baldivis a good suburb for families?
Yes. Baldivis has an unusually large concentration of primary and secondary schools, affordable newer housing, and a genuinely family-friendly, multicultural community, according to Homely reviewers.
How far is Baldivis from Perth CBD?
Baldivis is approximately 45 kilometres south of the Perth CBD, with residents typically commuting via bus to Warnbro Station and then train, a journey that can take over an hour door to door.
What is the median house price in Baldivis?
Baldivis’s median house price is approximately $810,000, with annual growth around 15 percent, reflecting strong ongoing demand for the suburb’s new and established housing stock.
References
- Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2021 Census QuickStats: Baldivis, abs.gov.au (research source)
- REIWA, Baldivis Suburb Profile
- City of Rockingham, Official Website
- Homely, Baldivis Suburb Reviews
- WA Parliamentary Library, 2021 Census Results: Baldivis
- West Perth Profile, perthinfo.net.au
- Perth Suburbs by LGA, perthinfo.net.au
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