Melville, briefly
Post-war growth
The City of Melville jumped from 7,547 people in 1947 to 39,207 in 1961. Melville the suburb is older as a name, first used for the Melville Park Estate in 1896, after Melville Water on the Swan River.
Houses, owned
At the 2021 Census, 78.0% of Melville's 2,296 occupied homes were separate houses and 19.0% townhouses or semis. 38.7% were owned outright, 44.5% with a mortgage and only 15.5% rented.
Heritage in the council area
The City of Melville lists 172 heritage places, 24 on the State Register, including Canning Bridge and Wireless Hill Park. If your home is on the list, ask the council before an outdoor unit goes on show.
The upgrades that come up
From gas to reverse cycle. Gas was how 46% of WA households with heating mainly heated when the ABS asked in 2006. If yours is an old gas heater, a reverse cycle split or ducted system gives you heating and cooling from one unit. The ACT Government's guide says old gas ducts can't be reused for ducted reverse cycle, so expect new ducts in that case. Our gas or electric tool helps you compare.
Keeping gas, safely. If you'd rather keep it, have a licensed gasfitter service it at least every two years. Energy Safe Victoria says any gas heater can spill carbon monoxide, old or new. See gas heater servicing in Perth.
A townhouse or smaller home. One or two splits are often enough. Solar Victoria says splits suit single rooms or small apartments, and a few of them can cover a modest home.
What we'd do
If it were our home
In a Melville house with an old gas heater, we'd look seriously at reverse cycle, because it covers summer as well. We'd ask a ducted specialist to check the roof space before quoting ducted, and compare that against two or three well-placed splits.
