Who's living in Rockingham?

[Cheeky Rascal]

Hey>

 

I posted recently on life in Mandurah but since re-evalutated that as it's just too far for hubby to travel to work in the CBD. So now we're swinging our sights to Rockingham. From the realestate.com.au reviews of neighbourhoods, it seems really lovely, the beaches are amazing, cafe strip, plenty for the teenagers to do (if you're an involved parent, this is one thing I keep reading over and over again: feral kids and Bogans!!?) We have 2 children 4 & 5 years old.

 

So in many way, it ticks all the boxes. I'm looking for the usual input here.

 

Thanks

[Guest Francine]

We are renting in Rockingham when we first arrive so I'd be interested in any replies too. Our children will be 7, 3 and 1 when we arrive in October.

[ErmintrudeMcMoo]

The area covers a whole load of suburbs including Safety Bay, Shoalwater, Waikiki, Warnbro, Baldivis, POrt Kennedy, Secret Harbour, Golden Bay and Singleton - Im sure there are more but it`s too early yet for my head to function! It all depends on what you are looking for - nice and shiny new suburb - go for Baldivis or Secret Harbour, mix of older & newer look at Singleton or Shoalwater. Rockingham beach area itself is very nice - lots of very expensive houses and apartments.Come over have a look round at what is here and make you`re own mind up. Personally if you`re travelling to the city every day I`d look at Badivis, close to Freeway and not too far from Warnbro Train station. One thing I will say is keep an open mind.

[Bob1]

why Rokingham? If it is because it is near the beach then there are better places to be, if it is because of what you get for your rent is good value then that's fine. It's really hard asking for suburb advice for places like Rok - they'll be lots of peole who live there and love it, and others who wouldn't touch it! Check out the schools - and look ahead - the high schools too. Rent short term, drive to other areas, keep an open mind.

[Petals]

My uncle lived in Rockingham and all his family five children now live in the area and they like it a lot.

[tisme]

why Rokingham? If it is because it is near the beach then there are better places to be, if it is because of what you get for your rent is good value then that's fine. It's really hard asking for suburb advice for places like Rok - they'll be lots of peole who live there and love it, and others who wouldn't touch it! Check out the schools - and look ahead - the high schools too. Rent short term, drive to other areas, keep an open mind.

 

Why not Rockingham????

 

To Cheeky Rascal. It has a beautiful coastline with very affordable housing in some lovely suburbs, with plenty of public parks with free to use barbies, and good schools. The new Baldivis High school looks like nearing completion and I would think would be up and running by the start of the 2013 school year. I've lived here many years and love it. You do get feral kids, but then again where in the world isn't there any???

 

There's Rockingham train station and also another in Warnbro, which will get you husband into the city in approximately 40 minutes, driving will take longer on the Kwinana freeway especially during peak times, easier and cheaper on the train, if the free parking has all gone at the stations then it'll cost $2.00 a day, well it was last time I parked there a few months ago.

[Bob1]

A few facts about the schools -

 

Rockingham Senior High school - 13% non attendance rate which means in a school of 1,000 kids 130 aren't there - may be they are the feral ones. Only 18% of year 12's did stage 3 courses which are what you need for Uni. 22% went on to University.

 

Comet Bay College - 32% did stage 3 so a bit better but student attendance 89% No figures for Uni entry.

 

Warnbro High school - worst attendance with 14% not turning up. 16% do stage 3 and 14% made it to University.

 

Lets compare this with the likes of Rossmoyne - one of the top Govt schools - attendance 95%, 74% do stage 3 courses and 78% go to Uni

 

or a northern suburb school - Duncraig - 51% did stage 3 and 60% went to Uni. Attendance 93%

 

This education district tops the statistics for the number of suspensions in schools as well - over 5,000 a year.

 

As you say Cheeky Rascal - if you are an involved parent then you'll be fine, stats aren't everything. They'll be kids from these schools who do well and going to Uni isn't everything but I'd pick somewhere with higher odds if I could.

[tisme]

A few facts about the schools -

 

Rockingham Senior High school - 13% non attendance rate which means in a school of 1,000 kids 130 aren't there - may be they are the feral ones. Only 18% of year 12's did stage 3 courses which are what you need for Uni. 22% went on to University.

 

Comet Bay College - 32% did stage 3 so a bit better but student attendance 89% No figures for Uni entry.

 

Warnbro High school - worst attendance with 14% not turning up. 16% do stage 3 and 14% made it to University.

 

Lets compare this with the likes of Rossmoyne - one of the top Govt schools - attendance 95%, 74% do stage 3 courses and 78% go to Uni

 

or a northern suburb school - Duncraig - 51% did stage 3 and 60% went to Uni. Attendance 93%

 

This education district tops the statistics for the number of suspensions in schools as well - over 5,000 a year.

 

As you say Cheeky Rascal - if you are an involved parent then you'll be fine, stats aren't everything. They'll be kids from these schools who do well and going to Uni isn't everything but I'd pick somewhere with higher odds if I could.

 

Yes and to live in the suburbs with the 'top' schools comes at a price, and they would also not be without their 'issues'.

 

I am a firm believer you get out of your kids what you are prepared to put in. You have mentioned the stats of 3 out of a possible 15 schools in the area.

I have had first hand experience with several schools in the Rockingham area and they offer a good level of education.

[Bob1]

In terms of Govt high schools, I think there are only 3 more - all the rest are private. You could go up the road from Warnbro to Gilmore College in Orelia - which has the reputation as the worst high school in Perth, along with Balga High and many parents bus their kids 20 mins north up the freeway to another high school. 8% did stage 3 courses and 16% non attendance. The Department are throwing bucket loads of money into it but problems still remain.

or go south into Mandurah where there is the new John Tonkin College, the amalgamation of two high schools that weren't doing very well. Mandurah Senior College only had 15% of kids doing stage 3 courses so lets hope that things have improved now that is John Tonkin College. It'll be interesting to see how the new Baldivis College goes.

I absolutely agree that if you are an involved parent who is supportive of education then you should be OK, in primary school anyway.

[Loulouhew]

A few facts about the schools -

 

Rockingham Senior High school - 13% non attendance rate which means in a school of 1,000 kids 130 aren't there - may be they are the feral ones. Only 18% of year 12's did stage 3 courses which are what you need for Uni. 22% went on to University.

 

Comet Bay College - 32% did stage 3 so a bit better but student attendance 89% No figures for Uni entry.

 

Warnbro High school - worst attendance with 14% not turning up. 16% do stage 3 and 14% made it to University.

 

Lets compare this with the likes of Rossmoyne - one of the top Govt schools - attendance 95%, 74% do stage 3 courses and 78% go to Uni

 

or a northern suburb school - Duncraig - 51% did stage 3 and 60% went to Uni. Attendance 93%

 

This education district tops the statistics for the number of suspensions in schools as well - over 5,000 a year.

 

As you say Cheeky Rascal - if you are an involved parent then you'll be fine, stats aren't everything. They'll be kids from these schools who do well and going to Uni isn't everything but I'd pick somewhere with higher odds if I could.[/quote

 

 

 

Hi bob1

 

Can you tell me where you got the stats from? would like to do some research on the schools

 

Many thanks

[Bob1]

 

http://www.myschool.edu.au/ and http://www.curriculum.wa.edu.au/internet/Publications/Reports/Statistical_Reports/School_Comparison_Statistics (though that link isn't opening at the moment - may be because we've had a storm and it's a Sunday). That's stats are poor if you have a child or wants to go to University. Some of the schools do quite well on the vocational courses or ones that will get a students into college to do certificate courses.

[tisme]

In terms of Govt high schools, I think there are only 3 more - all the rest are private. You could go up the road from Warnbro to Gilmore College in Orelia - which has the reputation as the worst high school in Perth, along with Balga High and many parents bus their kids 20 mins north up the freeway to another high school. 8% did stage 3 courses and 16% non attendance. The Department are throwing bucket loads of money into it but problems still remain.

or go south into Mandurah where there is the new John Tonkin College, the amalgamation of two high schools that weren't doing very well. Mandurah Senior College only had 15% of kids doing stage 3 courses so lets hope that things have improved now that is John Tonkin College. It'll be interesting to see how the new Baldivis College goes.

 

I absolutely agree that if you are an involved parent who is supportive of education then you should be OK, in primary school anyway.

 

Actually Gilmore College is popular with those who want to steer towards a career in Engineering, they have a specialist course available.

 

I attended which was then Kwinana High school (now Known as Gilmore college), so did my husband, husband is now a CEO of a large construction company in WA, so not EVERYONE who attends what you call a 'bad reputation' school are under achievers. You really need to focus on those that achieve not those that fail, :wink:

[Guest HighlanderHeather]

If I were you I'd give Rockingham and the suburbs around it a seriously wide berth. There's NOTHING happening there. The entire area is just an empty shell with absolutely no character. There is one massive shopping centre called 'Rockingham city' (??) which is just full of awful tacky shops and plagued by tattooed bogans.

 

Plus, because the area is just full of endless streets of characterless houses, there's no atmosphere and there are very few people walking around on the streets. It's also REALLY windy because there is no native bush left (it's all been cleared to make way for rows of houses, creating massive wind tunnels which means really bad storm damage in winter).

 

Baldivis is a flooding nightmare - it's really low lying and always gets flooded when it rains. In the 'older' part of Baldivis people have massive plots and live quite far from each other. If you don't like living far from people, you can get a shiny new house made of cheap, tacky yellow bricks which looks like every other house in the street, and is so close to your neighbour you could hear them farting when they are inside their house and you are in yours.

 

As for nightlife, there's two or three pubs/nightclubs in Rockingham which are real dives - full of drunken, tattooed bogans (including the women). There are always fights at the weekends. Most normal people avoid them like the plague. The so-called 'strip' amounts to a handful of cafes/bars by the beach. There are two worth sitting outside to watch the boats and sometimes dolphins playing. That's quite nice, but other than that the other bars down by the shore (none with an open view of the sea, I might add) are chain pubs with no soul which are really overpriced and dirty. In a whole street of restaurants, there's ONE tapas bar with atmosphere worth eating - and it's expensive and always packed. That's because every smart person has also worked out that it's the only place worth going.

 

The beach at Rockingham isn't nice at all - (don't forget you've got the Kwinana industrial strip right on your doorstep ie pollution means the water is filthy there). I lived in Shoalwater, which was five minutes from the beach, and the whole place absolutely STINKS of rotting seaweed all through the winter months. You can't escape the smell when you live there - it smells like fresh dogsh*t and even gets into your house when the windows are closed and you live half a mile from the beach. It was absolutely putrid. Secret Harbour beach is really nice and clean. But if you want to live near to Perth, it's no use to you.

 

I hated every day I lived there. It made me feel like crying. I would never live there again. Chose somewhere with character, people and imagination. Perhaps somewhere like Fremantle or the northern suburbs closer to the city, I'd suggest.

[ErmintrudeMcMoo]

It`s horses for courses - personally I`d die a slow death in the Northern burbs.

[tisme]

A few points I would argue is the quality of the ocean waters in and around the Rockingham area is excellent. As for the smell, it is the sea grass that creates the smell, it is not cleaned up on purpose, it houses organisms that are vital to the health of the ocean, so would be very foolish if the council cleared the beach for the sake of a few people complaining about the smell.

 

There are no chain pubs along the foreshore, all are privately owned and run, and yes you get the odd idiot wanting to make life a misery for all around them, but that also happens everywhere, north and south. There are also some nice eateries outside Rockingham city near the cinema complex, these are all the chain eateries that you mention, eg, Outback Jacks, Hogs Breath, Chutney Mary's, Nando's, Just Burgers, etc also a Mash Brewery which do a good feed. Not sure what shops you were expecting to find at the shopping centre, Next maybe?? but the same chain shops are also in every other shopping centre in WA.

 

Same houses are also built in the northern suburbs as the southern suburbs, same companies offering the same deals.

The only low lying land in Baldivis is the Rivergums area, it is reclaimed swamp, I could never understand why they built on it, but the rest of Baldivis is quite high ground. As for the larger block of land, well some people do actually like to live a little bit isolated, a few years ago I owned and lived on 5 acres out Baldivis way and at the time it suited my life. Baldivis offers a lot of block sizes to suit most peoples needs and budgets.

 

All in all Rockingham has a lot to offer, maybe it was just your frame of mind at the time of your stay here. :wink:

[thornhilla]

Hi There, welcome we just recently moved to Baldivis and its a very up and coming Suburb we like it so far. Our Daughter (7) goes to Baldivis Primary School. Still early days but seems very good. We also have a 4 year old and a two year old. Hubby is a mechanic and works in Bibra Lake so a 30min drive up the freeway and its not a bad commute at all. Let me know if i can supply any extra info that may help. thornhilla@hotmail.com

[cheshirepom]

Hi, we arrived in Feb this year and are renting in the anchorage which is a new estate, its lovely and quiet, but since starting work and spending all day with aussies you will find none of them live in Rocko, as we are looking to buy they have all said as long as you stay on the beach side of read street you will be fine, this is because there are no housing association on that side its all privately owned homes, we have just purchase in Waikiki no far from the beach. like people on here have said have a good look around and keep an open mind, we were even going to go inland like Byford or Surpentine but I am told its to cold in winter and to hot in summer (cant win ha).