The City Of Wanneroo, with 48 kms of coastline, covers an area of 786 sq kms and has its southern boundary about 16 kms north of central Perth. In the early days of the Swan River Colony, the district represented an "outer" region and it was not until 1834 than an excursion into the area by any explorers or settlers is recorded. In that year, a party of four, led by John Butler, travelled about 35 kms north from Perth to search for lost cattle, and passed through the area just east of Lake Joondalup.
Four years later, renowned explorer George Grey also made an excursion northwards from Perth and passed along the shores of Lake Joondalup where the township of Wanneroo is now located. Although neither man gave glowing reports of the nature of the country, by the late 1830's, all the good gardening land around Perth had been taken up, and the settlers were looking further a field.
The well-watered fertile land around the lakes near Wanneroo, though isolated, presented an attractive prospect. A partnership of Thomas Hester, James Dobbins and John Connolly took up the first holding in the district, around the southern shore of Lake Joondalup, in 1837-38.
While it is not known when these settlers first used the name Wanneroo, it is probable the local Aborigines told them of it (Wanna or Wanno means the stick used by Aboriginal women for digging roots, and Roo, it is presumed, is used to denote "place of"). As early as 1842, a surveyor recorded a "road to Wanneroo" and in 1844 James Dobbins gave his address as Wanneroo. Other settlers to land in the area in the 1840's were William Rogers, Samuel Moore, George Shenton and James Cockman - but the development was confined to a narrow strip of about 2 miles width around the lakes.
There was little development other than farming close to the lakes until 1906, when the Government acquired land on the shores of Lake Joondalup and subdivided it into blocks of 80-100 acres, and also declared it a townsite. Three years earlier, a Road Board, set up under an Act relating to the roads outside municipal districts, was established initially as a road making authority. Its powers grew accordingly and remained in force until the Wanneroo Shire Council was created on July 5th, 1961.
The district came of age in October 1985, when His Excellency, Professor Gordon Reid, Governor of Western Australia, declared the municipality to be the City Of Wanneroo.
was chartered in 1971 and is the most senior club in the City of Wanneroo. The Club banner, designed by Past President Bill Jeffrey in 1990, depicts but one aspect of the profuse life which abounds in the area. Wanneroo has many fine attractions including 39 kilometres of ocean beaches and many lakes, symbolized on our Banner by the wavy lines below the Rotary Wheel. The blue skies are represented by the blue background, and the green, the earth, so responsible for our fertile soils. The White Egret, representing a single water bird of the many species found on the lakes and wetlands. In addition the Rotary hub and spokes support a spiked disc representing the sun over our Western coastline. This also symbolizes the strength of rising generations of club members. The Echidna an indigenous species is represented by the angled spikes.
Rotary meetings are held in the original town site at the Wanneroo Tavern on Monday evenings at 6.45 pm.