Scarborough history at a glance
- Named after: the seaside resort of Scarborough in North Yorkshire, England.
- Location: about 13–14 km north-west of the Perth CBD, in the City of Stirling.
- Key dates: Scarborough Beach Road (photographed in 1914); Scarborough Hotel built 1938 and demolished in the mid-1980s; Observation City (now the Rendezvous Hotel) built in 1986 for the 1987 America's Cup; Scarborough Beach Pool opened in January 2018.
- Share your history: locals are invited to contribute old photos and stories of Scarborough.
From coastal dunes to holiday resort
Scarborough sits on Perth's Sunset Coast, about 13–14 km north-west of the city centre, and takes its name from the English seaside resort of Scarborough in North Yorkshire. In the early 1900s the area was mostly sand dunes and scrub reached by rough tracks. As roads improved — Scarborough Beach Road was already carrying traffic in 1914 — Perth families began camping, building weekend shacks and holidaying beside the Indian Ocean.
Buses, the Scarborough Hotel and Kool Korner
Public transport made the beach accessible to working Perth families. An early bus service linked Scarborough with the city — the photo below shows a bus from around 1916. In 1938 the Scarborough Hotel opened on the beachfront and became a social hub for generations until it was demolished in the mid-1980s. Nearby, Kool Korner and Wilson's Store served ice creams and supplies to beachgoers, and surf carnivals drew big crowds to the sand.
Surf lifesaving and beach culture
The Scarboro Surf Life Saving Club has patrolled the beach for generations; a Battye Library photo shows its clubrooms in 1934. Surf carnivals in the 1940s attracted thousands of spectators, and in the 1950s and 1960s Scarborough became famous for its beachfront dance venue, the "Snake Pit", where young people danced to rock 'n' roll. A plaque in the brick path on The Esplanade marks the site of a house used by author Tom Hungerford and his friends before the Second World War.
Observation City and the America's Cup
Scarborough's skyline changed dramatically in 1986 when Bond Corporation built Observation City, a high-rise hotel intended to host visitors for the 1987 America's Cup in Fremantle. The project was controversial: a residents' petition opposed it and it was later examined by the WA Inc royal commission. Today the building operates as the Rendezvous Hotel Perth Scarborough, and council height limits mean it remains the tallest building on the strip.
Redevelopment: Scarborough Beach today
From the late 1990s the City of Stirling and later the state's redevelopment authority worked on plans to revitalise the foreshore, addressing traffic, parking, zoning and coastal landscaping. The redeveloped beachfront — with its amphitheatre, skate park, playground, Sunset Hill lookout and the ocean-side Scarborough Beach Pool (opened January 2018) — has made Scarborough one of Perth's most popular year-round coastal destinations, while historic photos on this page show how much has changed.
Share your Scarborough history
The history of Scarborough Beach should be shared with future generations. If you have historical photos or notes, please contact Dawn Palm on +61 8 9202 3671, or contact Ben Grummels to have your photos scanned and returned quickly. Do you recognise the 1972 slide labelled "Scarborough" below, found in a car about to be scrapped? We would love to know its exact location.
Historical photos of Scarborough Beach
For more background see the history resources from the State Library of Western Australia (Battye Library) and the City of Stirling's local history collection.
More Scarborough history and local links
- Ben Grummels
- Scarborough historical photo collection
- Perth
- Scarboro Surf Life Saving
- Battye Library
- contact
- Chronicle Digital Storytelling
- Advertise
- Scarborough Schools
- Zoomable
- Brighton Beach
- Photos of Perth Beaches
- Google+ Perth
- Sports people
- Business people
- Best Beaches
- Justice
- Beach Link Exchange
- Arts
- Video Clips
- Classic Cars
- LIVE Surf Cam
- People
Last updated 2 November 2026 · Scarboro.info, an independent guide to Scarborough Beach, Perth.