Image: Department of Education
When Bob Hawke College opened its doors in February 2020, the iconic $70m educational institution inducted its first ever cohort of year 7 students. This was a welcome site for Subiaco residents and the local community, as it formed a critical element of the Subi East Redevelopment, which aims to reinvigorate Subiaco across multiple sites, alongside the introduction of 2,000 new dwellings in the area.
The students have been lapping up the prestigious facilities and enjoying their new “Hawky High” school environment, and if you’ve driven past the college recently, you’ll understand why thanks to a modern façade, eye catching architectural aesthetic and edgy design.
A New Subiaco Icon
Stage One of the school opening has been a huge success, and as of last week, Education Minister Sue Ellery announced the beginning of the Stage Two expansion that would see a substantial increase of student numbers alongside new state-of-the-art facilities.
And it’s not just student numbers which will prosper, the new stage is also set to generate an additional 1,650 local jobs in the Subiaco area.
“Since it opened earlier this year, the world-class Bob Hawke College has provided an outstanding learning environment for students from inner-city communities. This has occurred during what has been a difficult school year as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. I congratulate all the staff, students and parents for their efforts during this time.” – Sue Ellery – Training Minister
What Does Stage Two Look Like?
The $57.6 million design of Stage 2 is set to begin in April 2021, where capacity will increase to 2,000 students in total by the full completion of the college, which is earmarked for 2023. The sizeable investment into the iconic college will see the development of multiple new structures, including several new creative arts facilities.
Stage 2 will see the introduction of new classrooms, external landscaping throughout the already impressive school grounds, as well as a new roof terrace. Students with a creative flair will be particularly pleased to hear of the new creative facilities scheduled within the expansion, which includes dance, media and visual arts studios, as well as new music rooms and a brand-new performing arts centre.
A birds eye view of Bob Hawke College – Source ABC News
Subiaco Oval Is Open Again
Parents, students and teachers will all be set to enjoy the new facilities, however for the moment they’ll have to wait until next year to begin enjoying these benefits. In the meantime, focusing on the current facilities on offer, Thursday 4th June saw the exciting re-opening the iconic Subiaco oval.
Whilst Bob Hawke College students have priority, the suburb’s most historic sporting oval is now open to the surrounding community outside of school hours on a first come, first served basis for residents wanting a kick of the footy, or a run around with the family dogs.
It’s an exciting milestone for the Subi East Redevelopment, as Subiaco Oval has always been highly regarded as WA’s most loved pieces of turf, with the first AFL game taking place in 1908, and the last game in 2017 before Optus Stadium became the new centre for sporting events.
“So many Western Australians turned out to farewell the old Subi Oval in June last year, ahead of the demolition of the grandstands. We’re delighted to now be handing this much-loved piece of Perth’s history back to the community, less than a year later.” – Planning Minister Rita Saffioti
There is currently a Shared User Agreement in the works between the City Of Subiaco, West Australian Football Commission and Department of Education to manage bookings requests from the community and sporting groups. The oval itself has been resurfaced and has held onto its heritage with the original dugouts, goal posts and 250 of the original wooden grandstand seats alongside a restoration of the heritage-listed entry gates.
Helping To Reignite Subiaco
The recent developments of Bob Hawke College and Subiaco Oval are a key part of the Subi East Redevelopment plans to link Subiaco with the Central Business District. As covered in our article The Rebirth Of Subiaco, this key redevelopment for the area is set to introduce 2,000 homes to the area, supported by new jobs opportunities and a lift in the vibrancy of one of Perth’s most loved suburbs.
This is great news for Halcyon purchasers as the planned new increases in residential dwellings, job prospects and community activity are tipped to bring more demand to the area and ultimately drive capital growth and returns.
Local families will also enjoy the benefits of the new prestigious local education provider with state-of-the-art facilities. For families outside of the catchment area, there are still opportunities to apply for enrolment, and this can be done by contacting the College directly by calling 0439 280 998 or emailing BobHawke.Col@education.wa.edu.au.
The Subi East Redevelopment – Source Dev WA
The Perfect Time To Invest
Given the new opening of the iconic Subiaco and future plans for Bob Hawke College to one day host 2,000 students, Subiaco is going through an iconic period of development which is set to drive demand within the inner-city suburb. With the school set to create a lot of demand in the Subiaco area, now is a perfect time to invest to position yourself ahead of the curve, and since it’s never been an easier and cheaper time to borrow from lenders, astute investors are clamoring over the opportunity to position themselves for potential capital growth in this iconic location.
If you’d like to find out more about these exclusive central apartments in Subiaco, go here to contact us today and we’ll be happy to answer any questions you have