The area in which Lake Claremont is located was originally a large wetland area which was abundant in plant and animal life. It formed a part of the hunting and food gathering territory of the Mooroo people. Aboriginal families lingered there until the 1940s, when rising waters and the needs of a "beautification" program led to their eviction.
The first recorded reference to Lake Claremont was in a letter written by Mr John Butler to the Surveyor General Mr J.S. Roe on the 15 November 1831.
"I wish to have a grant of ten acres on the east side of the lagoon about one and a half miles north of my home at Freshwater Bay, in the name of William Burton Butler, my eldest son".
Official records of Butler's occupancy are lacking and it is possible that he used the land for a considerable period without ever receiving an official grant. His farming activities gave rise to the name "Butlers Swamp" (Morris and Knott, 1977, 155). There is however no record of a Certificate of Title to this land being issued in his name.
In 1850 military pensioners arriving from England were granted areas of land around Butler's Swamp. A total of eighteen grants each of 3.8 hectares were made. Only a few of the original pensioners remained on their land and development was slow until the completion of the Perth Guildford Railway line in 1881. A station was constructed on the west side of Stirling Road and Butlers Swamp became a popular picnic spot.
Around the turn of the century, orchards and market gardens began to flourish around the swamp and its popularity as a picnic spot began to wane. Rising waters destroyed much of the market gardens, rendered Stirling Road impassable and profoundly changed the character of the vegetation. The paper bark trees, unable to withstand the permanent submergence, died off (Evans and Sherlock, 1950, 150).
It was not until 1949 when further moves were made to turn the swamp into a beauty spot. Naturalists wrote to the paper describing the variety of bird life, and urging that the swamp be cleaned and beautified. After considerable discussion and many suggestions, a plan was agreed to in 1954. Included in the plan was provision for an olympic pool, football, soft ball, a pavilion, boats for hire, tearooms, amphitheatre and large areas reserved for picnic grounds and natural bush. It soon became apparent that the plan was to be very costly to implement and the Council modified the original proposal. A drive-in cinema was built in lieu of the amphitheatre, the rent from this commercial development meeting loan repayments. Council also exchanged 3.5 acres of land belonging to Scotch College for 4.5 acres which was partly under water. This land was subsequently reclaimed by the College reducing the area of the Lake. Between 1964 and 1970 the area was used as a rubbish tip, the rubbish being used to fill in the marshy areas around the waters edge. An island bird sanctuary was built and planted with exotic trees and shrubs. The council then proceeded to construct the golf course, despite objections that it would result in restricted access to the lake foreshore and surrounding areas and objections that it would result in a serious impact on the habitat. In 1955 the Council, in the face of strong opposition from the Royal W.A. Historical Society, initiated steps which resulted in the swamp being renamed Lake Claremont.
In 1983, the Department of Conservation and Environment of Western Australia prepared the Darling System, System 6 Report. This Report recommended that, in conjunction with the Department, Council prepare a management plan for the Lake Claremont area.
References
Evans, G.A. & Sherlock, N.A. (1950) ‘Butlers Swamp, Claremont’, W.A. Naturalist 2, p.7.
Morris , K.D. & Knott, B. (1979) ‘Waterfowl Utilisation of Lake Claremont During 1977’, W.A. Naturalist 14, p.6.