Peppermint Grove

Peppermint Grove is an affluent western suburb of Perth, Western Australia on the north bank of the Swan River at Freshwater Bay.

Peppermint Grove is an affluent western suburb of Perth, Western Australia on the north bank of the Swan River at Freshwater Bay. Its local government area, the smallest in the country, is the Shire of Peppermint Grove. The suburb was named after its trademark Swan River peppermint trees (Agonis flexuosa) lining many streets. The suburb has long been associated with Western Australia's wealthiest and oldest families. Their prosperity is reflected in the many historical houses in the area, such as The Cliffe and the Federation Queen Anne style St Just. Colin Barnett, a former Premier of Western Australia, dubbed the suburb "Monaco of WA" due to its small size and concentration of wealth.

At the time of European settlement and for some years after, the area was thickly wooded with tuart, jarrah, red gum, banksia as well as the peppermint trees which gave the suburb its name.

In 1830, John Butler, an innkeeper, was given a grant of 250 acres (1 km²) on Freshwater Bay, after unsuccessfully attempting to secure land at Claremont. From this location, he operated "The Bush Inn", a stone house he had built and rigged out with native mahogany, commonly known as jarrah. After a series of arguments with the colonial authorities of the day, Butler left for Sydney in October 1835, but did not dispose of the property.

After the death of Butler's wife, Ann, in 1886, a syndicate of businessmen, including Alexander Forrest and George Leake, persuaded Butler's children to sell the land. In 1891, it was subdivided and lots were sold for £7 to £12 each. Two of the earliest residents were Edward Vivien Harvey Keane, Lord Mayor of Perth, and John Forrest, Premier of Western Australia. Just four years later, residents got a road board, later to become the Peppermint Grove Shire Council – to this day, the smallest in Australia at just 1.1 km².