Rockingham is situated in the southern part of the traditional tribal territory of the Whadjuk, a group within the Noongar language family.
The city was named after the British ship Rockingham.
In 1896, Rockingham residents petitioned to establish a road board named “Clarence,” after Thomas Peel’s failed settlement at Woodman Point. However, the Department of Lands and Surveys declined this name, and the Rockingham Road District was officially gazetted on 4 February 1897.
Initially, the agricultural hall at the corner of Flinders Lane and Kent Street served as the Road Board’s administration office. In 1905, a dedicated office was built at the corner of Office Road and Mandurah Road in East Rockingham. By 1929, the Board decided to move its administration to Rockingham Beach, utilizing various buildings, including the Agricultural Hall and the old Rockingham Beach Primary School on Kent Street. A new office was constructed at the corner of Flinders Lane and Kent Street in 1946.
In February 1954, the Kwinana Road District was formed from the northern part of the Rockingham Road District.
On 1 July 1961, following the Local Government Act 1960, the Road District became the Shire of Rockingham. In 1971, the Shire relocated to new offices on Council Avenue on land donated by developers Rockingham Park Pty Ltd, 2 km southeast of Rockingham Beach. This new location was intended to become the major center for both Rockingham and Kwinana. The Rockingham City Shopping Centre opened in this area in 1971. Despite this move, Rockingham Beach remained the civic heart of the community, leading to the construction of Flinders Hall on Flinders Lane in the same year the new Council offices were built.
On 12 November 1988, Rockingham attained City status. In 1994, the City moved to new Council chambers and a civic center on Civic Boulevard.
In 2008, the Council adopted a plan for the Rockingham Strategic Regional (or Primary) Centre, which aimed to integrate the traditional center at Rockingham Beach with the 1970s “City Centre” into a larger, cohesive center. This plan aims to increase the residential population within this new city center from 12,000 to 36,000 through transit-oriented development, supporting a light rail connection between the Rockingham Train Station and Rockingham Beach.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/City_of_Rockingham
