Nollamara, WA 6061Home loan and property guide

Nollamara location and character

Nollamara is located within the City of Stirling, adjoining Dianella, Tuart Hill, Yokine, Balga and Westminster. The suburb is less than 10 kilometres from the Perth central business district and approximately 11 kilometres from Trigg beach, which gives it an unusually central position for its price level.

The name Nollamara is a Noongar word for the flowering plant Macropidia, commonly known as the black kangaroo paw. The suburb was designed by the State Housing Commission, along with Balga and Westminster, as part of the Mirrabooka Project, and the laying of streets and building of homes commenced in the 1960s.

Previously known as a lower income area, Nollamara has gone through a period of gentrification, with older homes being replaced by new townhomes and a surge in young families and professionals. The area is characterised by extensive trees, parks and recreational facilities, and the renovated Des Penman Reserve includes tennis, soccer and lawn bowls, a playground, shaded lunch areas and barbecue facilities.

Transport and amenity in Nollamara

There is no railway station in Nollamara. Stirling station on the Yanchep line lies about 8.8 kilometres from Perth by rail and Glendalough about 5.6 kilometres, both reached by bus or car. The Yanchep line commences in a tunnel under the Perth CBD as a through service with the Mandurah line.

Transperth buses serve Wanneroo Road, Nollamara Avenue and the surrounding streets, connecting the suburb to the city and to the stations. At under 10 kilometres from the centre, road journeys are short and cycling is practical for many residents.

Des Penman Reserve is the principal recreational facility, and local shopping serves daily needs with larger retail at Mirrabooka and Karrinyup. Schools operate in the suburb and its neighbours, and this guide does not describe school catchments, which the Department of Education can confirm.

Housing stock in Nollamara

Nollamara's housing has been transformed since its State Housing Commission origins. Original detached homes from the 1960s have been extensively replaced by townhouses and villa units on subdivided lots, so attached dwellings now form the majority, while apartments remain almost absent.

At the 2021 Census, 2,805 of the 5,326 occupied private dwellings were semi-detached or townhouse dwellings, 2,497 were separate houses and just 14 were flats or apartments, so attached dwellings made up 52.7 per cent of occupied homes against 12.6 per cent nationally, while separate houses accounted for 46.9 per cent. Three-bedroom homes overwhelmingly dominated at 3,995.

Due diligence splits accordingly. Remaining original houses raise roof condition, cracking associated with ground movement, original services and asbestos-containing materials, while strata townhouses raise levies, sinking fund adequacy and common property condition. The approval status of any subdivision or added dwelling is worth confirming.

Who lives and buys in Nollamara

The 2021 Census counted 12,779 residents in Nollamara, with a median age of 34 against 38 for Australia and an average household size of 2.2 people compared with 2.5 nationally. Adults aged 25 to 34 were by far the largest group at 2,997, followed by 2,385 aged 35 to 44 and 1,284 aged 45 to 54.

Renting leads. The Census recorded 2,463 rented dwellings, 1,756 owned with a mortgage and 973 owned outright, so 46.9 per cent of households with a stated tenure rented, 33.4 per cent had a mortgage and only 18.5 per cent owned outright, against 30.6, 35.0 and 31.0 per cent nationally.

Median weekly household income was $1,492 against $1,746, median monthly mortgage repayments were $1,582 against $1,863 and median weekly rent was $340 against $375. For a buyer, this is an accessible middle-ring market close to the city, where investors are strongly represented and first home buyers can enter through the extensive townhouse stock.

Planning, redevelopment and the Mirrabooka Project in Nollamara

Development is controlled by the City of Stirling's local planning scheme together with the Residential Design Codes, which set density coding for each lot. The scale of townhouse development shows that coding supports infill across much of the suburb, and redevelopment continues, so new supply competes with established stock.

The suburb's State Housing Commission origins as part of the Mirrabooka Project, alongside Balga and Westminster, are directly relevant to buyers. Original lots were laid out generously, which is why so many have been subdivided, and a remaining undeveloped lot is valued partly as development land rather than purely as a home.

The Map of Bush Fire Prone Areas, the latest version of which took effect on 13 December 2025, designates land across the state. In a built-up middle-ring suburb, designation is generally limited to land near remnant bushland and reserves rather than the residential interior.

Buying in Nollamara under Western Australian contract law

Established homes in Western Australia are normally sold by offer and acceptance. Consumer Protection WA explains that the signed form becomes a binding contract once the seller accepts, and that there is no mandatory cooling-off period, so conditions for finance approval and for building and timber pest inspections need to be written into the offer.

There is no mandatory seller disclosure statement in Western Australia. Where a dwelling is strata titled, which applies to the majority of stock here, the strata company records, levies and any proposed works deserve review before the offer becomes unconditional. Transfer duty is assessed by RevenueWA.

Home loan considerations for Nollamara property

Because attached dwellings form the majority, lender policy on strata security matters. Some lenders set minimum internal floor areas, apply lower maximum loan-to-value ratios to small units, or limit exposure to a single development, and strata levies are counted in serviceability assessments.

Some lenders also apply additional scrutiny in suburbs with a high concentration of former public housing, which can appear as a lower maximum loan-to-value ratio or a more conservative valuation. Given the suburb's State Housing Commission origins, buyers borrowing a high share of the price may wish to confirm the lender's position before making an offer, since a Western Australian contract is binding on acceptance.

Lending considerations for Nollamara

• Some lenders apply a lower maximum loan-to-value ratio where former public housing is concentrated.
• Strata levies on the majority townhouse stock are counted in serviceability assessments.
• A remaining undeveloped lot is valued partly as development land rather than purely as a home.
• Continuing new townhouse supply competes with established stock, which a valuer takes into account.
• Western Australian contracts have no mandatory cooling-off period and no mandatory seller disclosure statement.

Lender policy differs between institutions and changes over time. The guide to Australian lenders explains how credit policy varies, and the home loan guide sets out the main loan structures.