Manning suburb profile: What are its unique selling points and is it a good place to live?

LIVING IN: Manning 6152

Postcode 6152

Population 4139

Distance from Perth CBD 9.6km south

Median house price $1,117,500

Median unit price $935,000

Crime 514 offences in 2023-2024

Manning residents have been keeping their suburb’s resemblance to an outback town on the down-low — but the secret is officially out.

Football, people and coffee — from restaurant Henry M’s at community hotspot James Miller Oval — are at the heart of the community, estate agents say.

Manning’s just a few minutes from the city by car but has the feel of a safe and friendly country town, partly as the result of the strong sporting history created by the Manning Rippers Football Club, says local resident and Jones Ballard property agent Nik Jones.

But footy’s not the only source of community spirit. When locals boast about their “underrated” town, high on the list of highlights is the Farmers Market on Manning each Saturday from 7.30am in Goss Avenue, which abuts major thoroughfare Manning Road. Fresh produce, including honey, eggs and vegetables, and even organic skincare products, are among the wares, while many indulge in a weekly ritual of a coffee and a doughnut.

Ray White sales associate Matt Kalos says the market is Manning’s pride and joy, and adds to the “country in the city feel of the area” because it strips much of the hustle and bustle out of shopping.

Welwyn Avenue Shopping Centre is home to the suburb’s only supermarket, an IGA, as well as Henry M’s, regarded as a go-to allrounder.

Manning has a rich history dating back to 1854 when Charles Alexander Manning, who was a mayor of Fremantle and the biggest landowner of the time, arrived to what was then the Swan River Colony and administered the land. Two years later his brother, Henry Manning, bought it. But despite him never arriving from Britain, the area kept the family surname and was known as the Manning Estate.

The Manning family sold part of the land to the Christian Brothers in 1936 to allow for the construction of Aquinas College, which opened in 1938, and had 160 boarders and 55 day pupils. Aquinas now has four boarding houses.

Manning is among Perth’s most sought-after family suburbs, largely because of the many educational options available. Manning and St Pius X primary schools are highly-prized in the 1.6sqkm suburb, which is also close to some of Perth’s top private high schools — Aquinas, Penrhos and Wesley colleges. Curtin University is also just 2.6km down the road in neighbouring Bentley.

With a raft of bus stops linking Manning to Canning Bridge rail station, getting to school or work is hassle-free. Canning Bridge station is on the Mandurah-Perth line and there’s a bus interchange providing easy access to Fremantle and Midland, among other centres.

Manning’s population skews slightly more female than male (51.8 per cent to 48.2 per cent, according to the 2021 census) but one of the popular local amenities is its Men’s Shed, for men to “knock about with a group of like-minded mates”, according to the Men’s Shed national association. The Manning shed claimed an Australia Day accolade in January, winning a community citizen award.

With a median house price well below some other riverside suburbs, Manning still offers many of their perks, with Salter Point and the Canning River only a short walk away. Both riverside loops are popular walking, cycling and sunset-watching spots.

Tightly-held Manning has just over 1700 private dwellings, meaning it’s a tough ask to get in. According to REIWA data, houses are on the market for just 13 days and units just eight.