Stirling, city in southwestern Australia, in the state of Western Australia, part of greater Perth. Stirling is located 10 km (6 mi) northwest of Perth's central business district and is linked to Perth by the Mitchell Freeway. With an area of 109 sq km (42 sq mi), Stirling is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the west, the Swan River to the south, and to the north and east by the cities of Bayswater and Wanneroo, the shire of Swan, and the towns of Cambridge and Vincent. Like many of the suburbs along the coast, Stirling is a former resort area that has been converted into a relatively affluent residential suburb. Topographically, Stirling consists of a narrow coastal dune strip, about 6 km (about 4 mi) wide. Farther inland is a wider sandy coastal plain. At the junction of these two land systems, the water table frequently surfaces, producing lakes and wetlands. Lakes Monger and Herdsman are local examples. The flat land has encouraged low-density suburban expansion and freeway construction.
The suburb was named for Captain James Stirling (later Sir James), the first governor of Western Australia. Stirling surveyed the Swan River in 1827 and established the settlement of Perth two years later. The city of Stirling has experienced a particularly high rate of population growth since the 1970s. This growth was aided by the northward expansion of the freeway. Population (1991) 172,731.Microsoft® Encarta® Online Encyclopedia 2001
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