Dalyellup,, is an outer southern suburb of Bunbury, a city in Western Australia, located within the Shire of Capellocal government area. The suburb was established in 1999 when the Department of Housing and Works entered into a joint venture with Satterley Property Group to develop Dalyellup Beach Estate, a master-planned community which was expected to yield 3,000 lots by its completion in 2012. In the original advertising campaign, Dalyellup was heavily promoted as "A village in the Forest by the Sea". Along this theme the local private Lutheran school is called "Ocean Forest".
Demographics
In the, Dalyellup had a population of 3,239. This was an increase from the 2001 census population of 352. The estimated resident population in 2013 was 8,200 according to the Shire of Capel Local Profile. This had increased to the figure of 8,998 reported by the 2016 Census. According to 2006 statistics, Dalyellup residents had a median age of 29—well below the median of 37 in the Bunbury statistical district—and the median individual income was above-average for the region—$683 per week compared with $492 per week. The population of Dalyellup was predominantly Australian-born—74.9% as at the 2006 census—while significant English and South African minorities were identified. In the, 1.73% of residents identified as Indigenous Australians. The most popular religious affiliations in descending order in the 2006 census were no religion, Anglican, Roman Catholic and Uniting.
Facilities
Two large areas within the suburb were set aside as open space - about of pristine tuart forest, officially named the Usher-Dalyellup Regional Park in 2003, with an interpretative walkway leading to Ocean Drive in neighbouring Usher which was opened on 8 October 2007 by the Minister for the South West, and about of dunes and foreshore to the south. A small shopping centre provides for daily needs, but most residents used Bunbury's shopping facilities, until the new shopping centre opened in 2015. The placement of a larger shopping centre was implemented due to the rapidly increasing population. Dalyellup also has a large 106-room aged care and community housing project, managed by a local aged care provider. The facility, known as Bethanie Dalyellup, takes over-55's from the Department of Housing. It was officially opened on 10 October 2011 by Western Australian SenatorLouise Pratt.
Education
Dalyellup Primary School opened in 2001 in the local shopping centre with 91 students, moving into its own premises in April 2004. The school as at 2007 has a student population of 493 students from Years 1-7, and 179 pre-primary students. The school also serves the neighbouring areas of Gelorup, Stratham and College Grove. The Department of Education and Training has planned a middle school, Dalyellup Secondary College, to cater for years 7-10 from 2009. Dalyellup is within the catchment area for Dalyellup College and is about 6 kilometres from the Bunbury campus of Edith Cowan University. Other schools serving the area include Tuart Forest Primary School.. Dalyellup Secondary College became Dalyellup College and now since the start of 2009 has been running on two campuses, Harthog Road campus accommodates Years K to 4, whilst the newly built Wake Drive campus accommodates years 6 to 11. The school will grow a year at a time such that the present Year 8s in 2009 will be able to complete year 12 at the school. In 2015 the schools separated again creating dedicated Primary to years 6 and Secondary schools.
As an emerging suburb, Dalyellup is yet to find a consistent political trend. However, in the two elections held in the 2000s at both state and federal level, its voters have favoured the Liberal Party.
Waste dump controversy
In 2009 it was reported that a titanium dioxide refining company called Millennium Inorganic Chemicals had been dumping waste at a Dalyellup site for the past two decades. Residents had been calling for the closure of the site because of concerns over the impact of the waste and its proximity to a residential estate. Two councillors resigned in protest when the Capel council voted to give the waste facility permission to continue dumping waste for another three years, and calls to close the site continued.
