Glendalough is also a
suburb of
Perth,
Western Australia. I lived there for over fourteen years.
The area initially known as Glendalough was granted to Thomas Helms in 1837. Its name is said to mean "valley between two lakes", which is appropriate due to its position between Herdsman Lake and Lake Monger. In 1898, part of the area was transferred to a "clerk of holy orders" of the Catholic Church, and a convent was established there. Said convent, containing the Little Sisters of the Poor, still exists, and a nursing home is also found on the premises.
In the 1940s, the State Housing Commission started building affordable housing in the suburb (Glendalough had previously mostly held swamp, and the occasional market garden) and it began to establish the identity it holds today. Higher density housing was built along Harborne Street in the 1960s and 70s, and some high-rise blocks of flats were also built. The area is now dominated by students, recent immigrants, and working class families. The nearby Lake Monger Primary School, which I attended for seven years, has an incredibly high turnover rate of both teachers and students, signifying that many people who live in Glendalough don't stay there very long. It is, however, a centrally-located suburb, only five kilometres from the Perth CBD, and close to the Osborne Park industrial area and many other services; hence it is a location with very good value for money - assuming one can live with the high crime rate and arguably small sense of community.