The suburb of Stirling was named after Admiral Sir James Stirling, who explored and colonised the Swan River and was the first Governor of Western Australia. Bound by the Mitchell Freeway, Stirling was originally part of Osborne Park before being officially gazetted in 1976 as Stirling. Development of the area progressed quickly and continued throughout the 1980s and 1990s. Stirling's proximity to the Mitchell and Kwinana freeways provides residents with quick and convenient access into and out of Perth. Within the suburb there is the Stirling Village Shopping Centre, which exists to service the immediate needs of locals and houses a supermarket and a number of speciality stores. Parks and reserves are dominant in Stirling with everything from sporting fields to children's play equipment catered for. Also in the suburb are the City of Stirling offices, Osborne Park Hospital and the Stirling Train Station.