Prior to European settlement, the area was inhabited by the Mooro group of the Whadjuk Noongar people. In 1830, the year after the European settlement of the Swan River Colony, land was divided up along the river between the colonists, who moved in soon after. Most either died or left in the months afterwards, leaving the area undeveloped for most of the 20th century. In 1881, the Fremantle–Guildford railway line was built, triggering the founding of the Bayswater Estate, the first development in the area, and in 1897, the Bayswater Road Board was founded, giving Bayswater its own local government. At first, development consisted of nurseries, market gardens and dairies, but as time went on, Bayswater became more and more suburban. Today, Bayswater is fully suburbanised, with subdivision of older lots being commonplace, and plans for apartments around Bayswater and Meltham railway stations being a contentious issue.