The suburb was named in honour of John Connolly who held land in the area in 1838.

Connolly was a private in the 63rd Regiment who arrived in the colony in 1829 and who farmed at Belhus and Bindoon after being discharged in 1834.

Despite sharing the same name, only the southern terminus of Connolly Drive sits on the northern border of the suburb.

An entire local street, namely Prairie Dunes Place has gained notability for its annual Christmas lights display.

[5][6] The suburb is served by bus links that provide connections back to the Yanchep line via either Whitfords or Joondalup railway stations.