The suburb was part of Riverton until the mid-1960s; its name is believed to refer to shells found in the area on the shores of the Canning River.

A stretch of Leach Highway forms the south western border of the suburb until it goes up to Fifth Avenue and zigzags up back to Riverton Drive North.

Shelley is located within the Rossmoyne Senior High School zone and is close to Curtin University.

Off Leach Highway the 998 and 999 CircleRoute buses travel to Fremantle and to Curtin University in the opposite direction respectively.

Bus routes serving Barbican Street East: Media related to Shelley, Western Australia at Wikimedia Commons