Perth is the
capital and largest city of the
AustraliaAustralia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the continental mainland , the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans...
n
stateThe Commonwealth of Australia is made up of six states and two major mainland territories. There are also lesser territories that are under the administration of the federal government.- States and Territories:+ Formerly part of ACT...
of
Western AustraliaWestern Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. Australia's largest state and the second largest subnational entity in the world, it has 2.2 million inhabitants , 85% of whom live in the south-west corner of the state.The state's capital...
. With a population of 1,650,000 (2009), Perth ranks fourth amongst the nation's cities, with a growth rate consistently above the national average.
Perth was founded on 12 June 1829 by
Captain James StirlingAdmiral Sir James Stirling RN was a British marine officer and colonial administrator. He was the first Governor of Western Australia and on his own initiative signed Britain's first limited treaty with Japan in 1854....
as the political centre of the free-settler
Swan River ColonyThe Swan River Colony was a British settlement established at the Swan River on the west coast of Australia at the time of the founding of Perth in 1829. This colony expanded and became what is now Western Australia. Fremantle was the seaport and Perth the political centre of the Swan River Colony...
. It has continued to serve as the seat of government for Western Australia to the present day. Its port,
Fremantle-Places:* Freemantle, a suburb of Southampton in England* Fremantle, Western Australia, the port city to the capital Perth, Western Australia* Division of Fremantle, a federal division of the Australian House of Representatives...
is a city in its own right and slightly older than Perth.
The
metropolitan areaA metropolitan area is a large population center consisting of a large metropolis and its adjacent zone of influence, or of more than one closely adjoining neighboring central cities and their zone of influence...
is located in the
south-westSouth West Division is one of the six Land Divisions of Western Australia, part of the Cadastral divisions of Western Australia. It includes the cities of Perth, Albany, Bunbury, Geraldton and Mandurah. It also includes the regions of South West, Great Southern, Peel, most of the Wheatbelt, and the...
of the continent between the
Indian OceanThe Indian Ocean is the third largest of the world's oceanic divisions, covering about 20% of the water on the Earth's surface. It is bounded on the north by South Asia ; on the west by Africa; on the east by Indochina, the Sunda Islands, and Australia; and on the south by the Southern Ocean...
and a low coastal escarpment known as the Darling Range. The
central business districtA central business district is the commercial and often geographic heart of a city...
and suburbs of Perth are situated on the
Swan RiverThe Swan River estuary flows through the city of Perth, in the south west of Western Australia. Its lower reaches are relatively wide and deep, with few constrictions, while the upper reaches are usually quite narrow and shallow.-Course:...
. Perth is tied for fifth place in
The EconomistThe Economist is an English-language weekly news and international affairs publication owned by The Economist Newspaper Ltd. and edited in an office in the City of Westminster, London. Continuous publication began under founder James Wilson in September 1843. While The Economist calls itself a...
's 2009 list of the
World's Most Livable CitiesThe world's most livable cities is an informal name given to any list of cities as they rank on a reputable annual survey of living conditions. Two examples are the Mercer Quality of Living Survey and The Economists World's Most Livable Cities...
.
Perth became known worldwide as the "City of Lights" as city residents lit their house lights and streetlights as American
astronautAn astronaut or cosmonaut is a person trained by a human spaceflight program to command, pilot, or serve as a crew member of a spacecraft....
John GlennJohn Herschel Glenn Jr. is a retired United States Marine Corps pilot, a former astronaut and United States Senator who was the first American and third person to orbit the Earth. Glenn was a Marine Corps fighter pilot before joining NASA's Mercury program, NASA's original astronaut group. He...
passed overhead while orbiting the earth on Friendship 7 in 1962. The city repeated its feat as Glenn passed overhead on the
Space ShuttleThe Space Shuttle, part of the Space Transportation System , is a spacecraft operated by NASA for orbital human spaceflight missions. It began operations in the 1980s and is scheduled to be retired from service in 2010 after 134 launches...
in 1998.
Prehistory
Before European settlement, the area had been inhabited by the
WhadjukWhadjuk, also called Wadjuk, Whajook and Wadjug, is the name according to Norman Tindale for the Aboriginal group inhabiting the Western Australian region of the Perth bioregion of the Swan Coastal Plain, and extending below Walyunga into the surrounding Jarrah Forests...
NoongarThe Noongar , are an indigenous Australian people who live in the south-west corner of Western Australia from Geraldton on the west coast to Esperance on the south coast...
people for over 40,000 years, as evidenced by archaeological findings on the Upper Swan River. These Aborigines occupied the southwest corner of Western Australia, living as hunter-gatherers. The lakes on the coastal plain were particularly important to them, providing both spiritual and physical sustenance.
RottnestRottnest Island is located 18 km off the coast of Western Australia, near Fremantle. It is called Wadjemup by the Noongar people, meaning "place across the water". The island is 11 kilometres long, and 4.5 kilometres at its widest point with a total land area of 19 km². It is classified as an A...
,
CarnacCarnac Island , Western Australia .Is an A Class nature reserve approximately 10 kilometres south west of FremantleIn 1803, French explorer Louis de Freycinet, captain of the Casuarina, named the island Île Pelée . It was also known as Île Lévilian and later Île Berthelot...
and
GardenGarden Island is a slender island about ten kilometres long and one and a half kilometres wide, lying about off the Western Australian coast, to which it is now linked by a man-made causeway....
Islands were also important to the Noongar. About 5,000 years ago the sea levels were low enough that they could walk to the limestone outcrops.
The area where Perth now stands was called Boorloo by the Aboriginals living there at the time of their first contact with Europeans in 1827. Boorloo formed part of Mooro, the tribal lands of the Yellagonga, one of several groups based around the Swan River and known collectively as the Whadjuk. The Whadjuk were part of a larger group of thirteen or more tribes which formed the south west socio-linguistic block known as the
NoongarThe Noongar , are an indigenous Australian people who live in the south-west corner of Western Australia from Geraldton on the west coast to Esperance on the south coast...
(
The People), also sometimes called the
Bibbulmun.
On 19 September 2006, the
Federal Court of AustraliaThe Federal Court of Australia is an Australian superior court of record which has jurisdiction to deal with most civil disputes governed by federal law , along with some summary criminal matters. Cases are heard at first instance by single Judges...
brought down a judgment recognising Noongar native title over the Perth metropolitan area, in the case of
Bennell v State of Western Australia [2006] FCA 1243. The judgement was overturned on appeal.
Early European sightings
The first documented European sighting of the region was made by the Dutch Captain
Willem de VlaminghWillem de Vlamingh was a Dutch sea-captain who explored the southwest coast of Australia in the late 17th century....
and his crew on 10 January 1697. Subsequent sightings between this date and 1829 were made by other Europeans, but as in the case of the sighting and observations made by Vlamingh, the area was considered to be inhospitable and unsuitable for the agriculture which would be needed to sustain a settlement
The Swan River Colony
Although the
British ArmyThe British Army is the land armed forces branch of the British Armed Forces. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdoms of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England and Scotland and...
had established a base at
King George SoundAlbany is located in the Great Southern region of Western Australia, situated around a port on the southern coast.Its metropolitan area has a population of 25,196 as of the 2006 census, making it the sixth largest city in the state....
(later Albany) on the south coast of western Australia in 1826 in response to rumours that the area would be annexed by France, Perth was the first full-scale settlement by Europeans in the western third of the continent. The British colony would be officially designated Western Australia in 1832, but was known informally for many years as the Swan River Colony after the area's major watercourse.
On 4 June 1829, newly-arriving British colonists had their first view of the mainland, and Western Australia's Foundation Day has since been recognised by a public holiday on the first Monday in June each year. Captain James Stirling, aboard the
ParmeliaThe Parmelia was a barque that was used to transport the first civilian officials and settlers of the Swan River Colony to Western Australia in 1829....
, said that Perth was "as beautiful as anything of this kind I had ever witnessed." On 12 August that year, Mrs. Helen Dance, wife of the captain of the second ship
Sulphur, cut down a tree to mark the founding of the town.
It is clear that Stirling had already selected the name
Perth for the capital well before the town was proclaimed, as his proclamation of the colony, read in Fremantle on 18 June, ended "[g]iven under my hand and Seal at Perth this 18th Day of June 1829. James Stirling Lieutenant Governor" The only information on the source of the name comes from Fremantle's diary entry for 12 August, which records that they "named the Town Perth according to the wishes of Sir George Murray." Murray was born in
Perth, ScotlandPerth is a former royal burgh in central Scotland. Sitting on the banks of the River Tay, it is the administrative headquarters of Perth and Kinross council area. According to the 2001 census, its population is 43,450...
, and was in 1829
Secretary of State for the ColoniesThe Secretary of State for the Colonies or Colonial Secretary was the British Cabinet official in charge of managing the various British colonies. The position was first created in 1768 to deal with the increasingly troublesome North American colonies...
and Member for
PerthshirePerthshire was a county constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of Great Britain from 1708 to 1801 and of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1801 until 1885, representing a seat for one Member of Parliament .-Boundaries:...
in the
British House of CommonsThe House of Commons is the lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which also comprises the Sovereign and the House of Lords . Both Commons and Lords meet in the Palace of Westminster. The Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 646 members, who are known as "Members...
. It is therefore often asserted that the name was given in Murray's honour.
Beginning in 1831, hostile encounters between the British settlers and the
NoongarThe Noongar , are an indigenous Australian people who live in the south-west corner of Western Australia from Geraldton on the west coast to Esperance on the south coast...
people – both large-scale land users with conflicting land value systems – increased considerably as the colony grew. This violent phase of the region's history culminated in a series of events in which the British overcame the indigenous people, including the execution of the
WhadjukWhadjuk, also called Wadjuk, Whajook and Wadjug, is the name according to Norman Tindale for the Aboriginal group inhabiting the Western Australian region of the Perth bioregion of the Swan Coastal Plain, and extending below Walyunga into the surrounding Jarrah Forests...
elder
MidgegoorooMidgegooroo was an Indigenous Australian of the Nyungar nation, who played a key role in Indigenous resistance to white settlement in the area of Perth, Western Australia...
, the death of his son
YaganYagan was a Noongar warrior who played a key part in early indigenous Australian resistance to British settlement and rule in the area of Perth, Western Australia. After he led a series of attacks in which white settlers were killed, a bounty was offered for his capture dead or alive, and he was...
in 1833, and the
Battle of PinjarraThe Battle of Pinjarra or Pinjarra Massacre was a conflict that occurred in Pinjarra, Western Australia between a group of 60 to 80 Australian Aborigines and a detachment of 25 soldiers and policemen led by Governor James Stirling in 1834...
in 1834.
By 1843, when Yellagonga died, his people had begun to disintegrate after having been dispossessed of the land around the main settlement area of Perth. They retreated to the swamps and lakes north of the settlement area including Third Swamp, known to them as Boodjamooling. Boodjamooling continued to be a main camp-site for the remaining Noongar people in the Perth region, and was also used by travellers, itinerants, and homeless people. By the gold-rush days of the 1890s they were joined by miners who were en-route to the goldfields.
In 1850, Western Australia was opened to convicts at the request of farming and business people looking for cheap labour. Queen Victoria announced the city status of Perth in 1856.
Federation and beyond
After a referendum in 1900, Western Australia joined the
Federation of AustraliaThe federation of Australia was the process by which the six separate British self-governing colonies of New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria and Western Australia formed a federation...
in 1901. It was the last of the Australian colonies to agree to join the Federation, and did so only after the other colonies had offered several concessions, including the construction of a transcontinental railway line to Perth (via
KalgoorlieKalgoorlie, alternatively known as Kalgoorlie-Boulder, is a city in the Goldfields-Esperance region of Western Australia, and is located east-northeast of Perth, the state capital...
) from the eastern states.
In 1933, Western Australia voted in a referendum to leave the Australian Federation, with a majority of two to one in favour of
secessionSecessionism has been a recurring feature of Western Australia's political landscape since shortly after European settlement in 1829. The idea of self governance or secession has often been discussed through local newspaper articles and editorials and on a number of occasions has surfaced as very...
. However, an election held shortly before the referendum had turned out the incumbent "pro-independence" government, replacing it with a government which did not support the independence movement. Respecting the result of the referendum, the new government nonetheless petitioned the
Agent GeneralAn Agent-General was the representative in the United Kingdom of the government of a British colony in Nigeria, Canada, South Africa, Australia or New Zealand and subsequently, of a Nigerian Region, Canadian Province or an Australian State.Nigeria, Australia and Canada's federal governments were...
of the United Kingdom for independence, where the request was simply ignored.
Perth's growth and relative prosperity, especially since the mid-1960s, has resulted from its role as the main service centre for the state's resource industries, which produce
goldGold is a chemical element with the symbol Au and an atomic number of 79. It has been a highly sought-after precious metal for coinage, jewelry, and other arts since the beginning of recorded history. The metal occurs as nuggets or grains in rocks, in veins and in alluvial deposits. Gold is...
,
iron oreIron is a metallic chemical element with the symbol Fe and atomic number 26. Iron is a group 8 and period 4 element and is therefore classified as a transition metal. Iron and iron alloys are by far the most common metals and the most common ferromagnetic materials in everyday use...
,
nickelNickel is a chemical element, with the chemical symbol Ni and atomic number 28. It is a silvery-white lustrous metal with a slight golden tinge. It is one of the four ferromagnetic elements at about room temperature, other three being iron, cobalt and gadolinium...
, alumina,
diamondIn mineralogy, diamond is an allotrope of carbon, where the carbon atoms are arranged in a variation of the face-centered cubic crystal structure called a diamond lattice. Diamond is the second most stable form of carbon, after graphite; however, the conversion rate from diamond to graphite is...
s, mineral sands,
coalCoal is a readily combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock normally occurring in rock strata in layers or veins called coal beds. The harder forms, such as anthracite coal, can be regarded as metamorphic rock because of later exposure to elevated temperature and pressure...
,
oilAn oil is any substance that is liquid at ambient temperatures and is hydrophobic but soluble in organic solvents. Oils have a high carbon and hydrogen content and are nonpolar substances. The general definition above includes compound classes with otherwise unrelated chemical structures,...
, and
natural gasNatural gas is a gas consisting primarily of methane. It is found associated with fossil fuels, in coal beds, as methane clathrates, and is created by methanogenic organisms in marshes, bogs, and landfills...
. Whilst most mineral and petroleum production takes place elsewhere in the state, the non-base services provide most of the employment and income to the people of Perth.
Geography
Perth is one of the most isolated metropolitan areas on earth. The nearest city to Perth with a population over one million is
AdelaideAdelaide is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of South Australia, and is the fifth-largest city in Australia, with a population of more than 1.1 million. It is a coastal city situated on the eastern shores of Gulf St. Vincent, on the Adelaide Plains, north of the Fleurieu...
in
South AustraliaSouth Australia is a state of Australia in the southern central part of the country. It covers some of the most arid parts of the continent; with a total land area of , it is the fourth largest of Australia's six states and two territories....
, which is away. Perth is geographically closer to
DiliDili , spelled Díli in Portuguese, is the capital and largest city of East Timor. It lies on the northern coast of Timor island, the easternmost of the Lesser Sunda Islands. Dili is the chief port and commercial centre for East Timor, and has approximately 150,000 inhabitants...
(
East TimorEast Timor, also known as Timor-Leste is a country in Southeast Asia. It comprises the eastern half of the island of Timor, the nearby islands of Atauro and Jaco, and Oecussi-Ambeno, an exclave on the northwestern side of the island, within Indonesian West Timor...
),
SingaporeSingapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is an island city-state located at the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, lying north of the equator, south of the Malaysian state of Johor and north of Indonesia's Riau Islands. At , Singapore is a microstate and the smallest nation in Southeast...
and
JakartaJakarta is the capital and largest city of Indonesia. It also has a greater population than any other city in Southeast Asia. It was formerly known as Sunda Kelapa , Jayakarta , Batavia , and Djakarta . Located on the northwest coast of Java, it has an area of and a population of 8,489,910...
(
IndonesiaThe Republic of Indonesia is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia comprises 17,508 islands. With an estimated population of around 237 million people, it is the world's fourth most populous country, with the world's largest population of Muslims.Indonesia is a republic, with an...
), than it is to
SydneySydney is the largest city in Australia, and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney has a metropolitan area population of approximately 4.34 million and an area of approximately 12,000 square kilometres. Its inhabitants are called Sydneysiders, and Sydney is often called "the Harbour City"...
,
MelbourneMelbourne is the capital city and most populous city of the State of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne city centre is the anchor of the larger geographical area and statistical division known as the Greater Melbourne metropolitan area – of which Melbourne is...
, and
BrisbaneBrisbane is the state capital of the Australian state of Queensland and is the largest city in that state. With an estimated population of approximately 2 million, it is also the third most populous city in Australia....
. The
antipodeIn geography, the antipodes of any place on Earth is the point on the Earth's surface which is diametrically opposite to it...
of
Hamilton, BermudaHamilton is the capital of Bermuda. It is located on the north side of Hamilton Harbour, and is Bermuda's main port. Although there is a parish of the same name, the city of Hamilton is in the parish of Pembroke. The City is named after Sir Henry Hamilton, governor from 1778 to 1794...
is located 45 kilometres offshore from
Point PeronCape Peron is a headland located at the extreme southern end of Cockburn Sound in Western Australia. The cape is noted for protected beaches, limestone cliffs, reefs and panoramic views....
in Perth's southern suburbs.
Central business district
The central business district of Perth is bounded by the Swan River to the south and east, with
Kings ParkKings Park is a park located on the western edge of Perth, Western Australia central business district. The park is a mixture of grassed parkland, botanical gardens and natural bushland on Mount Eliza....
on the western end, while the railway lines form a northern border. St Georges Terrace is the prominent street of the area with 1.3 million m² of office space in the CBD.
Hay StreetHay Street is a major road through the CBD of Perth, Western Australia. The street was named after Robert William Hay, the Permanent Under Secretary for Colonies. Sections of the road were called Howick Street and Twiss Street until 1897...
and
Murray StreetMurray Street is one of four main east-west roads within the Perth CBD.The street, the central portion of which has become a pedestrian mall, was named after Sir George Murray, Secretary of State for War and the Colonies from 1828 to 1830....
have most of the retail and entertainment facilities. The tallest building in the city is
Central ParkCentral Park is a 51-storey office tower in Perth, Western Australia. The building measures from its base at St Georges Terrace to the roof, and to the tip of its communications mast. Upon its completion in 1992, the tower became the tallest building in Perth, however it will be overtaken in...
, which is the sixth tallest building in Australia, although it is to be surpassed by City Square in 2012.
Geology and landforms
Perth is set on the Swan River, named after the native
black swansThe Black Swan is a large waterbird which breeds mainly in the southeast and southwest regions of Australia.-Taxonomy:The black swan was first described by English naturalist John Latham in 1790...
in 1697 by
Willem de VlaminghWillem de Vlamingh was a Dutch sea-captain who explored the southwest coast of Australia in the late 17th century....
, captain of a Dutch expedition and namer of WA's
Rottnest IslandRottnest Island is located 18 km off the coast of Western Australia, near Fremantle. It is called Wadjemup by the Noongar people, meaning "place across the water". The island is 11 kilometres long, and 4.5 kilometres at its widest point with a total land area of 19 km². It is classified as an A...
. Traditionally, this water body has been known by Aboriginal inhabitants as
Derbal Yerrigan. The city centre and most of the suburbs are located on the sandy and relatively flat
Swan Coastal PlainThe Swan Coastal Plain in Western Australia is the geographic feature that lies directly west of the Darling Scarp, and which contains the Swan River as it travels west to the Indian Ocean. It is one of Western Australia's Interim Biogeographic Regionalisation for Australia regions...
, which lies between the
Darling ScarpThe Darling Scarp is a low escarpment running north-south to the east of the Swan Coastal Plain and Perth, Western Australia...
and the Indian Ocean. The soils of this area are quite infertile. The metropolitan area extends to
YanchepYanchep is an outer northern suburb of Perth, the capital city of Western Australia. It was built by entrepreneur Alan Bond. It is a suburb of the City of Wanneroo. Yanchep is a popular tourist destination...
in the north and
RockinghamRockingham is a suburb and regional centre in Western Australia south-west of the Perth city centre and south of Fremantle. It has a beachside location at Mangles Bay, the southern extremity of Cockburn Sound. To its north stretches the maritime and resource-industry installations of Kwinana,...
to the south, total distance of approximately . From the coast in the west to
MundaringMundaring is a suburb located 34 km east of Perth on the Great Eastern Highway. The suburb is located within the Shire of Mundaring.The Aboriginal name of the area 'Mindah-lung', said to mean 'a high place on a high place', was anglicised to become 'Mundaring'.The Mundaring area is also considered...
in the east is a total distance of approximately . The area of Perth is thus over 6,100 km² (1.5 million acres).
The coastal suburbs' placement is advantageous due to proximity to Perth's oceanside location and clean
beachA beach is a geological landform along the shoreline of a body of water. It usually consists of loose particles which are often composed of rock, such as sand, gravel, shingle, pebbles, or cobblestones...
es. To the east, the city is bordered by a low escarpment called the Darling Scarp. Perth is on generally flat, rolling land — largely due to the high amount of sandy soils and deep
bedrockIn stratigraphy, bedrock is the native consolidated rock underlying the surface of a terrestrial planet, usually the Earth. Above the bedrock is usually an area of broken and weathered unconsolidated rock in the basal subsoil...
. The Perth metropolitan area has two major river systems; the first is made up of the Swan and
CanningThe Canning River is a major tributary of the Swan River in south western Western Australia.-Source and route:With headwaters on the Darling Scarp, the Canning meanders through suburbs of Perth on the Swan Coastal Plain, including Cannington, Thornlie, Riverton, Shelley, Rossmoyne and Mount...
Rivers. The second is that of the
SerpentineThe Serpentine River is a river in the South West region of Western Australia.The river rises in the Darling Scarp below Bowerling Hill and flows westward crossing Albany Highway North of North Bannister. The river continues North West through the Youarling State Forest then the Serpentine National...
and Murray Rivers, which discharge into the Peel Estuary at Mandurah.
Climate
Perth receives moderate though highly seasonal rainfall. Summers are generally hot and dry, lasting from December to late March, with February generally being the hottest month of the year, making Perth a classic example of a
Mediterranean climateA hi Mediterranean climate resembles the climate of the lands in the Mediterranean Basin, which includes most of the area with this climate type worldwide...
(
Köppen climate classificationThe Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by the Russian climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen himself notably in 1918 and 1936...
CSa). Summer is not completely devoid of rain with sporadic rainfall in the form of short-lived thunderstorms, weak cold fronts and on very rare occasions decaying tropical cyclones from Western Australia's north-west which can bring significant falls. The hottest ever recorded temperature in Perth was on 23 February 1991, although Perth Airport recorded on the same day. On most summer afternoons a
sea breezeA sea-breeze is a wind from the sea that develops over land near coasts. It is formed by increasing temperature differences between the land and water which create a pressure minimum over the land due to its relative warmth and forces higher pressure, cooler air from the sea to move inland...
, also known as "
The Fremantle DoctorThe Fremantle Doctor, or 'The Freo Doctor' is the Western Australian vernacular term for the cooling afternoon sea breeze which occurs during summer months in coastal areas of Western Australia...
", blows from the south-west, providing relief from the hot north-easterly winds. Temperatures often fall below 30 degrees a few hours after the arrival of the wind change.
Winters are relatively cool and wet, with most of Perth's annual rainfall falling between May and September. The coldest temperature recorded in Perth was on 17 June 2006. The coldest temperature within the Perth metropolitan area was -3.4 °C (25.9 °F) on the same day at
Jandakot AirportJandakot Airport is an Australian general aviation airport located in Jandakot, Perth, Western Australia. Jandakot airport opened in 1963. From 1 July 1998, Jandakot Airport Holdings purchased a 50-year lease with a 49-year option to operate and maintain the airport including its conservation...
.
Though most rainfall occurs during winter, the wettest day ever was on 9 February 1992 when fell. The rainfall pattern has changed in Perth and
Southwest Western Australia*For the governmental region, see South West*For the ecoregion, see Southwest AustraliaThe south-west corner drainage region of Western Australia is one of only two temperate and relatively fertile parts of mainland Australia. It covers about 140,000 square kilometres, or a little less than 2% of...
since the mid-1970s. A significant reduction in winter rainfall has been observed with a greater number of extreme rainfall events in the summer months.
Demographics
Perth Metropolitan Area
Population by year (ABS) |
| 1850 |
1,400 |
| 1861 |
3,507 |
| 1871 |
5,007 |
| 1881 |
5,044 |
| 1891 |
8,447 |
| 1901 |
27,553 |
| 1911 |
106,792 |
| 1921 |
154,873 |
| 1933 |
207,440 |
| 1947 |
272,528 |
| 1961 |
420,133 |
| 1971 |
641,800 |
| 1981 |
809,036 |
| 1991 |
1,142,646 |
| 2001 |
1,325,392 |
| 2006 |
1,445,079 |
| 2007 |
1,554,769 |
| 2008 |
1,600,000 |
| 2009 |
1,650,000 |
Significant overseas-born
populations |
| Country of Birth |
Population
(2006) |
United Kingdom United KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is a sovereign state located off the northwestern coast of continental Europe. It is an island country, spanning an archipelago including Great Britain, the northeastern part of Ireland, and many small islands...
|
168,483 |
New Zealand New ZealandNew Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses , and numerous smaller islands, most notably Stewart Island/Rakiura and the Chatham Islands. The indigenous Māori named New Zealand Aotearoa, commonly translated as The Land of the Long White Cloud...
|
33,751 |
Malaysia MalaysiaMalaysia is a country in Southeast Asia that consists of thirteen states and three Federal Territories, with a total landmass of . The capital city is Kuala Lumpur, while Putrajaya is the seat of the federal government. The population stands at over 28 million inhabitants...
|
18,939 |
Italy ItalyItaly , officially the Italian Republic , is a country located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe and on the two largest islands in the Mediterranean Sea, Sicily and Sardinia. Italy shares its northern, Alpine boundary with France, Switzerland, Austria and Slovenia...
|
18,701 |
South Africa South AfricaThe Republic of South Africa is a country located at the southern tip of Africa, with a coastline on the Atlantic and Indian Oceans. To the north lie Namibia, Botswana and Zimbabwe, to the east are Mozambique and Swaziland, while Lesotho is an independent country surrounded by South Africa.Modern...
|
18,683 |
India IndiaIndia, officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the south, the Arabian Sea on the west, and the Bay of Bengal...
|
14,007 |
Singapore SingaporeSingapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is an island city-state located at the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, lying north of the equator, south of the Malaysian state of Johor and north of Indonesia's Riau Islands. At , Singapore is a microstate and the smallest nation in Southeast...
|
11,199 |
Vietnam VietnamVietnam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam , is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea to the east...
|
10,081 |
Ireland IrelandIreland is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island in the world. It lies to the north-west of continental Europe and is surrounded by hundreds of islands and islets. To the east of Ireland, separated by the Irish Sea, is the island of Great Britain...
|
7,706 |
People's Republic of China People's Republic of ChinaThe People's Republic of China , commonly known as China, is the largest country in East Asia and the most populous in the world with over 1.3 billion people, approximately one-fifth of the world's population...
|
7,681 |
Germany GermanyGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered to the north by the North Sea, Denmark, and the Baltic Sea; to the east by Poland and the Czech Republic; to the south by Austria and Switzerland; and to the west by France, Luxembourg, Belgium,...
|
7,617 |
Netherlands NetherlandsThe Netherlands is a country in Northwestern Europe, constituting the major portion of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. It is a parliamentary democratic constitutional monarchy. The Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east...
|
7,570 |
Indonesia IndonesiaThe Republic of Indonesia is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia comprises 17,508 islands. With an estimated population of around 237 million people, it is the world's fourth most populous country, with the world's largest population of Muslims.Indonesia is a republic, with an...
|
7,392 |
USA United StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
|
5,524 |
Perth is Australia's fourth largest city, having overtaken
AdelaideAdelaide is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of South Australia, and is the fifth-largest city in Australia, with a population of more than 1.1 million. It is a coastal city situated on the eastern shores of Gulf St. Vincent, on the Adelaide Plains, north of the Fleurieu...
's population in the early 1980s. At the 2006 Census 1,445,079 persons resident in the Perth statistical area were enumerated.
Ethnic groups
In 2006, the largest ancestry groups in the Perth metropolitan areas were: English (534,555 or 28.6 per cent), "Australian" (479,174 or 25.6 per cent),
IrishIn the 2006 Census, 1,803,741 residents identified themselves as having Irish ancestry either alone or in combination with another ancestry . This was the third most commonly cited ancestry, behind Australian and English. However this figure does not include Australians with an Irish background...
(115,384 or 6.2 per cent), Scottish (113,846 or 6.1 per cent), Italian (84,331 or 4.5 per cent) and Chinese (53,390 or 2.9 per cent). There were 3,101
AboriginalsIndigenous Australians are the original inhabitants of the Australian continent and nearby islands, and these peoples' descendants. Indigenous Australians are distinguished as either Aboriginal people or Torres Strait Islanders, who currently together make up about 2.6% of Australia's...
in the city (0.2 per cent).
Perth's population is notable for the high proportion of British-born residents. At the 2006 Census 142,424 British-born Perth residents were counted, narrowly behind Sydney (145,261), despite having just 35% of the overall population of Sydney.
The ethnic make-up of Perth changed in the middle of the twentieth century, when significant numbers of European immigrants arrived in the city. Prior to this, Perth's population had been almost completely
Anglo-CelticAnglo-Celtic Australian describes Australians with British and/or Irish ancestral origins.-Demography:From the beginning of the colonial era until the mid-20th Century, British and/or Irish comprised the vast majority of settlers, and later, post-Federation immigrants coming to...
in ethnic origin. As
FremantleFremantle is a port city in Western Australia, located southwest of Perth, the state capital, at the mouth of the Swan River on Australia's western coast. It was the first settlement of the Swan River colonists in 1829...
was the first landfall in Australia for many migrant ships coming from Europe in the 1950s and 1960s, Perth started to experience a diverse influx of people, which included
ItaliansItalian Australians are one of the largest ethnic groups in Australia. The 2006 Census counted 199,124 persons who were born in Italy. However, 852,417 persons identified themselves as having Italian ancestry, either alone or in combination with another ancestry. Italian is the fifth most...
, Greeks,
DutchThe Dutch people are the dominant ethnic group of the Netherlands.Dutch people, or descendants of Dutch people, are also found in migrant communities world wide, notably in Canada, Australia, South Africa, New Zealand and the United States....
, Germans, Croats,
BosniansBosnians are people who reside in, or come from, Bosnia and Herzegovina. By the modern state definition a Bosnian can be anyone who holds citizenship of the state. This includes, but is not limited to, members of the constituent ethnic groups of Bosnia and Herzegovina: Bosniaks, Serbs and Croats...
,
SerbsSerbs are a South Slavic people living in the Central Europe and the Balkans , between the Balkan- and Carpathian mountains in the east and the Adriatic sea in the west. They are located mainly in Serbia, Montenegro, Bosnia-Herzegovina, and, to a lesser extent, in Croatia...
, Poles, Czechs,
RussiansThe Russian people are an ethnic group of the East Slavic peoples, primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries....
,
UkrainiansUkrainians are an East Slavic ethnic group primarily living in Ukraine, or more broadly—citizens of Ukraine...
,
MacedoniansThe Macedonians also referred to as Macedonian Slavs are a South Slavic people who are primarily associated with the Republic of Macedonia. They speak the Macedonian language, a South Slavic language...
and many others. The Italian influence in the Perth and Fremantle area has been substantial, evident in places like the "Cappuccino strip" in Fremantle featuring many Italian eateries and shops. In Fremantle the traditional Italian blessing of the fleet festival is held every year at the start of the fishing season. In Northbridge every December is the San Nicola (Saint Nicholas) Festival, which involves a pageant followed by a concert, predominantly in Italian. Suburbs surrounding the Fremantle area such as Spearwood and Hamilton Hill also contain high concentrations of Italians, Croatians and Portuguese. Perth also has a vibrant Jewish community — numbering 20,106 in 2006 — who emigrated primarily from
eastern EuropeEastern Europe is a region lying in the Eastern part of Europe. The term is highly context-dependent and there are "almost as many definitions of Eastern Europe as there are scholars of the region"...
and more recently from South Africa.
Another more recent wave of arrivals include European minorities from
Southern AfricaSouthern Africa is the southernmost region of the African continent, variably defined by geography or geopolitics. Within the region are numerous territories, including the Republic of South Africa ; nowadays, the simpler term South Africa is generally reserved for the country in English.-UN...
. The South Africa-born overtook those born in Italy to become the fourth largest birthplace group after 2001. By 2006, there were 18,825 South Africa-born in Perth, accounting for 1.3 per cent of the city's people. Many Afrikaners and
Anglo-AfricanAnglo-Africans are people of primarily Sub-Saharan Africa whose first language is English. Most are of British and Irish descent, although they can be of any ancestry including French Huguenot, Jewish, Portuguese, Spanish, and Italian. Most live in South Africa.- Terminology :Ethnicity is a...
s from South Africa and
ZimbabweZimbabwe , is a landlocked country located in the southern part of the continent of Africa, between the Zambezi and Limpopo rivers...
emigrated to Perth during the 1980s and 1990s, to the extent that the city has been described as "the Australian capital of South Africans in exile". The phrase "Packing for Perth" has become associated with South Africans who choose to emigrate abroad, sometimes regardless of the destination. The reason for Perth being so popular among white South Africans has often been the location (closer to Africa than other large cities), the vast amount of expansion and space, and the slightly warmer climate compared to other large Australian cities.
In the last three decades, South East Asia has become an increasingly important source of migrants, with communities from
MalaysiaMalaysia is a country in Southeast Asia that consists of thirteen states and three Federal Territories, with a total landmass of . The capital city is Kuala Lumpur, while Putrajaya is the seat of the federal government. The population stands at over 28 million inhabitants...
,
IndonesiaThe Republic of Indonesia is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia comprises 17,508 islands. With an estimated population of around 237 million people, it is the world's fourth most populous country, with the world's largest population of Muslims.Indonesia is a republic, with an...
,
SingaporeSingapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is an island city-state located at the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, lying north of the equator, south of the Malaysian state of Johor and north of Indonesia's Riau Islands. At , Singapore is a microstate and the smallest nation in Southeast...
, Hong Kong, Mainland China, and India all now well-established. There were 53,390 persons of
ChineseA Chinese Australian is an Australian of Chinese heritage. In the 2006 Australian Census, 669,890 Australian residents identified themselves as having Chinese ancestry, either alone or with another ancestry....
descent in Perth in 2006 — 2.9 per cent of the city's population.
The Indian community includes a substantial number of Parsees who emigrated from Bombay — Perth being the closest Australian city to India — and the India-born population of the city at the time of the 2006 census was 14,094 or 0.8 per cent. Perth is also home to the largest population of
Anglo-BurmeseThe Anglo-Burmese, also known as the Anglo-Burmans, are a community of Eurasians of Burmese and European descent, and emerged as a distinct community through mixed relations between the British and other European settlers and Bamar from 1826 until 1948 when Burma gained its independence from the...
in the world; many settled here following the independence of Burma in 1948 and the city is now the cultural hub for Anglo-Burmese worldwide. There is also a substantial
Anglo-IndianAnglo-Indians are people who have mixed Indian and British ancestry. The British residents in India used the term "Eurasians" for people of mixed European and Indian descent ....
population in Perth, who also settled in the city following the Independence of India.
Governance
Perth houses the
Parliament of Western AustraliaThe Parliament of Western Australia consists of the Western Australian Legislative Council, the Western Australian Legislative Assembly and the Governor of Western Australia...
and the
Governor of Western AustraliaThe Governor of Western Australia is the representative in Western Australia of Australia's Monarch Queen Elizabeth II. The Governor performs important constitutional, ceremonial and community functions, including:* presiding over the Executive Council;...
.
At present, 42 of the
Legislative AssemblyThe Legislative Assembly, or lower house, is one of the two chambers of parliament in the Australian state of Western Australia. It sits in Parliament House in the state capital, Perth....
's 59 seats and 18 of the
Legislative CouncilThe Legislative Council, or upper house, is one of the two chambers of parliament in the Australian state of Western Australia. Its central purpose is to act as a house of review for legislation passed through the lower house, the Legislative Assembly. It sits in Parliament House in the state...
's 36 seats are based in Perth's metropolitan area as of the 2008 state election. Perth is represented by 9 full seats and significant parts of three others in the Federal House of Representatives, with the seats of Canning, Pearce and Brand including some areas outside the metropolitan area. The metropolitan area is divided into over 30 local government bodies, including the
City of PerthThe City of Perth is a local government area and body, within the Perth Metropolitan Area, which is the capital of Western Australia. The local government body is commonly known as Perth City Council. The city covers the Perth central business district and surrounding suburbs...
which administers Perth's
central business districtA central business district is the commercial and often geographic heart of a city...
.
The state's highest court, the
Supreme CourtThe Supreme Court of Western Australia is the highest state court in the Australian State of Western Australia. It has unlimited jurisdiction within the state in civil matters , and hears the most serious criminal matters.The Supreme Court consists of a General Division The Supreme Court of Western...
, is located in Perth, along with the
DistrictThe District Court of Western Australia is the intermediate court in Western Australia. The Perth Registry is located at 500 Hay Street, Perth. Other registries are located at Albany, Broome, Bunbury, Busselton, Carnarvon, Derby, Esperance, Geraldton, Kalgoorlie, Karratha, Kununurra, and South...
and
FamilyThe Family Court of Western Australia is a state court that deals with family law. It was established by the passing of the Family Court Act and commenced operation in 1976. It deals with divorce, marital property settlements, child custody, adoption and surrogacy...
Courts. The Magistrates' Court has six metropolitan locations. The Federal Court of Australia and the Federal Magistrates' Courts occupy the Commonwealth Law Courts building on Victoria Avenue, Perth, which is the also the location for annual Perth sittings of Australia's
High CourtThe High Court of Australia is the highest court in the Australian court hierarchy and the final court of appeal in Australia. It has both original and appellate jurisdiction, has the power of judicial review over laws passed by the Parliament of Australia and the parliaments of the States, and...
.
The
Metropolitan Region SchemeThe Metropolitan Region Scheme is the legal land plan covering town planning throughout the metropolitan region of Perth, Western Australia. It classifies land into broad zones and reservations and is administered by the Western Australian Planning Commission...
is the statutory town planning scheme for land use in the Perth metropolitan area, and has been in operation since 1963.
Economy
- See also: Economy of Western Australia
The Western Australian economy is a state economy dominated by its resources and services sector and largely driven by the export of iron-ore, gold, liquefied natural gas and agricultural commodites such as wheat. Covering an area of 2.5 million km2, the state is Australia's largest,...
By virtue of its population and role as the administrative centre for business and government, Perth dominates the Western Australian economy, despite the major mining, petroleum and agricultural export industries located elsewhere in the state. Perth’s function as the State’s capital city, its economic base and population size have also created development opportunities for many other businesses oriented to local or more diversified markets.
Perth’s economy has been changing in favour of the service industries since the 1950s. Although one of the major sets of services it provides are related to the resources industry and, to a lesser extent, agriculture, most people in Perth are not connected to either; they have jobs that provide services to other people in Perth.
As a result of Perth's relative geographical isolation, it has never had the necessary conditions to develop significant manufacturing industries other than those serving the immediate needs of its residents, mining and agriculture and some specialised areas, such as, in recent times, niche ship building and maintenance. It was simply cheaper to import all the needed manufactured goods from either the eastern states or overseas.
Industrial employment influenced the economic geography of Perth. After WWII, Perth experienced suburban expansion aided by high levels of car ownership. Workforce decentralisation and transport improvements made it possible for the establishment of small-scale manufacturing in the suburbs. Many firms took advantage of relatively cheap land to build spacious, single-storey plants in suburban locations where parking, access and traffic congestion were minimal. "The former close ties of manufacturing with near-central and/or rail-side locations were loosened."
Industrial estates such as Kwinana, Welshpool and Kewdale were post-war additions contributing to the growth of manufacturing south of the river. The establishment of the Kwinana industrial area was supported by standardisation of the east-west rail gauge linking Perth with eastern Australia. Since the 1950s, heavy industry has dominated the location including an oil refinery, steel-rolling mill with a blast furnace, alumina refinery, power station and a nickel refinery. Another development, also linked with rail standardisation, was in 1968 when the Kewdale Freight Terminal was developed adjacent to the Welshpool industrial area, replacing the former Perth railway yards.
With significant population growth post-WWII , employment growth occurred not in manufacturing but in retail and wholesale trade, business services, health, education, community and personal services and in public administration. Increasingly it was these services sectors, concentrated around the Perth metropolitan area, that provided jobs.
Education
- See also: Education in Western Australia
Education in Western Australia is supervised by the Department of Education and Training , which forms part of the Government of Western Australia...
Perth is home to four public universities: the
University of Western AustraliaThe University of Western Australia is the oldest university in the state of Western Australia. Established in February 1911, it is the only university in the state to be a member of the prestigious Group of Eight, as well as the Sandstone universities. The University was established under and is...
,
Murdoch UniversityMurdoch University is a public university based in Perth, Australia. It commenced operations as the state's second university in 1973, and accepted its first students in 1975...
,
Curtin University of TechnologyCurtin University of Technology is an Australian university with its main campus in Perth, Western Australia. It commenced operations with its current name in 1986, and was previously known as the Western Australian Institute of Technology...
,
Edith Cowan UniversityEdith Cowan University is located in Perth, Western Australia. It is the only Australian university named after a woman, Edith Dircksey Cowan, who was the first woman to be elected to an Australian Parliament....
. There is also one private university, the
University of Notre DameThe University of Notre Dame Australia is a private Roman Catholic university established in 1990 in the Western Australian port city of Fremantle, . While the University of Notre Dame Australia has "strong collegial links" with the American University of Notre Dame located in South Bend, Indiana,...
.
The University of Western Australia, which was founded in 1911, is renowned as one of Australia's leading research institutions. The university's monumental neo-classical architecture, most of which is carved from white limestone, is a notable tourist destination in the city. It is the only university in the state to be a member of the
Group of EightThe Group of Eight is a group of eight Australian tertiary institutions which are considered the most prestigious universities in Australia. It was established informally as a network of vice-chancellors in 1994 and was formally incorporated in 1999...
, as well as the
Sandstone universitiesIn Australia, the Sandstone Universities are an informally-defined group comprising the country's oldest tertiary education institutions. Most were founded in the colonial era, except Queensland and Western Australia. All of the universities included in the group have buildings constructed...
.
Curtin University of TechnologyCurtin University of Technology is an Australian university with its main campus in Perth, Western Australia. It commenced operations with its current name in 1986, and was previously known as the Western Australian Institute of Technology...
is Western Australia's largest university by student population, and was known from its founding in 1966 until 1986 as the Western Australian Institute of Technology (
WAIT) and had amalgamated with Western Australian School of Mines and the Muresk Institute. It has a rapidly growing research reputation and is the only Western Australian university to produce PhD recipients of the AINSE gold medal, the highest possible recognition for PhD level science and engineering research excellence in Australia and New Zealand.
Murdoch UniversityMurdoch University is a public university based in Perth, Australia. It commenced operations as the state's second university in 1973, and accepted its first students in 1975...
was established in the 1970s, and is Australia's largest campus in geographical area (2.27 square kilometres), necessary to accommodate Western Australia's only veterinary school.
Edith Cowan UniversityEdith Cowan University is located in Perth, Western Australia. It is the only Australian university named after a woman, Edith Dircksey Cowan, who was the first woman to be elected to an Australian Parliament....
was established in the early 1990s from the existing
Western Australian College of Advanced EducationThe College of Advanced Education was a class of Australian tertiary education institution that existed from 1967 until the early 1990s. They were similar to Australian universities of the period, but were state owned and controlled instead of federally funded and independent...
(WACAE) which itself was formed in the 1970s from the existing Teachers Colleges at Claremont, Churchlands, and Mount Lawley. It incorporates the
Western Australian Academy of Performing ArtsThe Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts , Edith Cowan University was established in 1980 to provide performing arts tuition comparable to the highest calibre of national and international training benchmarks to be able to meet industry needs around the globe.The school is located in the...
(WAAPA).
The
University of Notre Dame AustraliaThe University of Notre Dame Australia is a private Roman Catholic university established in 1990 in the Western Australian port city of Fremantle, . While the University of Notre Dame Australia has "strong collegial links" with the American University of Notre Dame located in South Bend, Indiana,...
was established in 1990. Notre Dame was established as a
CatholicThe word Catholic is derived from the Greek adjective , meaning "universal". In the context of Christian ecclesiology, it has a rich history and several usages. For some, the term "Catholic Church" refers to the church in full communion with the Bishop of Rome, made up of the Latin Rite and the 22...
university with its lead campus in
Fremantle-Places:* Freemantle, a suburb of Southampton in England* Fremantle, Western Australia, the port city to the capital Perth, Western Australia* Division of Fremantle, a federal division of the Australian House of Representatives...
and a large campus in Sydney. It is the only Western Australian university with a campus in another major Australian city. Its campus in
Fremantle-Places:* Freemantle, a suburb of Southampton in England* Fremantle, Western Australia, the port city to the capital Perth, Western Australia* Division of Fremantle, a federal division of the Australian House of Representatives...
is set in the west end of
Fremantle-Places:* Freemantle, a suburb of Southampton in England* Fremantle, Western Australia, the port city to the capital Perth, Western Australia* Division of Fremantle, a federal division of the Australian House of Representatives...
, utilising historic port buildings built in the 1890s, giving Notre Dame a distinct European university atmosphere. Though Notre Dame shares its name with the
University of Notre DameThe University of Notre Dame du Lac is a private Catholic research university located in Notre Dame, Indiana, USA....
in
IndianaIndiana is a U.S. state, the 19
th admitted to the Union. It is located in the Great Lakes region, and with approximately 6.3 million residents, is ranked 16
th in population and 17
th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38
th in land area, and is the...
USA, it is a separate school, claiming only "strong ties" with its American namesake. It is also the fastest growing university in Australia.
Colleges of
TAFETechnical and Further Education or TAFE institutions provide a wide range of predominantly vocational tertiary education courses in Australia, mostly qualifying courses under the National Training System/Australian Qualifications Framework/Australian Quality Training Framework...
provide trade and vocational training, including Diploma level courses. TAFE was formed in the 1970s to provide technical courses previously offered by WACAE.
Media
Like the other mainland Australian state capital cities, Perth is served by five free to air stations: ABC,
SevenTVW can mean:*TVW, a Seven Network owned station in Perth, Western Australia*TVW, a public affairs network in the state of Washington*"tvw", the false branding callsign of WISC-TV's digital subchannel and Madison, Wisconsin's MyNetworkTV affiliate...
,
NineSTW may refer to:*Stop the War Coalition, an anti-war group in the United Kingdom*Salt the Wound, a deathcore band*STW-9, a television station in Perth, Australia*Super Tourenwagen Cup, the German Supertouring car championship...
, Ten and
SBSThe Special Broadcasting Service is a hybrid-funded Australian public broadcasting radio and television network. The stated purpose of SBS is "to provide multilingual and multicultural radio and television services that inform, educate and entertain all Australians and, in doing so, reflect...
(like all other states of Australia). A community station,
Access 31Access 31 was a free-to-air community television station based in Perth, Australia which operated between 1999 and 2008 before closing due to insolvency. The station had broadcast on UHF 31 from the ABC's television mast at Bickley in the Perth Hills...
, closed in August 2008.
FoxtelFoxtel is an Australian pay television company, formed through a joint venture between Telstra, News Corporation and Consolidated Media Holdings.-History:...
provides a subscription-based satellite and cable television service. Perth has its own local newsreaders on ABC, Seven, Nine and Ten. Seven's weekly presenters are
Rick ArdonRick Ardon , is a news presenter on Seven News in Perth, Western Australia. In 2005, Ardon and his co-anchor, Susannah Carr, celebrated their 20th consecutive year reading the news together on Seven Perth....
and
Susannah CarrSusannah Carr is an Western Australian television news anchor. Since 1985, Carr has co-presented Seven News in Perth with Rick Ardon. In 2005, Carr and her long time co-presenter Ardon celebrated their 20th consecutive year as co-anchors for 7 News Perth....
; presenters for Nine are
Dixie MarshallDixie Marshall is the senior News anchor for Nine News Perth, a position she has had since 2002, although she has been with Channel 9 since 1984, and previously worked for the Australian Newspaper and Radio 6PR....
and
Greg PearceGreg Pearce is the current co-anchor of National Nine News Perth, a position he has held since early 2008.Originally a journalist with the ABC Greg became best known as anchor of the Ten News bulletin for Perth, prior to that he had been a news anchor for Seven News in Melbourne and had a short...
, and the presenter for Ten is
Narelda JacobsNarelda Jacobs has been the lead news anchor for Ten News at Five in Perth, Western Australia since 2008.Jacobs graduated from the WA Academy of Performing Arts and began her career at GWN in Bunbury...
. The ABC news anchor is
Karina CarvalhoKarina Carvalho is the news presenter for the ABC News in Western Australia, having replaced Alicia Gorey in May 2008.Carvalho was born in Sri Lanka, and moved to Winthrop, Western Australia at the age of four. She graduated from the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts...
.
Television shows produced in Perth include local editions of current affairs programs,
Today TonightToday Tonight is an Australian current affairs program, produced by the Seven Network and shown weeknightly at in direct competition with rival Nine Network program A Current Affair....
, and other types of programming such as
The ForceThe Force: Behind the Line is an Australian observational documentary television series about the Western Australia Police. The program, hosted by Simon Reeve, airs nationally on the Seven Network and its regional affiliates...
(documentary), and
The Western Front (sport).
An annual
telethonalign="right" | |}A telethon is a fundraising event broadcast on television that lasts many hours or even days, the purpose of which is to raise money for a charitable, political, or other allegedly worthy cause...
has been broadcast since 1968 to raise funds for charities including
Princess Margaret Hospital for ChildrenPrincess Margaret Hospital for Children is a centre for paediatric research and care. The hospital is located on Roberts Road in Subiaco, Western Australia. It is the state's only specialist children's hospital...
. The 24 hour Perth Telethon claims to be "the most successful fundraising event per capita in the world" and raised more than A$7.5 million in 2008.
The main newspapers for Perth are
The West AustralianThe West Australian is the only locally-edited daily newspaper published in Perth, Western Australia, and is owned by ASX-listed West Australian Newspapers Holdings Ltd . The West is published in tabloid format, as is the state's other major newspaper, The Sunday Times, a News Limited publication...
and
The Sunday TimesThe Sunday Times, owned by News Corporation, is a tabloid Sunday newspaper printed in Perth and distributed throughout Western Australia.-History:...
. Localised free community papers cater for each local government area. There are also many advertising newspapers, such as
The Quokka. The local business paper for Western Australia is WA Business News.
Radio stations on both AM, FM and DAB+ frequencies. ABC stations include
News RadioABC NewsRadio is an Australian Broadcasting Corporation radio service devoted to delivering live and 24-hour news updates and information. The service is available on a number of broadcasts right around Australia, including AM/FM radio, some pay-TV platforms and online via the Internet.Originally...
(585AM),
720 ABC Perth720 ABC Perth is an ABC radio station located in Perth, Western Australia. Its callsign is 6WF. It is one of the stations in the ABC Local Radio network and broadcasts on 720 kHz on the AM dial...
,
Radio NationalRadio National is an Australia-wide non-commercial radio network run by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.Radio National broadcasts national programming in areas that include news and current affairs, the arts, social issues, science, drama and comedy...
(810AM),
Classic FMABC Classic FM is an Australian classical music radio station available in major centres around the country. It is operated by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation . It was established in 1976 as "ABC-FM", and later for a short time was known as "ABC Fine Music" , before adopting its current name...
(97.7FM) and
Triple Jtriple J is a nationally-networked, government-funded Australian radio station , mainly aimed at youth...
(99.3FM). The 6 local commercial stations are: FM- 92.9, Nova 93.7,
Mix 94.5MIX 94.5 is a commercial music radio station owned by Austereo in Perth, Western Australia.The station originally began as 6KY, beginning broadcasting on October 23, 1941 and would eventually end up at the frequency 1206 kHz. On June 1, 1991, 6KY became one of two Perth radio stations to convert...
,
96fm96fm is a radio station broadcasting in Perth, Western Australia.-History:96fm began broadcasting on 96.1 MHz on August 8, 1980 as Perth's first commercial FM radio station...
, on AM-
882 6PR6PR, known as 882 6PR, is a commercial radio station based in Perth, Australia. Its focus is on news, talk and sport, and is Perth's only commercial talkback radio station. 6PR is owned by Fairfax Media, an Australian media company that owns television and radio businesses throughout Australia and...
and 1080 6IX and on DAB+ mostly the same as both FM and AM plus National Stations Radar Radio and Novanation. Major community radio stations include
RTRFMRTRFM is a not-for-profit, community radio station based in Perth, Western Australia. It is self-funded, largely through listener subscription and fund-raising events, however it does carry some "advertising material" at a maximum of 5 mins per hour. It broadcasts 24 hours a day, on 92.1 in the...
(92.1FM), Sonshine FM (98.5FM), SportFM (91.3FM) and Curtin FM (100.1FM).
Culture
Perth Cultural CentreThe Perth Cultural Centre is an area of central Perth, Western Australia and the collective name for the buildings of the Art Gallery of Western Australia, Western Australian Museum, Alexander Library, State Records Office, and Perth Institute of Contemporary Arts .William Street, Perth, Beaufort...
is both an area of central Perth and the collective name for the main buildings of the
Art Gallery of Western AustraliaThe Art Gallery of Western Australia is a public gallery that is part of the Perth Cultural Centre, in Perth, Western Australia. It is located near the Western Australian Museum and State Library of Western Australia...
,
Western Australian MuseumThe Western Australian Museum is the main museum for the state of Western Australia.Established in 1891, the museum is situated in the Cultural Centre, Perth. The museum falls under the responsibility of the Western Australia Department of Culture and Arts...
,
Alexander LibraryThe State Library of Western Australia consists of the State Reference Library and the J S Battye Library within the building known as the Alexander Library Building, in the Cultural Centre of Perth, Western Australia....
,
State Records OfficeThe State Records Office of Western Australia is the Western Australian government archive authority with responsibility for identifying, managing, preserving and providing access to the State's archives...
and
Perth Institute of Contemporary ArtsPerth Institute of Contemporary Arts is Western Australia's premiere contemporary visual and performance arts venue. Housed in iconic heritage buildings at 53 James Street, Perth, PICA serves to promote contemporary arts in Western Australia...
(PICA).
The
Perth International Arts FestivalThe UWA Perth International Arts Festival is a cultural festival held in Western Australia. The festival was created in 1953 by the University of Western Australia, making it the oldest international arts festival in Australia...
is a cultural festival which has been held annually since 1953.
Museums and galleries
The Western Australian Museum holds an extensive display of Aboriginal artefacts as well as numerous zoological and social exhibits.
The new (2002) Western Australian Maritime Museum in Fremantle displays maritime objects from all eras and includes a former
Royal Australian NavyThe Royal Australian Navy is the naval branch of the Australian Defence Force. Following federation of the Australian Colonies in 1901, the former colonial navies merged to become the Commonwealth Naval Forces...
submarine. It also houses
Australia IIThe Australia II is a 12-metre class yacht, and the first successful challenger for the America's Cup after 132 years.-Design:Designed by Ben Lexcen, built by Steve Ward, owned by Alan Bond and helmed by John Bertrand...
, the yacht that won the Americas Cup in 1983.
The
Art Gallery of Western AustraliaThe Art Gallery of Western Australia is a public gallery that is part of the Perth Cultural Centre, in Perth, Western Australia. It is located near the Western Australian Museum and State Library of Western Australia...
houses the State Art Collection. It curates and hosts numerous impressive visiting exhibitions, like the 2006
Norman LindsayNorman Alfred William Lindsay was a renowned Australian artist and writer.Lindsay was born in Creswick, Victoria...
exhibition. Additional exhibits occur at PICA and many other smaller venues on a regular basis across Perth.
Sport
The most popular sports are
Australian rules footballAustralian football, also commonly referred to as Australian rules football, football, or Aussie rules, colloquially as footy, and historically as Australasian football or Victorian football, is a variant of football played between two teams of 18 players, plus four interchange players, outdoors on...
,
cricketCricket is a bat-and-ball team sport that is first documented as being played in southern England in the 16th century. By the end of the 18th century, cricket had developed to the point where it had become the national sport of England. The expansion of the British Empire led to cricket being...
, association football (soccer) and
netballNetball is a sport in which two teams of seven players try to score points against each other by placing a ball through a raised goal. The sport is popular in Commonwealth countries and is predominantly played by women. Netball shares many similarities with basketball, having been derived from...
.
The climate of Perth allows for extensive outdoor sport activity, and this is reflected in the wide variety of
sportSport is an activity that is governed by a set of rules or customs and often engaged in competitively. Sports commonly refer to activities where the physical capabilities of the competitor are the sole or primary determinant of the outcome , but the term is also used to include activities such as...
s available to citizens of the city. Perth was host to the
1962 Commonwealth GamesThe 1962 British Empire and Commonwealth Games were held in Perth, Western Australia, Australia from 22 November-1 December 1962. Athletic events were held at Perry Lakes Stadium in the suburb of Floreat and swimming events at Beatty Park in North Perth....
and the
1987 America's CupThe 1987 America's Cup was the twenty-seventh running of the America's Cup regatta and the first time for 132 years that it had not been hosted by the New York Yacht Club....
defence (based at Fremantle). Australian rules football is the most popular spectator sport in Perth — nearly 24% of Western Australians attended matches in 2005.
Perth is home to several professional sporting teams participating in various national competitions:
- Australian football: West Coast Eagles
The West Coast Eagles Football Club is an Australian rules football club competing in the Australian Football League....
and the Fremantle Football ClubFremantle Football Club, unofficially nicknamed The Dockers and known informally as "Freo", is one of 16 teams in the Australian Football League . The club is based in the port city of Fremantle at the mouth of the Swan River in Western Australia...
- Basketball: Perth Wildcats
The Perth Wildcats are an Australian basketball team competing in the National Basketball League. The Wildcats are the only team in the league representing the state of Western Australia and are based in the state capital, Perth...
- Cricket: Western Warriors
The Western Warriors are an Australian first class cricket team based in Perth, Western Australia...
- Hockey: Smokefree WA Thundersticks
The SmokeFree WA Thundersticks are a men's Australian field hockey team, representing Western Australia in the Australian Hockey League.The Thundersticks have been the most successful team since the inception of the National Hockey League in 1991...
, Smokefree WA Diamonds
- Netball: West Coast Fever
The West Coast Fever are an Australian netball team based in Perth. The Fever represent Western Australia in the ANZ Championship, and originally competed in the Commonwealth Bank Trophy as the "Perth Orioles"...
(Formerly Perth Orioles)
- Rugby union: Western Force
Western Force is a rugby union team based in Perth, Western Australia playing in the international Super 14 competition. It commenced competing in the 2006 season and finished with the wooden spoon in their first year, however its performances greatly improved in 2007. In 2008 they finished in 8th...
- Soccer: Perth Glory
- Baseball: Perth Heat
The baseball team Perth Heat was a foundation member of the now-defunct Australian Baseball League . It won the ABL championship in 1990-91, when Graeme Lloyd pitched the Heat to a Game 5 championship win on the Gold Coast against the Dolphins to take the series 3-2...
Perth has hosted numerous state and international sporting events. On going international events include the
Hopman CupThe Hopman Cup is an annual international team tennis tournament founded by Paul McNamee and Charlie Fancutt, and held in Perth, Western Australia in early January each year, which plays mixed teams on a country by country basis.-Format:Unlike other major international team tennis tournaments like...
during the first week of January at the Burswood Dome and the final leg of the Red Bull Air Race held on a stretch of the Swan River called
Perth WaterPerth Water is the section of the Swan River between the Causeway to the east, and Narrows Bridge to the west - a large wide but shallow section of river on the southern edge of the City of Perth, Western Australia, and the northern edge of the suburb South Perth.
[ Retrieved 29...]
, using Langley Park as a temporary air field. In addition to these Perth has hosted international
Rugby UnionRugby union is a full contact team sport, a form of football which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand. It is played with an oval-shaped ball, outdoors on a level field, usually with a grass surface, 100 m...
games, including qualifying matches for
2003 Rugby World CupThe 2003 Rugby World Cup was the fifth Rugby World Cup and was won by England. Originally planned to be co-hosted by Australia and New Zealand, all games were shifted to Australia following a contractual dispute over ground signage rights between the New Zealand Rugby Football Union and Rugby World...
. The 1991 and 1998
FINA World ChampionshipsThe FINA World Championships or World Aquatics Championships are the World Championships for aquatic sports: diving, swimming, open water swimming, synchronized swimming and water polo. They are run by FINA, and in the pool swimming events are contested in a 50 m, or "long course", pool.The...
were held in Perth. Several motorsport facilities exist in Perth including
Perth MotorplexPerth Motorplex is a motorsport venue located at Kwinana Beach, Western Australia. It caters mainly for drag racing and speedway, although other events are held there regularly. Over 275,000 patrons attend the venue each year to many varied events...
, catering to drag racing and speedway, and
Barbagallo RacewayBarbagallo Raceway is a motorsport circuit located in Wanneroo, approximately north of Perth in Western Australia.The circuit was originally known as Wanneroo Park and the first race meet took place in March, 1969. Initially the major race per year was a 6 hour Le Mans style race for sedans and...
for circuit racing and drifting.
Music and performing arts
Perth Concert HallThe Perth Concert Hall is a concert hall in the centre of Perth, Western Australia. Situated between St Georges Terrace and Terrace Road, it is located near Government House, the Supreme Court Gardens and the Swan Bells, with a view to the Swan River....
is the city's main concert venue and hosts theatre, ballet, opera and orchestral performances. Other theatres include an auditorium within the
Perth Convention Exhibition CentreThe Perth Convention Exhibition Centre is a convention centre located in Perth, Western Australia.-History:The Centre was built by Multiplex and it opened on the 24th August 2004.A plaque situated at the lower West entrance reads:...
(completed in 2005), the historic
His Majesty's TheatreHis Majesty's Theatre is an Edwardian Baroque theatre in Perth, Western Australia. Constructed from 1902 to 1904 during a period of great growth for the town, the theatre is located on the corner of Hay Street and King Street in Perth's central business district. At the time the theatre was opened,...
and Burswood Dome, which hosts music concerts. Outdoor concerts are held in Kings Park,
Subiaco OvalSubiaco Oval, known colloquially as Subi, is the highest capacity sports stadium in Perth, Western Australia. It is located in the suburb of Subiaco, about three kilometres west of Perth's city centre....
and
Members Equity StadiumPerth Oval is a sports stadium in Perth, Australia. It has been the home of the Australian A-League club Perth Glory since 1996 and has been the home of the Western Australia Rugby League since 2003...
and the Convention Centre on the foreshore replaces the Burswood Dome until a more satisfactory building is established.
Because of Perth's relative isolation from other Australian cities overseas artists often exclude it from their Australian tour schedules. This isolation, however, has developed a strong local music scene, leading some to dub Perth the "new Seattle".
Perth has been a hotbed of local rock music producing such nationally and internationally respected acts as
PendulumPendulum are an Australian-British drum and bass/electronic rock production group and live band originally from Perth, Australia formed between producers Rob Swire, Gareth McGrillen and Paul Harding. In 2003, they relocated to the United Kingdom. They have gained major popularity in the UK, and...
,
John Butler TrioThe John Butler Trio is an eclectic roots/jam band from Australia led by guitarist and vocalist John Butler. Two of the band's albums, Three and Living 2001-2002 , have gone platinum in Australia and reached the top ten of the Australian album charts in those years...
,
Eskimo JoeEskimo Joe is an Australian rock band formed in East Fremantle, Western Australia in 1997. The band consists of vocalist and bassist Kavyen Temperley, drummer and guitarist Joel Quartermain and guitarist Stuart MacLeod....
,
End of FashionEnd of Fashion are a rock band from Perth, Western Australia. The band consists of Justin Burford , Rodney Aravena , Mike Hobbs and Simon Fasolo .-History:...
,
Little BirdyLittle Birdy is a four piece rock band from Perth, Western Australia.-Early history:The band formed in 2002 when songwriter, singer and guitarist Katy Steele left her former band 'the Plastik Scene'....
,
JebediahJebediah is an Australian alternative rock band from Perth, Western Australia, formed in 1994. The bands comprises vocalist and guitarist Kevin Mitchell, guitarist Chris Daymond, bassist Vanessa Thornton and drummer Brett Mitchell....
,
The Sleepy JacksonThe Sleepy Jackson is an alternative rock band from Perth, Western Australia. The band's name was inspired by a former drummer who was narcoleptic. The band revolves around the distinctive vocal style of multi-instrumentalist and songwriter Luke Steele...
,
The PanicsThe Panics are an ARIA award winning indie rock band originally from Perth, Western Australia, and currently based in Melbourne, Victoria.-History:...
,
KarnivoolKarnivool is a five-piece alternative rock/progressive rock music group from Perth, Western Australia formed in 1997. Mainstays are Andrew 'Drew' Goddard on lead guitar and Ian Kenny on lead vocals...
and
Birds of TokyoBirds Of Tokyo is an alternative rock band from Perth, Western Australia.-History:Birds of Tokyo formed from a collaboration between members of other well known Perth acts including Karnivool and Tragic Delicate...
. The Hip-Hop and R&B scene has seen rise to artists such as
Che'NelleCheryline Lim also known as Che'Nelle is a R&B singer-songwriter and producer signed to Virgin Records America...
, and
Samantha JadeSamantha Gibbs, better known as Samantha Jade, is a singer-songwriter, former child model, and budding actress from Perth, Western Australia. She has written songs for artists such as Ashley Tisdale and JoJo. Jade released two singles under Jive Records but a scheduled album was not released.-...
, who has an international recording contract with
Virgin RecordsVirgin Records is a British record label founded by English entrepreneur Richard Branson, Simon Draper, and Nik Powell in 1972. It was later sold to Thorn EMI, and then, in the US, merged with Capitol Records in 2007 to create the Capitol Music Group....
. The local music culture revolves around a series of venues such as The Amplifier Bar, The Clink, and The Rosemount Hotel. The WAMI awards (
West Australian Music Industry AwardsThe Western Australian Music Industry Awards are annual awards presented to the local contemporary music industry, put on by the Western Australian Music Industry Association Inc...
), have been acknowledging local music since 1985..
The more popular
rock concertThe term rock concert refers to a musical performance in the style of any one of many genres inspired by "rock and roll" music. While a variety of vocal and instrumental styles can constitute a rock concert, this phenomenon is typically characterized by bands playing at least one electric guitar,...
s held in Perth are the
Big Day OutThe Big Day Out is an annual music festival held in several cities in Australia and New Zealand in late January. It started in Sydney in 1992, spread to Adelaide, Melbourne and Perth by 1993, with the Gold Coast and Auckland joining in 1994...
(nationwide) and
V Festival (Australia)The Australian V Festival is an Australian music festival, and a spin-off of the British V Festival. Like all V Festivals, the event is primarily sponsored by Virgin Mobile. In Australia the event is also sponsored by airline Virgin Blue. The V Festival is televised exclusively in Australia by MTV,...
. The city is also referenced in the
PavementPavement is an American indie/alternative rock band. Although they experienced only moderate commercial success, they achieved a significant cult following and were one of the most popular and influential lo-fi rock bands of the 1990s. The group remained signed to an independent label throughout...
song "I Love Perth".
Perth has a very changeable and, at times, energetic
Folk musicThe term folk music originated in the 19th century as a term for musical folklore. It has been defined in several ways; as music transmitted by word of mouth, music of the lower classes, music with no known composer...
culture. Bands such as The Settlers regularly played at Clancy's Fish Pub in Fremantle and the earlier line ups of the Mucky Duck Bush Band that now has regular bush dances in
Whiteman ParkWhiteman Park is a 4000-hectare/40-square-kilometre bushland area located 22 km north of Perth, Western Australia. In the suburb of Whiteman, the park is in the Swan Valley in the upper reaches of the Swan River....
. A favourite spot was the Hayloft in West Perth — home of WA Folk music in the 1970s and later moving to the Peninsula Hotel in
MaylandsMaylands is a suburb located approximately northeast of Perth centred on the Midland railway line and located on the northern bank of the Swan River....
. Perth is also home to a vibrant alternative sexuality music scene, focused especially around such nightclubs as "The Court" and "Connections". It also has a large growing electro indie scene through such nightclubs as "Cassette", the "Brass Monkey" and "Universal Bar". Perth is also known for its thriving Drum & Bass scene and is known as the capital city for Drum & Bass Music in Australia. Perth has produced several big name Drum & Bass producers such as
Greg PackerDrum and bass DJ Greg Packer is based in Perth, Western Australia. He has had material included on works by LTJ Bukem and Doc Scott.Owner and operator of "Interphase Recordings", Greg has also seen releases on many other labels including Gain, Jerona Fruits, Looking Good, Tangent and Phuturistic...
, Shock One, and
PendulumPendulum are an Australian-British drum and bass/electronic rock production group and live band originally from Perth, Australia formed between producers Rob Swire, Gareth McGrillen and Paul Harding. In 2003, they relocated to the United Kingdom. They have gained major popularity in the UK, and...
who regularly tour overseas, although they are now credited as not in fact being drum and bass, but popstep.
Other musicians from Perth include the late
AC/DCAC/DC are an Australian rock band formed in Sydney in 1973 by Scottish-born brothers Malcolm and Angus Young. Although the band are commonly classified as hard rock and are considered pioneers of heavy metal, they have always classified their music as "rock and roll".AC/DC underwent several line-up...
lead singer
Bon ScottRonald Belford "Bon" Scott was an Australian rock musician, best known for being the lead singer and lyricist of Australian hard rock band AC/DC from 1974 until his death in 1980...
, and veteran performer and artist
Rolf HarrisRolf Harris, CBE, AM , is an Australian/British musician, singer, composer, painter, and television host and personality.- Biography :...
(also known as "The Boy From Bassendean").
Perth is home to the West Australian Ballet, performing classical-based ballet at His Majesty's Theatre (2 seasons per year), Quarry Amphitheatre in City Beach (one season per year in conjunction with the Perth International Arts festival)and Regal Theatre in Subiaco (one season per year). WA Ballet also performs its Genesis Choreography Workshops in one season per year, as well as regular touring, education and guest programs.
West Australian Symphony OrchestraThe West Australian Symphony Orchestra , often known as the "Orchestra of the West", is the premier professional orchestra of the state of Western Australia.-History:...
which performs a regular programme of orchestral music, usually from its base at the Perth Concert Hall. The
Perth International Arts FestivalThe UWA Perth International Arts Festival is a cultural festival held in Western Australia. The festival was created in 1953 by the University of Western Australia, making it the oldest international arts festival in Australia...
also includes music in its schedule. Opera is provided by West Australian Opera.
Western Australia Youth Music allows young musicians in Perth to gain performance opportunities by playing in a musical ensemble. The Western Australian Youth Orchestra is WA Youth Music's premier and flagship ensemble, however the organisation offers several other ensembles including the WA Youth Symphonic Band and the WA Youth Chorale. Acceptance is granted to amateur players under the age of 25 years. Auditions are held in November of each year.
Film and Television
Famous actors and media personalities hailing from Perth include
Judy DavisJudy Davis is an Australian actress.-Personal life:Davis was born in Perth and had a strict Catholic upbringing. She was educated at Loreto Convent and graduated from the National Institute of Dramatic Art in 1977. She has been married to actor and fellow NIDA graduate Colin Friels since 1984...
,
Heath LedgerHeath Andrew Ledger was an Australian television and film actor. After performing roles in Australian television and film during the 1990s, Ledger moved to the United States in 1998 to develop his film career...
,
Rove McManusJohn Henry Michael "Rove" McManus is an Australian media personality. He is the host of the variety show Rove and owner of the production company Roving Enterprises. He is a three time Gold Logie Award winner.-Personal life:...
,
Russell NapierRussell Gordon Napier was an Australian actor.Russell Napier was born in Perth, Western Australia. Originally a lawyer, Napier was active as an actor from 1947 to 1974, playing both comedic and dramatic roles in both cinema and television. Notably, he starred in the first film adaptation of H. G...
,
Alan SeymourAlan Seymour is an Australian playwright and author.In Australia, his best-known play is The One Day of the Year, which dramatised the growing social divide in Australia and the questioning of old values...
,
Tim MinchinTim Minchin is a British born Australian comedian, actor and musician. He is best known for his musical comedy, which has featured in three CDs, three DVDs and a number of live comedy shows which he has performed internationally. He has also appeared on television and radio in both Australia and...
,
Melissa GeorgeMelissa Suzanne George is an Australian actress who has worked in Australia and the United States in film and television.-Early life:...
,
Sam WorthingtonSamuel "Sam" Worthington is an award-winning Australian actor known to movie audiences as Marcus Wright in the 2009 film Terminator Salvation. He is set to play Jake Sully in Avatar and Perseus in the 2010 feature film remake of Clash of the Titans.-Early life:Worthington was born in Perth,...
,
Isla FisherIsla Lang Fisher is a Scottish-Australian actress and author. She began acting on Australian television, on the short-lived soap opera Paradise Beach before playing Shannon Reed on the soap opera Home and Away...
,
Gerard KennedyGerard Kennedy is an Australian actor and two-time Gold Logie winner. He played six different characters in guest appearances in Homicide, all in 1966. He then shot to fame as the antagonist in Australian television spy drama Hunter, and followed this with a starring role in police procedural...
and Terry Willesee and
Mike WilleseeMichael Willesee is an Australian television presenter.Mike Willesee came to prominence in 1967 as a reporter for the ABC's new nightly current affairs program This Day Tonight , where his aggressive style quickly earned him a reputation as a fearless political interviewer.-Career:Willesee figured...
.
Perth boasts the internationally regarded
Western Australian Academy of Performing ArtsThe Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts , Edith Cowan University was established in 1980 to provide performing arts tuition comparable to the highest calibre of national and international training benchmarks to be able to meet industry needs around the globe.The school is located in the...
of
Edith Cowan UniversityEdith Cowan University is located in Perth, Western Australia. It is the only Australian university named after a woman, Edith Dircksey Cowan, who was the first woman to be elected to an Australian Parliament....
, from which many successful actors and broadcasters have launched their careers, including
Hugh JackmanHugh Michael Jackman is an Australian actor and producer who is involved in film, musical theatre and television. He has won international recognition for his roles in major films, notably as action/superhero, period and romance characters...
,
Frances O'ConnorFrances O'Connor is a British-born Australian actress.-Background:O'Connor was born in Wantage, Oxfordshire, England to a pianist mother and nuclear physicist father. When O'Connor was two, her family moved back to Perth, Western Australia. O'Connor was raised a Roman Catholic and attended the...
,
Marcus GrahamMarcus Graham is an Australian television and stage actor who has also starred in several films, including Mulholland Drive and Josh Jarman...
and
William McInnesWilliam McInnes is an Australian film and television actor.-Television Work:After a recurring role on A Country Practice in 1990, McInnes appeared in series such as Bligh, Ocean Girl, and Snowy before making his name as Sergeant Nick Schultz on Blue Heelers in 1994...
.
Films which feature Perth include
Last Train to FreoLast Train to Freo is a 2006 Australian film based on Reg Cribb's play The Return, and directed by Jeremy Sims.-Synopsis:Two thugs from the Perth suburb of Midland catch the last train to Fremantle. When a young woman, unaware that the train guards are on strike, boards the train several stops...
,
ABBA: the MovieABBA: The Movie is a feature length film about the pop group ABBA's 1977 Australian tour. It was directed by Lasse Hallström, who directed most of the group's videos. The Movie has become something of a cult film among ABBA fans...
,
Das schöne Ende dieser Welt,
Rabbit Proof FenceRabbit-Proof Fence is a 2002 Australian drama film based on the book Follow the Rabbit-Proof Fence by Doris Pilkington Garimara. It is a true story concerning the author's mother, as well as two other young mixed-race Aboriginal girls, who ran away from the Moore River Native Settlement, north of...
,
Two Fists, One HeartTwo Fists, One Heart is an 2009 Australian drama film directed by Shawn Seet and written by Rai Fazio, and is based on Fazio's own life growing up. The film is set and was shot in Perth, Western Australia.-Plot:...
and
Japanese StoryJapanese Story is a 2003 Australian film directed by Sue Brooks.-Plot:Sandy Edwards is a director in a company designing geological software in Perth, Western Australia. Her business partner manipulates her into acting as a guide for a Japanese businessman visiting mines in the Pilbara desert, in...
.
Religion
Perth is the seat of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Perth. Roman Catholics make up about 23% of the population, and Catholicism is the most common single denomination. Other forms of
ChristianityChristianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as presented by the revelations in the New Testament....
, predominantly Anglican, make up approximately 28% of the population. Approximately one in five people from Perth profess to having no religion, with 11% of people are not specific as to their beliefs.
BuddhismBuddhism, as traditionally conceived, is a path of salvation attained through insight into the ultimate nature of reality. It encompasses a variety of traditions, beliefs and practices, largely based on teachings attributed to Siddhartha Gautama, commonly known as the Buddha...
and
IslamIslam Islam Islam ( al-’islām,
[There are ten pronunciations of Islam in English, differing in whether the first or second syllable has the stress, whether the s is or , and whether the a is pronounced as in father, as in cat, or (when the stress is on the i) as in the a of sofa...]
each claim more than 20,000 adherents, and Perth is also home to less than 5,000 Latter-day Saints and the
Perth Australia TempleThe Perth Australia Temple is the 106th operating temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.The Perth Australia Temple serves 12,000 members in the area. Previously members had to travel a distance equivalent to going from Los Angeles to New York in order to attend the nearest...
of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Perth has one of the larger Jewish populations in Australia, numbering approximately 10,000, with both Orthodox and Progressive Synagogues and a Jewish Day School. The Bahá’í community in Perth numbers around 1500.
Food
Perth has many cuisines from nearly every country. Some of these include Chinese, Indian, Japanese, Malaysian, Korean, Italian, Turkish and Polish cuisines. Many others can be found throughout Perth.
A suburban cafe in Perth has been awarded a title of world's best gourmet
pizzaPizza is a world-popular dish of Italian origin, made with an oven-baked, flat, generally round bread that is often covered with tomatoes or a tomato-based sauce and cheese. Other toppings are added according to region, culture, or personal preference.Originating in a part of Italian cuisine, the...
maker.
Transport
Perth is served by
Perth AirportPerth Airport is an Australian domestic and international airport located south of Guildford, Western Australia, and is the major commercial airport servicing Western Australia's capital city, Perth....
in the city's east for regional, domestic and international flights and
Jandakot AirportJandakot Airport is an Australian general aviation airport located in Jandakot, Perth, Western Australia. Jandakot airport opened in 1963. From 1 July 1998, Jandakot Airport Holdings purchased a 50-year lease with a 49-year option to operate and maintain the airport including its conservation...
in the city's southern suburbs for general aviation and charter flights.
Perth has a road network with three freeways and nine metropolitan highways. The Northbridge tunnel, part of the
Graham Farmer FreewayThe Graham Farmer Freeway is a major part of the metropolitan road infrastructure in Perth, Western Australia. It is long and links Rivervale and East Perth with West Perth, bypassing Perth's central business district...
, is the only significant road tunnel in Perth.
Perth metropolitan
public transportPublic transport comprises passenger transportation services which are available for use by the general public, as opposed to modes for private use such as automobiles or vehicles for hire.Public transport services are usually funded by fares charged to each passenger, with varying levels of subsidy...
, including trains, buses and ferries, are provided by
TransperthTransperth is the brand name of the public transport system in Perth, Western Australia. It is operated by the Public Transport Authority.-History:...
, with links to rural areas provided by
TranswaTranswa is Western Australia's regional public transport provider, linking 275 destinations within Western Australia, from Kalbarri in the north to Augusta in the south to Esperance in the west along with the regional centres of Bunbury, Kalgoorlie, Northam, Geraldton and Albany.Transwa is...
. There are
70 railway stations and
15 bus stations in the metropolitan area. The rail system has recently undergone significant redevelopment, with a new railway line built between Perth and Mandurah which doubled the length of Perth's railways. The railway was opened on 23 December 2007, a year after the original deadline.
Recent initiatives include progressive replacement of the bus fleet and the
SmartRiderSmartRider is Transperth's contactless electronic ticketing system using smartcard technology for the process of charging patrons for public transport in Western Australia....
contactless smartcard ticketing system.
Perth provides zero-fare bus and train trips around the city centre (the "Free Transit Zone"), including three high-frequency
CATThe Perth Central Area Transit System , or simply CAT, is three bus routes in the centre of Perth, a bus route in Fremantle, and four bus routes in Joondalup. Also included is the Rockingham City Centre Transit System...
bus routes. Additionally, the rail network has been expanded in the northern and southern suburbs as part of the
New MetroRailNew MetroRail was a division of the Public Transport Authority in Western Australia. It was responsible for managing extensions to Perth's railway network...
project.
The
Indian Pacific|}The Indian Pacific is a twice-weekly passenger rail service running between Perth and Sydney, Australia operated by Great Southern Railway, with locomotives provided by Pacific National, usually led by an NR class...
passenger rail service connects Perth with Adelaide and Sydney via Kalgoorlie. The
Transwa ProspectorThe Transwa Prospector is a standard-gauge passenger train operated by Transwa that runs between Perth, Western Australia, and the Goldfields town of Kalgoorlie.-History:...
passenger rail service connects Perth with Kalgoorlie via several Wheatbelt towns, while the
Transwa AustralindThe Transwa Australind is a diesel railcar train operated by Transwa that runs between Perth, Western Australia, and the south-west city of Bunbury on the South Western Railway . The Australind fleet consists of three powered railcars ADP101, ADP102 and ADP103, with two non-driving trailers ADQ121...
connects to
BunburyThe port city of Bunbury is the third largest city in Western Australia after Mandurah and Perth the state capital. It is situated south of Perth's central business district...
, and the
Transwa AvonlinkThe AvonLink is a standard gauge passenger train operated by Transwa that operates between Perth, Western Australia and the Avon Valley. It provides two services every weekday to the regional town of Northam, and since 2004, has provided three extended services a week to the town of Merredin.The...
connects to
NorthamNortham is a town in Western Australia, situated at the confluence of the Avon and Mortlock Rivers, about north-east of Perth in the Avon Valley. With a population of slightly over 6,000, Northam is the largest town in the Avon region...
.
Rail freight terminates at the Kewdale Rail Terminal, 15 kilometres south-east of the city centre.
Perth's main container and passenger port is at Fremantle, 19 kilometres south west at the mouth of the Swan River. A second port complex is being developed in
Cockburn SoundCockburn Sound is an inlet of the Indian Ocean on the coast of Western Australia. It extends from the south of the mouth of the Swan River at Fremantle for about 25 km to Cape Peron near Rockingham....
primarily for the export of bulk commodities.
Water supply
Reduced rainfall in the region in recent years has lowered inflow to reservoirs by two-thirds over the last 30 years, and affected groundwater levels. Coupled with the city's relatively high growth rate, this had led to concerns that Perth could run out of water in the near future. The Western Australian State Government has responded by introducing mandatory household
sprinklerIrrigation sprinklers are used on farms, golf courses, residential yards, and other places to water crops, lawns, gardens or other plants in the event of drought. They are also used for recreation or as a cooling system.-Industrial:...
restrictionsWater restrictions are currently in place in many regions and cities of Australia in response to chronic shortages resulting from drought. Depending upon the location, these can include restrictions on watering lawns, using sprinkler systems, washing vehicles, hosing in paved areas and refilling...
in the city. In November 2006, a sea water desalination plant was opened in
KwinanaKwinana may refer to:*Town of Kwinana, a Local Government Area in Western Australia*Kwinana Beach, Western Australia, a suburb in Western Australia*Kwinana Freeway, a major road in Western Australia...
(see
Kwinana Desalination PlantThe Kwinana Desalination Plant, located south of Perth, Western Australia, turns seawater from Cockburn Sound into nearly 140 megalitres of drinking water per day, supplying the Perth metropolitan area....
), able to supply over 45
gigalitresThe litre or liter is a unit of volume. There are two official symbols: the Latin letter L in lower and upper case . The lower case L is also often written as a cursive ℓ, though this symbol has no official approval by any international bureau...
(10 billion
imperialImperial units or the imperial system is a system of units, first defined in the British Weights and Measures Act of 1824, later refined and reduced. The system came into official use across the British Empire. By the late 20th century all nations of the former empire had officially adopted the...
or 12 billion U.S.
gallonA gallon is a measure of volume of approximately four litres. Historically it has had many different definitions, but there are three definitions in current use. These are the U.S. liquid gallon and the lesser used U.S...
s) of potable water per year; its power requirements were met by the construction of the Emu Downs Wind Farm near
CervantesCervantes is a town in Western Australia. The town is located north north west of the state capital, Perth in the Shire of Dandaragan Local Government Area. At the 2006 census, Cervantes had a population of 503. The town was named after a ship that was wrecked nearby...
. Consideration was given to piping water from the
Kimberley regionThe Kimberley is one of the nine regions of Western Australia. It is located in the northern part of Western Australia, bordered on the west by the Indian Ocean, on the north by the Timor Sea, on the south by the Great Sandy and Tanami Deserts, and on the east by the Northern Territory.The region...
, but the idea was rejected in May 2006 due primarily to its high cost. Other proposals under consideration included the controversial extraction of an extra 45 gigalitres of water a year from the
YarragadeeThe Yarragadee Aquifer is a significant freshwater aquifer located in the south west of Western Australia and predominantly beneath the Swan Coastal Plain west of the Darling Scarp. It has a north-south range from about Geraldton to the south coast, but with a split in the formation south of Perth...
aquiferAn aquifer is an underground layer of water-bearing permeable rock or unconsolidated materials from which groundwater can be usefully extracted using a water well. The study of water flow in aquifers and the characterization of aquifers is called hydrogeology...
in the south-west of the state. However, in May 2007, the state government announced that a second desalination plant will be built at
BinningupBinningup is a town located on the coast in the South West region of Western Australia between Mandurah and Bunbury. It has a population of 951 .-History:...
, on the coast between Mandurah and Bunbury. A trial winter (1 June-31 August) sprinkler ban was introduced in 2009 by the State Government, a move which the Government later announced would be made permanent. In September 2009 Western Australia's dams reached 50% overall capacity for the first time since 2000.
External links