The City of Perth is the capital city of Western Australia, the nation’s largest state. Most of Western Australia’s 1.8 million people live in the greater metropolitan area of Perth, of which the City of Perth forms the nucleus.
Captain James Stirling founded the City of Perth as part of the Swan River Colony in 1829. Stirling thought the natural environment around Perth was "as beautiful as anything of this kind I had ever witnessed” and advocated that a colony be established there. The British Government agreed to found the colony as the first free settlement in Australia, and the first settlers arrived in Western Australia in June 1829. On August 12 of that year, the felling of a tree marked the official foundation of the City of Perth.
Having celebrated the 175th anniversary of its foundation, the City of Perth continues its evolution into one of Australia’s most distinctive and welcoming cities.
The City of Perth is divided into five distinct precincts, each with its own distinctive character and in easy reach of the city centre.
Central Business District The CBD is the commercial core of Perth, with St Georges’ Terrace as its heart. “The Terrace” is the home of big business, grand hotels, smart cafes and some of Perth’s most historic buildings, neighbouring modern skyscrapers.
The main shopping areas of Hay and Murray Street Malls are in the CBD, as are many arcades and shopping centres, including Forrest Chase and Carillon City. Many of Perth’s major cultural institutions, such as His Majesty’s Theatre and the Perth Concert Hall, are also found in this precinct.
Riverside The Riverside precinct is primarily dedicated to recreation, with dual-use paths surrounding the river encouraging enjoyment of Perth’s stunning environment. The new wetlands at Point Fraser and the kangaroo colony on Heirisson Island are two noteworthy areas within this precinct, which becomes a centre of focus for the city's Australia Day celebrations on January 26 each year.
West Perth West Perth extends west from King Street to Thomas Street. King Street and its immediate surrounds are known locally as “the West End”, forming the transition between the CBD and West Perth. King Street is one of Perth’s most stylish locations, where designer shops meet sidewalk cafes for a little taste of Europe. Hay Street West is a business-oriented precinct where mining companies and medical specialists abound.
It’s not all work in West Perth, though. Hay Street features charming cafés and bakeries, and in the streets running between Murray Street and Kings Park Road you can find some of Perth’s best restaurants, many in character houses that retain their original beauty. All this is within close reach of Kings Park, a favoured site for the lunchtime joggers and nature lovers.
East Perth East Perth is both one of Perth’s oldest and newest precincts. The Perth Mint, the Catholic Cathedral of St Mary’s and Australia’s first purpose-built fire station are among the historic buildings in the area.
Formerly made up of warehouses and light industry, East Perth today is a landscaped region of architecturally magnificent homes and well-kept public gardens overlooking the Swan River. An abundance of public art combined with riverside restaurants has made East Perth an attractive location for work and play.
Northbridge Although Northbridge was only named in 1977, it has a colourful history marked by waves of immigrants who have made it the multicultural hub of Western Australia.
Northbridge is known as the centre of Perth’s nightlife and dining and it also hosts a thriving backpacking industry. This is the place to enjoy a hearty meal of any number of international cuisines, swap stories with backpackers at the pub, hit the dance floor, or shop for hard-to-find ingredients.
Northbridge is also the home of Western Australia’s major cultural institutions: the Art Gallery of Western Australia, the WA Museum and the State Reference Library. Smaller innovative arts venues, including the Blue Room Theatre, the Perth Institute of Contemporary Art and The Bakery Gallery are also in Northbridge. Annual festivals including Chinese New Year celebrations and the Pride Parade are held here.
Mohammed Al-subaiei
Son of Perth:109:
alsubaiei_perth February 7th, 2007, 08:15 PM
February 7th, 2007, 07:39 PM
Public TransportPublic TransportThe City of Perth is at the centre of the metropolitan public transport system. It is well serviced by bus, train and ferry services. Transperth is Perth's metropolitan public transport system, which provides services as part of an integrated system.
Buses, trains and ferries display similar Transperth colours, and passengers may transfer from any service to another with one ticket.
Travel on any Transperth service is free at all times within the Free Transit Zone in the Perth central business district.Please visit the Journey Planner on the Transperth website for more information on ti****bles.
Disabled access Information
Buses
Transperth Buses run daily between approximately 6.00am and 11.30pm. with reduced services on weekends and public holidays.
NightRider buses operate on Saturday night leaving from Milligan Street in Northbridge and running hourly from 12.30am. The last service departs Northbridge at 4.30am. The service operates along three routes:
Northbridge to Scarborough via Scarborough Beach Road.
Northbridge to Morley via Beaufort Street.
Northbridge to Fremantle via Canning Highway.
For more information visit NightRider services.
Trains
Transperth trains run from Perth Station to Fremantle, Armadale, Midland and Currambine.
Citybased Transperth InfoCentres are located at;
Perth BusportTransperth City Busport
3 Mounts Bay Road, Perth
Monday to Thursday 7.30am - 5.30pm
Friday 7.30am - 6.00pm
Plaza Arcade
Hay Street Mall, Perth
Monday to Thursday 8.00am - 5.30pm
Friday 8.00am - 6.00pm
Saturday 8.00am - 5.00pm
Wellington Street Bus Station
376 Wellington Street, Perth
Monday to Friday 7.30am - 5.30pm
Saturday 8.00am to 1.00pm
Westrail Perth City Station
Wellington Street, Perth (opposite Forrest Place)
Monday to Thursday 7.00am to 7.00pm
Friday 7.00am to 9.00pm
Saturday 7.00am to 7.00pm
Sunday 9.00am to 6.00pm
Transperth Offices Reception Area
441 Murray Street, Perth
Monday to Friday 8.00am to 5.00pm
Closed Saturday & Sunday
CAT BusesCAT Buses
The Central Area Transit (CAT) system is a free city bus service which services the central City area including Northbridge and West Perth. CATs advanced buses are lower to the kerb for easy access including wheelchairs and prams.
For map information see CAT maps or visit the Transperth CAT information website.
Top
CyclingCycling
For cycle enthusiasts detailed cycle maps can be obtained from most metropolitan bicycle retailers. Maps for:
can be obtained from:
Cycle Instead
Ground floor
441 Murray St, Perth
Telephone (08) 9320 9301 Cyclists should be advised that the City of Perth dose not allow cycling over the bridge spanning Claisebrook Cove in East Perth due to the risk of injury to pedestrians. Cyclists are advised to dismount and walk their bikes across this bridge or face a $100.00 fine.
Top
Ferries on the Swan RiverFerries
A regular ferry service operates from the City at Barrack Street Jetty across the Swan River to the Mends Street Jetty in South Perth. From September to April the ferry service runs to the Coode Street Jetty.
For more information contact Transperth or telephone 13 62 13
Other Ferry Services
Commercial ferry services operate from the Barrack Street Jetty for scenic river cruises and Rottnest Island.