(place) by Achromatic Tue Jun 18 2002 at 1:12:03

The capital of Western Australia, Perth (1996 population: 1,162,000) is located in the south-west of the state on the banks of the Swan River. Its suburbs extend from the Indian Ocean to the foothills of the Darling Range. The statistical region for Perth includes Fremantle and contains more than half the population for the state.

Although a settlement was established in the area by Captain James Stirling in 1829, no rapid expansion of the city occurred until gold was discovered at Coolgardie in 1892 and at Kalgoorlie a year later.

Although Perth still contains some buildings which were constructed during the convict era, (1850-68), the present city with its large modern buildings reflects the Western Australian mining boom. As a result of this expansion in the north-west of the state, many companies have established their headquarters in Perth. The main business district is located near Saint George's Terrace. The retail area, on Hay and Murray Streets, has recently been extended.

Perth is the terminus of the Indian-Pacific railway which links it with Sydney. There is also an international airport, while shipping mostly uses the port of Fremantle.

The University of Western Australia was established in 1913 and is located in the suburb of Nedlands in a spacious, tree-lined campus. Murdoch University was opened in 1975.

The city has been designed with many green areas and the 400 ha King's Park, which is mostly virgin bushland, is located close to the city centre. The black swans which were first seen on the Swan River by Dutch navigators in the seventeenth century, can still be seen at King's Park and other locations near the city. Perth has a large expanse of ocean beaches and at Rottnest Island, near the mouth of the Swan River, there is a reserve for the quokka, a small marsupial.

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(place) by Berek Fri Jul 12 2002 at 11:03:11

Perth, Scotland, is a small town with a long history. Nearby Scone Palace was the crowning-place for Scottish kings, and the original home of the Stone of Destiny. The town lies on the river Tay, and John Knox led the Reformation forming the Protestant faith from St John’s Kirk here.

Balhousie Castle is home to the Black Watch Museum, and there are many other castles nearby including Glamis Castle, childhood home of the Queen Mother, and Blair Castle, home to the last private army in Europe.

Sir Walter Scott wrote a poem called 'The Fair Maid of Perth' which inspired an opera by Bizet, and the Caithness Glass Factory, famous for its fine crystal, is nearby.

The modern town has a pedestrianised High Street with a wide range of shops, including St Johns Shopping Centre. The woods of Kinnoull Hill offer good views of the town, and there are many parks and gardens including Cherrybank Gardens, which incorporates the Bells National Heather collections. Restaurants and cafes can be found in the area around St John's Kirk and the City Hall. The Perth Mart Visitor Centre celebrates the area's agricultural heritage, including highland animals, and the Museum and Art Gallery has a fine collection of artworks.

Sources:
http://www.perthshire.co.uk/topmenu.asp?TM=2

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(place) by Mardy Tue May 11 2004 at 10:14:37
  • Perth is a big, wealthy and sparcely populated city.

  • Perth's sister city is Houston, even though it is considered to feel more like San Diego (albeit more British than Mexican)

  • Perth is the only Western city bordering the Indian Ocean, unless at a stretch you consider Durban.

  • Perth has the highest rates of car ownership, car usage and car theft in Australia.

  • Perth is where Alan Bond and Rose Porteous made their fortunes.

  • Perth lacks anything like a Chinatown or Little Italy; Northbridge is the closest Perth has to a gentrified enclave, but no part is visibly identifiable to a single ethnicity.

  • Perth's class divisions were originally between those living North (richer) and South (poorer) of the Swan River, but now proximity to the ocean and river counts more.

  • Perth hugs the coast from Joondalup down to Mandurah, and the Swan River out to Midland. Its suburbs are large, flat and sparcely populated.

  • Perth does not have much of a manufacturing base, instead basing its affluence on supporting the state's mining industries (GIS technology, engineering, gold bullion production, car-washing the Mercedes of miner millionaires)

  • Perth does not have any pokie machines, except at Burswood Casino. Pubs are therefore more expensive but are much better places to hang out in.

  • Perth is said to have more millionaires and restaurants per capita than other capital in Australia, and more sunlight per year.

  • Perth tends to receive per capita more immigrants from Britain, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, India, South Africa and Zimbabwe than other Australian cities. There are almost as many British born residents in Perth as there are in Sydney.

  • Perth is the most isolated city in the world with a population in excess of one million.

  • Perth is the capital of Western Australia, one of the largest sub-national jurisdictions in the world. But hardly anybody lives anywhere else in the state.

  • Perth, despite its weather and affluence, really hasn't got any worthwhile attractions. A great place to live, but given its distance a pointless place to visit.

  • Perth was home of the America's Cup from 1983 to 1987.

  • Perth has spawned the bands INXS, The Triffids, Jebediah, Eskimo Joe, Ammonia, Cartman, Lash and The Sleepy Jackson. It is also the adopted home for Gene Simmons, Jeff Martin (of The Tea Party) and British novelist Ben Elton.

  • Perth is the birthplace of Heath Ledger, Hugh Jackman, Rove McManus, Michael and Terry Willesse, pavlova cake, Lisa McClune, Rolf Harris and Mardy.

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