Perth 'A tourist's delight'

Located in the south west corner of the Australian continent, Perth sits gracefully on the banks of the Swan River, like a monarch surveying her realm.

As the capital of the state of Western Australia, Perth’s domain is huge, the Perth metropolitan area accounts for nearly 90 % of the state population. The most isolated capital city on Earth, Perth lies upon a similar latitude to Sydney but over 3,400 kilometres (2110 miles) to the west, as far away as London is from Beirut.

Boasting a remarkable skyline, the inner city seems to have been designed with people in mind. Perth's attractive malls and elevated walkways make it pleasant to navigate on foot. Having grown up in isolation from Melbourne and Sydney, Perth has neither the pretensions nor the hustle and bustle of these eastern Australian cities.

Many of Perth’s earliest buildings are still standing and its quiet pace of life recalls peaceful former times, showing that the city has a solid sense of history. But with 4 universities, a modern, well designed city centre and a culturally diverse population, Perth manages to project a cosmopolitan atmosphere while at the same time being very friendly and laid back.

The Swan River area was occupied by Australian Aborigines for at least 50,000 years prior to the arrival of British settlers, who declared the new colony in June 1829, led by Captain James Stirling.

With the help of convict labour, convict built architecture can be seen all around Perth and its port of Fremantle, the colony prevailed over harsh conditions and Perth was finally declared a city in 1871.

1000's of immigrants flooded into the area during the Gold Rush of the 1850's, on their way to the rich gold fields of Kalgoorlie. Before World War II immigration swelled Perth’s population even further, and today it is home to 1.4 million people. Nearly 200,000 of these are migrants from the United Kingdom, there is also a considerable number of New Zealanders, Italians, Malaysians, Indians and South Africans.

Commercially, Perth provides the distribution point for West Australia’s wheat industry, the rapidly increasing wine industry and the state’s vast mining operations. Tourism is roaring and the city also is an education centre for a large number of students from Asia.

The long, wide streets of central Perth follow an orderly grid pattern. Perth Railway Station is situated next to the major east west avenue, Wellington Street, south of which lies the city proper, extending for 5 blocks down to the lake like expanse of the Swan River.

The central shopping and business areas together with historical buildings including 2 cathedrals, His Majesty’s Theatre and Government House, are located here. North of Wellington Street is Northbridge, home to important museums, galleries and the centre of the city’s nightlife.

Perth’s location and warm and dry climate, the best of any Australian state capital, with hot summers and mild winters, favour outdoor pursuits. Inner city parks and gardens are a delight, most notably Kings Park, which offers beautiful views of the city and the river.

To the east of the city lies a pleasant rural hinterland, whilst just minutes to the west is the Indian Ocean and long, white, sandy beaches extending for several kilometres along the ‘Sunset Coast’. A stop at nearby Fremantle, regarded the best-preserved 19th century port in the world, is an essential part of any visit to Perth.