The history of Northbridge has been formed and defined by more waves of migration than any other area of Western Australia; this rich, ethnic diversity has helped to shape its character. But are we in danger of losing much of the physical evidence of Northbridge’s fascinating history? Today, heritage places are all too often seen as an impediment to economic prosperity and an infringement of a person or organisation’s ‘right’ to build what they like, where they want. Thanks to the vociferous few, ‘heritage’ has been portrayed as a boring, irrelevant millstone around the neck of a forward-thinking and fast-moving society.

Download the paper presented at the Northbridge History Day on 18th May, 2008 by Heritage Perth’s Executive Director, Richard Offen, in which he suggests heritage is for everyone and that there is an urgent need to encourage as wide an audience as possible to become actively involved with, learn about and care for the history that surrounds them in places such as Northbridge.

Click here to download ‘Northbridge Heritage – Friend or Foe?’ [327 KB]

For further information on the fascinating history of Northbridge, visit the Northbridge History Project web site by clicking here.