A very short history of Perth

We thought it appropriate that our first blog post be about the history of Perth!

Archaeological evidence shows that Aboriginal people have been using the Swan River and its surrounds as an important source of food for at least 40,000 years.   As a result, the area also became an important cultural meeting place for the Wadjuk Noongar tribe, who have gathered here for many thousands of years.

Although Europeans had known about the west coast of Australia for several centuries, it was some years after the 1788 formation of the British colony on the east coast of Australia before an interest was taken in the west.

The British set up a small outpost in King George Sound in the spot we now know as Albany. This proved to be a less than ideal place for a colony, so Captain James Stirling was sent to explore the west coast for a suitable place for a major settlement.

Having spent 12 days exploring the Swan River area in March, 1827, he was completely taken with the area we now call Perth and wrote in his journal, “as beautiful as anything of this kind I had ever witnessed”. He then returned to try and persuade his political masters a colony be set up there. The British Government agreed to Stirling’s wishes and the first free settlement in Australia was established, with the first settlers arriving amidst stormy weather in June, 1829. On 12 August of that year, the felling of a tree marked the official foundation of Perth.

Named after the birthplace of Lord Murray, the British Parliament’s Colonial Secretary, Perth gradually took shape as a town despite the problems of finding suitable building materials. However, the first settlers soon discovered one great disadvantage to the place they were coming to settle: the vast river flood plain was nothing more than a huge sand dune, useless for growing crops!  (image: Flourishing State) This, combined with a lack of investment in the new colony meant that progress during the first 60 or so years was painfully slow.   The introduction of convicts in 1850 to increase the workforce enabled vital projects, such as the building of roads and bridges, to be carried out.

This all changed however, with the discovery of gold in the 1890’s. The profits from gold prompted incredible growth, with many major public works undertaken which transformed the city skyline, giving us many fine buildings, some still in existence today.

St George’s Terrace

The population of Perth changed in size and character as immigration after World War II brought new cultures and traditions to the city. (image multi-cultural Perth) A major phase of development spurred on by the mineral boom of the 1960s and 1970s, saw skyscrapers built and the city take on a more modern character.

From its very humble and difficult beginnings, Perth has evolved into an exciting and beautiful cosmopolitan city, full of evidence of its past.

Attribution By Mark (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons