Historic Perth Photo Gallery

Perth is the world's most isolated city, and is interestingly closer to Jakarta than to Sydney. British colonists came to Perth in 1829 and convicts arrived in 1850 to start building out the colony. Gold brought prospectors in the 1890s, bringing together Victorian architecture. Perth Mint is the country's oldest working mint. Tours are expensive but allows you an inside peek of the building that opened in 1899. St. Mary's Cathedral must be important enough to occupy its own square. Large enough to fill 1400 worshippers, it was quiet during my visit other than the troupe of police checking on a man inside. There were a number of historic buildings along Murray Street west of the cathedral. The former fire station is now a history museum and fire safety centre, although catching it open can sometimes be difficult. Built in 1870, Town Hall is the country's only one in Gothic style. My first visit was unsuccessful due to a private function, but otherwise it is open most days of the week and the upstairs hall can easily host a large banquet. More historic buildings line nearby streets. St. Georges Terrace was named after the cathedral, which once occupied a large part of the area. Most were demolished in the 1960s and the street is now a major downtown thoroughfare. At the western end is Barracks Arch, which was built to house the British military who handled convict transport. The design was a 3-story building to mimick a medieval castle with 120 rooms. Completed in 1866, most of the site was demolished in the 1960s when the barracks were no longer needed. However, the arch was saved and now sits alone, next to a busy highway. One block north of St. Georges Terrace is Hay Street, which also has a number of historic buildings. His Majesty's Theatre is the only operating Edwardian-era theatre in the country. Opened in 1904, it could seat over 2500 people and offered luxury accommodations for visitors. The government took over the building in 1977 and modernized it following public outcry to save it. Welsey Church was built for the Methodists in 1870. Built entirely of brick in the Early English Gothic style, the church was incomplete when it opened due to lack of funds. Across the street is the pedestrian promenade. Through an entrance from Hay Street is London Court, a shopping and residential area built in 1937 by a gold miner. It was specially designed to look like a Tudor street scene.