Living In Perth And Western Australia

Western Australia

Western Australia (WA) covers one-third of the Australian continent and is arguably the largest state in the world. It spans over 2.5 million square kilometres, and extends into different climatic zones simultaneously. Bordered largely by desert to the east, Western Australia is bounded by 12,500 kms of the world’s most impressive coastline to the west.

Western Australia is famous for its brilliant blue skies, warm sunny climate and white sandy beaches, and is home to some of the world’s most precious natural phenomena including the dolphins of Monkey Mia, the 350-million-old Bungle Bungle range and the remarkable Pinnacles Desert. Western Australia has a wealth of natural resources including gold, diamonds, iron ore, gas and minerals. Sophisticated yet uncomplicated, the WA lifestyle is relaxed and friendly, much like the rest of Australia!

The population of Western Australia is around two million people. It is divided into five regions: the Kimberley, the North West, South West, the Interior, and the Wheat Belt. The majority of the population lives along the beautiful white sandy beaches of the WA coast.

In 2002-2003 over 12,000 migrants settled in WA, representing around 13% of the total migrant intake to Australia. Migrants from the United Kingdom made up 27% of this total (source – DIMIA Immigration Update 2002-2003).

www.westernaustralia.com

Perth

Perth is Western Australia’s capital city and the major gateway into the state. It is one of the most isolated capital cities in the world. Geographically it is closer to South East Asia than it is to the east coast of Australia and it is in the same time zone as Hong Kong and Malaysia. It is in fact closer to Singapore than Sydney and its nearest neighbour of any size, the South Australian capital Adelaide, is 2,000 kilometres away.

Perth City is situated between the Darling Ranges and the Indian Ocean, and along the banks of the Swan River, only 12kms from the sea. It has a rapidly growing population and is a popular city for Australians to relocate to. It also attracts many Brits to its shores, lured by its Mediterranean climate offering warm to hot summers and cool, wet winters. The afternoon sea breeze (known as the Fremantle Doctor) offers relief to coastal towns during the summer.

Perth is a beautiful city which prides itself on its broad cultural diversity and it welcomes visitors to its city with open arms. It has modern facilities and an advanced transport system which allows commuters to travel on either buses or trains for free within a free transit zone in the city. Compared with Melbourne and Sydney, the city centre is on the small side and has just four major streets running east to west – St George’s Terrace, Hay Street, Murray Street and Wellington Street, ensuring it’s easy to get around.

Perth offers its residents a wonderful standard of life and is regarded by Australians as the perfect place for both families and young professionals. It has also become an increasingly popular tourist destination for overseas visitors in recent years and this trend is set to continue, which is having a positive effect on the local economy.

The city centre looks out over the broad stretches of the Swan River estuary (the river took its name from the famous black swans which can be found in its waters). The Swan hosts a range of water sports, including sailing, water skiing, sail boarding, jet boating, fishing, parasailing and cruising. There are more than 50 kilometres of riverside pathways for walking and cycling.

The History

Australia’s first inhabitants were Aboriginals and Torres Strait Islanders. They are believed to have arrived in migratory waves from South East Asia between 40,000 and 150,000 years ago, making Australia one of the oldest continents in the world both geologically and in terms of continuous human history.

The first recorded sighting by Europeans of Western Australia was in October 1616, when Dutch navigators landed at Shark Bay. British authorities settled at the Swan River in 1828 and, in 1829, Commander Captain Charles Fremantle raised the British flag at the head of the Swan River and claimed possession of the territory. A month or so later more British fleets arrived with settlers in tow and Perth was founded at a site near the present town hall on 12 August 1829.

WA was the last colony to join the federation of States that became the Commonwealth of Australia in 1901.