Before the founding of the Swan River Colony, the indigenous Noongar people were well established in the southwest corner of Western Australia, hunting and gathering. They called the area on which Perth now stands … See more

The first fleet of settlers arrived in June 1829, disembarking with their possessions on the sandy beaches north of the Swan River. No advance … See more

In 1849, after a decade and half of meagre growth, Perth became a penal colony and in the next 16 years received an influx of nearly 10,000 … See more

Within two years of federation the gold boom had peaked and prospectors were either leaving the state or moving into Perth or the other … See more

Early European exploration of the area commenced in 1697 with the discovery of the Swan River by Dutch captain Willem de Vlamingh. A sloop was dragged over the limestone bar … See more

As much of the remaining land turned out to be quite sandy and unsuitable for agriculture, the first reports of the colony were not as glowing … See more

The latter half of the nineteenth century, and in particular the last two decades, saw Perth begin to grow for the first time in a significant way. In … See more