Hay Street, Perth

Hay Street is one of Perth’s main east-west streets, running through the central business district and into surrounding suburbs. It was named after Robert William Hay, Permanent Under-Secretary for the Colonies from 1825 to 1836. Earlier sections of the route were known by other names, including Howick Street and Twiss Street, before they were brought together under the Hay Street name in 1897.

Its best-known section is Hay Street Mall, the pedestrianized stretch between Barrack Street and William Street. Converted into a pedestrian mall in 1972, it was Perth’s earliest street-to-mall conversion and remains one of the city’s main shopping areas. Today, visitors will find department stores, specialty shops, arcades, cafés, and steady foot traffic, making it a lively place to pause during a city-center walk.

Hay Street is also notable for the historic buildings connected to it. At the western side of the mall, near Hay and William Streets, the Gledden Building adds an Art Deco note to the streetscape. Continuing west, His Majesty’s Theater stands at 825 Hay Street, on the corner of Hay and King Streets; built between 1902 and 1904, it remains one of Perth’s major performance venues. In the mall itself, London Court links Hay Street Mall with Saint Georges Terrace, while farther east, around the Cathedral Square precinct between Pier and Barrack Streets, visitors will find Perth Town Hall at 601 Hay Street and the nearby City of Perth Library.

Modern retail life, heritage façades, theaters, arcades, civic buildings, and everyday city movement all meet along this corridor. It offers an easy way to experience Perth as both a historic capital and a busy contemporary city.