Perth Town Hall and Perth Foundation Plaque, Perth

The Perth Town Hall stands out as the only town hall across Australia that was constructed with the help of convict labor. It was designed by Richard Roach Jewell and James Manning, showcasing the Victorian Free Gothic style, and its construction from 1867 to 1870 saw the involvement of both convicts and free individuals.

The convicts left their mark on the building itself, as the Town Hall includes a number of decorative elements connected to convict life. Around the exterior, visitors can spot carved heads and decorative figures believed to represent convicts, warders, and colonial workers.

One of the most famous decorative details is a small carved figure that appears to be hanging upside down from a window arch. To find it, stand on the north side of Hay Street, facing the Town Hall’s Hay Street façade, and look up toward the clock tower and the upper window arches. Visitors can notice broad-arrow shapes and rope-like ornamentation sometimes described as a hangman’s noose. It is often interpreted as a tongue-in-cheek reference to punishment and the harsh realities of convict life.

Perth's establishment goes back to 1829, credited to Captain James Stirling. The formal founding moment involved Mrs. Helen Dance cutting down a tree on August 12, 1829, a historical moment now marked by a plaque near the Town Hall. For a long time, the Perth Town Hall was a key landmark in the city's civic landscape. Today, it remains an impressive structure that continues to attract and fascinate visitors and locals alike.