Perth Historic Buildings Walk (Self Guided), Perth

Established by British settlers in 1829 and originally named the Swan River Colony, the city of Perth boasts a wealth of old buildings – governmental, religious, residential, commercial and institutional, – many of which are heritage-listed.

Just like other Western Australia’s settlements, the city struggled throughout the 1800s from the lack of resources, labor and investment. However, following the gold rushes of the 1890s Perth enjoyed a great influx of people and, subsequently, considerable development arising from the newly acquired wealth. Many ornate edifices in the metropolitan area, like the Palace Hotel on St Georges Terrace, date back to that period.

A mining boom in the 1960s-70s led to another wave of intensive development, but simultaneously caused the loss of much of Perth's early 1900s architecture. A greater awareness within the community of heritage places developed since then has resulted in a number of high-profile public campaigns that preserved several substantial buildings, such as the Pensioner Barracks (now the Barracks Arch), the Palace Hotel (currently offices for Bank of Western Australia) and others.

Among the old buildings in Perth still extant, recognized for their heritage significance, there are:

St. Mary's Cathedral – the seat of local Archbishop, begun in 1865;

St John's Pro-Cathedral – the earliest Roman Catholic church in Western Australia, constructed between 1843 and 1844;

Old Perth Fire Station – the first (1900) purpose-built fire station in WA;

Government House and Gardens – official residence of the Governor of Western Australia, built between 1859 and 1864;

Old Court House. Francis Burt Law Museum – the city's oldest surviving public building, dated from 1836-1837, nowadays home to the Francis Burt Law Education Centre and Museum;

Perth Town Hall and Perth Foundation Plaque – built using convict labor, from 1868 to 1870.

To explore these and other architectural monuments in Perth fit to excite both history buffs and lovers of design, take this self-guided walking tour.