106-689: The West Australian is the only locally edited daily newspaper published in Perth , Western Australia. It is owned by Seven West Media (SWM), as is the state's other major newspaper, The Sunday Times . It is the second-oldest continuously produced newspaper in Australia, having been published since 1833. It tends to have conservative leanings, and has mostly supported the Liberal–National Party Coalition . It has Australia's largest share of market penetration (84% of WA) of any newspaper in
212-485: A 244-metre (801 ft) office building for Anglo-Australian mining company BHP . Perth's metropolitan area extends along the coast to Two Rocks in the north and Singleton to the south, a distance of approximately 125 kilometres (80 mi). From the coast in the west to Mundaring in the east is a distance of approximately 50 kilometres (30 mi). The Perth metropolitan area covers 6,418 square kilometres (2,478 sq mi). The built-up urban area of Perth
318-574: A Beta global city in 2020. As of 2021, Perth is divided into 30 local government areas , comprising over 350 suburbs . The metropolitan contours span 115 kilometres (71 mi) from Two Rocks in the north to Singleton in the south, and 45 kilometres (28 mi) from the west coast to Sawyers Valley in the east. Beyond the central business district, predominant urban centres within the metropolitan area include Armadale , Fremantle , Joondalup , Midland , and Rockingham . Most of those were originally established as separate settlements and retained
424-468: A European of the present-day Perth region. His crew initially explored the area on foot, leading them to what is now central Perth. Continuing, they travelled up the Swan River in search of native inhabitants. They named the river Swarte Swaene-Revier , a reference to the black swans prevalent in the region. After Vlamingh's observations, other Europeans conducted further voyages of exploration in
530-480: A barrister and solicitor. His law practice in Perth was sometimes in partnership with Nicholas Hasluck . Holmes à Court entered the corporate stage by accident in 1970, when his law firm was asked to act as administrative receiver of a small publicly listed company, Western Australian Worsted & Woollen Mills (later Albany Woollen Mills , also known as AWM or WA Wool). The company was the single largest employer in
636-778: A company initiated by the Beatles to control copyright of their music. ATV Music Publishing was bought by Michael Jackson , and as part of the deal, Holmes à Court persuaded Jackson to make a brief visit to Perth, to appear on Channel 7 's annual Telethon . In 1987, Bell Group purchased a stake in Pioneer Concrete and made a second unsuccessful bid for the Herald & Weekly Times group. The bid went to takeover competitor Rupert Murdoch for $ 1.8 billion. Bell Group took ownership of The West Australian , Perth's main daily newspaper. Australian Consolidated Investments,
742-400: A distinct identity after being subsumed into the wider metropolitan area. Mandurah , Western Australia's second-largest city, forms a conurbation with Perth along the coastline. Despite this, it is generally regarded as an independent city. Perth features several important public buildings, as well as cultural and heritage sites . The city has various notable government buildings, including
848-458: A diverse influx of people, including Italians , Greeks , Dutch , Germans , Turks , Croats , and Macedonians . The Italian influence in the Perth and Fremantle area has been substantial, evident in places like the "Cappuccino strip" in Fremantle featuring many Italian eateries and shops. In Fremantle, the traditional Italian blessing of the fleet festival is held every year at the start of
954-596: A few years until the collapse of Bond Corporation. A newly formed company, West Australian Newspapers Holdings , then purchased the paper from the receivers before being floated in an oversubscribed $ 185 million public offering. The company was listed on the Australian Securities Exchange on 9 January 1992. A management fee of $ 217,000 and underwriting/brokers handling fee of $ 1.9 million were paid to companies associated with former short-term directors John Poynton and J. H. Nickson. After acquiring
1060-493: A government that did not support the independence movement. Respecting the result of the referendum, the new government nonetheless petitioned the Imperial Parliament at Westminster. The House of Commons established a select committee to consider the issue but after 18 months of negotiations and lobbying, finally refused to consider the matter, declaring that it could not legally grant secession. Perth entered
1166-501: A grand-nephew of William Frederick Holmes à Court, 3rd Baron Heytesbury , Holmes à Court was one of the world's most feared corporate raiders through the 1980s, having increased his properties single-handedly from virtually nothing to a diversified resources and media group with an estimated value immediately before the 1987 stock market crash of about A$ 2 billion. Shareholders in the company enjoyed enormous investment growth. During 1984 Robert Holmes à Court's horse Black Knight won
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#17327876158681272-574: A larger group of fourteen tribes that formed the south-west socio-linguistic block known as the Noongar (meaning 'the people' in their language ), also sometimes called the Bibbulmun. On 19 September 2006, the Federal Court of Australia ruled in the case of Bennell v State of Western Australia [2006] FCA 1243 that Noongar native title persisted over Perth metropolitan area. An appeal
1378-447: A population of more than 100,000 is Adelaide , over 2,100 km (1,305 mi) away. Perth is geographically closer to both East Timor (2,800 km or 1,700 mi), and Jakarta , Indonesia (3,000 km or 1,900 mi), than to Sydney (3,300 km or 2,100 mi). Perth is Australia's fourth-most-populous city, having overtaken Adelaide in 1984. In June 2023 there was an estimated resident population of 2,309,338 in
1484-588: A profit of $ 11 million was made by Bell for future bids. Bell Group made an unsuccessful bid for The Times in 1980, and at the same time initiated a new Perth newspaper, the Western Mail , challenging the Herald & Weekly Times group which owned The West Australian . By the end of 1980, Bell Group had accumulated cash reserves of $ 100 million. In 1981, it made a bid for Elders Goldsbrough Mort for $ 120 million bid and failed, but earned
1590-647: A profit of $ 16.5 million on the deal. During 1982, Bell Group took stakes in Rolls-Royce and Portland cement and made an unsuccessful bid for The Herald and Weekly Times group. Later that year it acquired Perth television station TVW -7. Bell Group subsequently acquired a television station in Adelaide and a few small regional radio stations. Unsuccessful bids were made for Carlton & United Breweries and Elders IXL but, as usual, Holmes à Court's strategic corporate planning let him walk away with
1696-502: A profit. Bell Group acted as a " white knight " in defeating a £1.9 billion hostile bid from Lloyds Bank for its competitor Standard Chartered Bank. As a result of boardroom coup during 1982 it acquired Lew Grade 's UK-based Associated Communications Corporation (ACC), and then sold off ACC's stake in Central Independent Television and ATV Music publishing interests, including Northern Songs ,
1802-662: A referendum in 1900, Western Australia joined the Federation of Australia in 1901, and "became a founding state of Australia". It was the last of the Australian colonies to agree to join the Federation, and it did so only after the other colonies had offered several concessions, including the construction of a transcontinental railway line from Port Augusta in South Australia to Kalgoorlie to link Perth with
1908-466: A significant fall of nearly 25% in profit in June 2016. A serious drop in circulation was also reported, with average weekday circulation down from 157,000 to 145,000, while the weekend edition averaged 241,000, down from 258,000. Cost-saving measures, such as staff redundancies, were attributed to the poor performance. In 2021, audited "cross-platform readership" of The West and The Sunday Times combined
2014-450: A substantial number of Parsees who emigrated from Bombay – Perth being the closest Australian city to India – in 2021 those with Indian ancestry accounted for 3.5% of Perth's population Perth is also home to the largest population of Anglo-Burmese in the world; many settled here following the independence of Burma in 1948 with immigration taking off after 1962. The city is now the cultural hub for Anglo-Burmese worldwide. There
2120-552: A time when penal transportation to Australia's eastern colonies had ceased, Western Australia was opened to convicts at the request of farming and business people due to a shortage of labour. Over the next eighteen years, 9,721 convicts arrived in Western Australia aboard 43 ships , outnumbering the approximately 7,300 free settlers. The designation of Perth as a city was formally announced by Queen Victoria in 1856. However, despite this recognition, Perth remained
2226-403: A tranquil town. A description from 1870 by a Melbourne journalist depicted it as: a quiet little town of some 3000 inhabitants spread out in straggling allotments down to the water's edge, intermingled with gardens and shrubberies and half rural in its aspect ... The main streets are macadamised, but the outlying ones and most of the footpaths retain their native state from the loose sand —
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#17327876158682332-676: A wealthy Rhodesian landowner, businessman and colleague of Cecil Rhodes . Cumming had helped raise Ethnee during her childhood on his estate outside Gweru . As an adult and while living in Rhodesia and South Africa, Ethnee had also established and sold both a riding school and a game lodge in Chobe , and eventually sold several properties that she owned as investments giving the funds to Robert to manage on her migration to Australia in 1967. After acquiring WA Wool, Holmes à Court made it more competitive by reducing production costs, mainly by installing
2438-490: A week. On 18 November 1879, it was relaunched as The West Australian . In October 1883, production was increased to three editions per week; two years later it became a daily publication. The proprietors of the West Australian at that time also inaugurated the Western Mail , in 1885. Initially, delivery of the paper beyond settled areas was problematic, but the growth and development of the rural railway system in
2544-915: A well-known West Australian transport and contracting group, for $ 9.6 million, through a reverse takeover . Bell Brothers would ultimately become his flagship company as The Bell Group Ltd. Bell Group acquired media interests including the Albany Advertiser , the Katanning weekly, the Great Southern Herald , the Collie Mail and radio station 6VA. It also made unsuccessful bids for companies such as Griffin Coal , Greenbushes Tin and Emu Wines. These bids, while unsuccessful, earned significant profits mainly by aggressive defences from owners resulting in inflated share prices held by
2650-481: Is 1,722 square kilometres (665 sq mi), the same as Wuhan or Salt Lake City and slightly smaller than London , making Perth the 67th largest urban area in the world. Perth is also the 50th least densely populated out of the 990 urban areas in the world with a population above 500,000. The metropolitan region is defined by the Planning and Development Act 2005 to include 30 local government areas , with
2756-524: Is 8.8 °C (47.8 °F) on 26 June 1956. It occasionally gets cold enough for frost to form. While snow has never been recorded in the Perth CBD, light snowfalls have been reported in outer suburbs of Perth in the Perth Hills around Kalamunda , Roleystone and Mundaring . The most recent snowfall was in 1968. The rainfall pattern has changed in Perth and southwest Western Australia since
2862-460: Is also a substantial Anglo-Indian population in Perth, who also settled in the city following the independence of India. At the 2021 census, 2% of Perth's population identified as being Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander . At the 2021 census, 74% of inhabitants spoke only English at home, with the next most common languages being Mandarin (2.3%), Italian (1.1%), Vietnamese (1.0%), Punjabi (0.9%) and Cantonese (0.9%). 41.8% of
2968-402: Is now a major investor and entrepreneur in his own right, after divesting himself of his share of Heytesbury, reported as A$ 35 million. Peter Holmes à Court, along with Russell Crowe , is the 75.8% owner of National Rugby League club South Sydney Rabbitohs . Another son, Paul Holmes à Court , has since taken over as chief executive. Robert Holmes à Court's other children are Simon , who
3074-704: Is on generally flat, rolling land, largely due to the high amount of sandy soils and deep bedrock . The Perth metropolitan area has two major river systems, one made up of the Swan and Canning Rivers, and one of the Serpentine and Murray Rivers, which discharge into the Peel Inlet at Mandurah . The Perth-Gingin Shrublands and Woodlands and Banksia Woodlands of the Swan Coastal Plain straddle
3180-816: Is the capital city of Western Australia . It is the fourth most populous city in Australia , with a population of over 2.3 million within Greater Perth as of 2023 . It is part of the South West Land Division of Western Australia, with most of Perth's metropolitan area on the Swan Coastal Plain between the Indian Ocean and the Darling Scarp . The city has expanded outward from the original British settlements on
3286-457: Is the online version of the daily newspaper, available only to subscribers. The West Australian leans right wing politically. An editorial published on 25 April 2022 claimed that the newspaper was "economically conservative, but socially progressive". For every federal election from 1922 to 1969 , the newspaper endorsed the conservative Coalition . At the state election held in March 2017,
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3392-822: The Australian Bureau of Statistics ' Perth (Major Statistical Division). The metropolitan extent of Perth can be defined in other ways – the Australian Bureau of Statistics Greater Capital City Statistical Area, or Greater Perth in short, consists of that area, plus the City of Mandurah and the Pinjarra Level 2 Statistical Area of the Shire of Murray , while the Regional Development Commissions Act 1993 includes
3498-612: The Australian Institute of Architects , and Colorbond . St Georges Terrace is the area's prominent street, with a large amount of office space in the CBD. Hay Street and Murray Street have most of the retail and entertainment facilities. The city's tallest building is Central Park , the twelfth tallest building in Australia . The CBD until 2012 was the centre of a mining-induced boom, with several commercial and residential projects being built, including Brookfield Place ,
3604-914: The Melbourne Cup with a time of 3 minutes 18.19 seconds. Holmes à Court died intestate , and his estate was to be divided one-third for his widow Janet (née Ranford), and the remainder equally among their four children, who include Peter , Paul , and Simon . Holmes à Court was born in Johannesburg but spent much of his early life in Southern Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe ). He was educated at Cordwalles Preparatory School and Michaelhouse School in Natal , South Africa. There he earned money selling his schoolmates photographs he had taken of them, and by driving them home in exchange for their travel allowances. Holmes à Court studied forestry at
3710-762: The Parliament House , Government House , the Supreme Court Buildings and the Perth Mint . The city is served by Fremantle Harbour and Perth Airport . It was a naval base for the Allies during World War II and today, the Royal Australian Navy 's Fleet Base West is located on Garden Island . All five of Western Australia's universities are based in Perth. The name of the city is taken from Perth, Scotland in honour of
3816-669: The Secretary of State for War and the Colonies , and Member for Perthshire in the British House of Commons , Sir George Murray . Murray's association with the city was included in Stirling's proclamation of the colony, read in Fremantle on 18 June 1829, which concluded with the statement, "Given under my hand and Seal at Perth this 18th Day of June 1829. James Stirling Lieutenant Governor". The only contemporary information on
3922-617: The Seven Media Group in April 2011, West Australian Newspapers Holdings became Seven West Media , Australia's largest diversified media business. The West Australian traces its origins to The Perth Gazette and Western Australian Journal , the first edition of which appeared on 5 January 1833. Owned and edited by Perth postmaster Charles Macfaull , it was originally a four-page weekly. It was, at first, published on Saturdays, but changed to Fridays in 1864. From 7 October 1864 it
4028-458: The Shire of Serpentine-Jarrahdale in the Peel region . The largest river flowing through Perth is the Swan River, named for the native black swans by Willem de Vlamingh , captain of a Dutch expedition and namer of WA's Rottnest Island , who discovered the birds while exploring the area in 1697. This water body is also known as Derbarl Yerrigan . The city centre and most of the suburbs are on
4134-840: The Stephenson-Hepburn Report , which noted that Perth was beginning to resemble a pattern of development less in line with the British experience and more in line with North America. This was encouraged by the opening of the Narrows Bridge and the gradual closure of the Perth-Fremantle Tramways . The mining-pastoral boom of the 1960s only accelerated the pace of urban growth in Perth. In 1962, Perth received global media attention when city residents lit their house lights and streetlights as American astronaut John Glenn passed overhead while orbiting
4240-733: The Swan River , upon which its central business district and port of Fremantle are situated. Perth was founded by Captain James Stirling in 1829 as the administrative centre of the Swan River Colony . The city is situated on the traditional lands of the Whadjuk Noongar people, where Aboriginal Australians have lived for at least 45,000 years. Perth was named after the city of Perth in Scotland . Perth
4346-477: The University of Auckland and Massey University , where he graduated with a Bachelor of Agricultural Science in 1962. He then moved to Perth, Western Australia in 1961 to study law at the University of Western Australia , where he graduated with a Bachelor of Laws in 1965. He married science teacher Janet Ranford on 18 May 1966. Holmes à Court was admitted to practise on 17 April 1968. He then worked as
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4452-496: The $ 75,000 deposit for the purchase price of WA Wool shares came from a bank account that he shared with the partners in his law firm at the time, and his partners asked for these funds to be repaid. Nevertheless, since Holmes à Court had no other apparent source of income at the time, a possibility is that his mother Ethnee financed his first foray into business, since she had stood to inherit from her mother Florence, who in turn had stood to inherit from her second husband H.R. Cumming,
4558-468: The 1920s. In 1969, the Melbourne based Herald & Weekly Times bought WAN and published the paper until 1987 when it was sold to Robert Holmes à Court 's Bell Group , when the remainder of H&WT was bought by Rupert Murdoch 's News Corporation . The following year Alan Bond , through Bond Corporation , gained control of Bell Group and hence the paper. This ownership structure only survived for
4664-484: The 2021 census respondents in Perth had no religion, as against 38.4% of national population. In 1911, the national figure was 0.4%. Robert Holmes %C3%A0 Court Michael Robert Hamilton Holmes à Court (27 July 1937 – 2 September 1990) was a South African-born Australian businessman who became Australia's first billionaire, before dying suddenly of heart failure in 1990 at the age of 53. A great-great-grandson of William Holmes à Court, 2nd Baron Heytesbury , and
4770-577: The British Isles and Southern Europe, while more recent arrivals see a growing population of Asian descent. During the late 20th and early 21st centuries, a series of mining booms in various regions of Western Australia propelled Perth into the role of the regional headquarters for significant mining operations . Ranked as one of the world's most liveable cities , Perth was classified by the Globalization and World Cities Research Network as
4876-633: The Earth on Friendship 7 . This led to its being nicknamed the "City of Light". The city repeated the act as Glenn passed overhead on the Space Shuttle in 1998. Perth's development and relative prosperity, especially since the mid-1960s, has resulted from its role as the main service centre for the state's resource industries, which extract gold, iron ore, nickel, alumina, diamonds, mineral sands, coal, oil, and natural gas. Whilst most mineral and petroleum production takes place elsewhere in
4982-502: The Greater Perth area, representing an increase of approximately 3.6% from the 2022 estimate of 2,228,020, the highest growth rate of Australia's capital cities. At the 2021 census, the most commonly nominated ancestries were: Perth's population is notable for the high proportion of British- and Irish-born residents. At the 2021 Census, 169,938 England-born Perth residents were counted, ahead of even Sydney (151,614), despite
5088-604: The McGowan Labor Government up until 20 January 2022, when the decision was made to delay the reopening of interstate borders, locking Seven West Media Chairman Kerry Stokes , who was on an overseas trip, out of the state. Following this, the newspaper has been highly critical of McGowan's COVID-19 response. Formerly a conservative "daily paper of record", The West has adopted the style of a popular tabloid. It has very ably utilised colour printing and its monopolist status to maximise display advertising including
5194-525: The Swan Coastal Plain , both spiritually (featuring in local mythology ) and as a source of food. The current central business district location is within the traditional territory of the Mooro , a Noongar clan, led by Yellagonga at the time of the British settlement. The Mooro was one of several Noongar clans based around the Swan River, known collectively as the Whadjuk . The Whadjuk themselves were one of
5300-544: The all pervading element of Western Australia — productive of intense glare or much dust in the summer and dissolving into slush during the rainy season. With the discovery of gold at Kalgoorlie and Coolgardie in the late 19th century, Western Australia experienced a mining boom. Perth became a key hub for supplying the goldfields, and the newfound prosperity helped finance the construction of important public buildings, roads, and railways. Perth's population grew from approximately 8,500 in 1881 to 61,000 in 1901. After
5406-539: The bidder. In 1977, Holmes à Court's brother Simon disappeared in mysterious circumstances in Africa. His abandoned car was found more than 1,000 km from his home and where he was last seen in Botswana . Author Geoff Elliott wrote a book about the disappearance. During 1979, Bell Group made an unsuccessful bid for Ansett Transport Industries but was defeated by Rupert Murdoch and roadfreight group TNT . However,
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#17327876158685512-407: The chain of lakes where the central business district and Northbridge are situated. Archaeological evidence attests to human habitation in the Perth area for at least 48,000 years; according to Noongar tradition, they have occupied the area since "time immemorial". Noongar country encompasses the southwest corner of Western Australia, with particular significance attached to the wetlands on
5618-541: The city's population. These are supported by the Australian Eurasian Association of Western Australia, which also serves a community of Portuguese-Malacca Eurasian or Kristang immigrants. Middle Eastern immigrants have a presence in Perth. They come from a variety of countries, including Saudi Arabia , Syria , Iran , Iraq , Israel , Lebanon , The United Arab Emirates , Oman , Yemen , and Afghanistan . The Indian community includes
5724-540: The country. The West Australian publishes international, national and local news. As of 23 February 2015, newsgathering was integrated with the TV news and current-affairs operations of Seven News , Perth, which moved its news staff to the paper's Osborne Park premises. SWM also publishes two websites from Osborne Park—thewest.com.au and PerthNow. The daily newspaper includes lift-outs including Play Magazine, The Guide, West Weekend, and Body and Soul. Thewest.com.au
5830-525: The early 1900s facilitated wider circulation. In September 2015 the Australian Competition & Consumer Commission approved the acquisition of The Sunday Times , which would give Seven West Media a monopoly over major newspapers in the state. Finalisation of the deal, which includes the website PerthNow , was announced by The West Australian on 8 November 2016. In May 2019, SWM acquired Community Newspaper Group , adding 13 titles to
5936-506: The eastern states. In 1927, Indigenous people were prohibited from entering large swathes of Perth under penalty of imprisonment, a ban that lasted until 1954. In 1933, two-thirds of Western Australians voted in a referendum to secede from the Australian Federation . However, the state general election held at the same time as the referendum had voted out the incumbent "pro-independence" government, replacing it with
6042-543: The editor of the Perth Gazette , Charles Macfaull , by the accusations of incompetence and impugned character printed in regard to a Captain Clark. A letter of apology was refused and the court awarded damages of £27 to the captain of the vessel. Macfaull maintained his reputation although his resources were significantly reduced by the verdict. In February 2005 former Australian Labor prime minister Bob Hawke labelled
6148-428: The editor, Paul Armstrong, saying that "the board of West Australian Newspapers needs to sack the editor. It is personally driven by a particular individual". Armstrong responded by saying he "could not give a fat rat's arse" about Mr McGinty's comments and was then virulently attacked by premier Alan Carpenter , whose government the paper continued to denigrate until its defeat at the 2008 election . On 8 December 2014
6254-417: The first comprehensive European settlement in the western third of the continent of Australia in 1829. Officially designated as "Western Australia" in 1832, the colony retained the informal moniker "Swan River Colony" for many years, after the area's major watercourse. On 4 June 1829, newly arriving British colonists had their first view of the mainland. Captain James Stirling, aboard Parmelia , noted that
6360-789: The fishing season. In Northbridge every December is the San Nicola (Saint Nicholas) Festival, which involves a pageant followed by a concert, predominantly in Italian. Suburbs surrounding the Fremantle area, such as Spearwood and Hamilton Hill , also contain high concentrations of Italians, Croatians, and Portuguese. Perth has also been home to a small Jewish community since 1829 – numbering 6,331 in 2021 – who have emigrated primarily from Eastern Europe and more recently from South Africa. A more recent wave of arrivals includes White South Africans . South Africans overtook those born in Italy as
6466-468: The form of short-lived thunderstorms, weak cold fronts and on occasions decaying tropical cyclones from Western Australia's northwest, which can bring heavy rain. Temperatures above 35 °C (95 °F) occur, on average, 26 days per year and rise above 40 °C (104 °F) on 5 days per year. The highest temperature recorded in Perth was 46.2 °C (115.2 °F) on 23 February 1991, although Perth Airport recorded 46.7 °C (116.1 °F) on
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#17327876158686572-529: The fourth-largest foreign group in 2001. By 2016, there were 35,262 South Africans residing in Perth. Many Afrikaners and Anglo-Africans emigrated to Perth during the 1980s and 1990s, with the phrase "packing for Perth" becoming associated with South Africans who choose to emigrate abroad, sometimes regardless of the destination. As a result, the city has been described as "the Australian capital of South Africans in exile". The reason for Perth's popularity among white South Africans has often been attributed to
6678-438: The latest wool milling and weaving machinery. This was acquired on favourable terms from a leading Belgian equipment manufacturer, which was keen to enter the Australian market at that time. He now controlled a company listed on the Australian Stock Exchange , and from there he began to gain control of a string of small businesses, including Westate Electrical Industries . In 1973, Holmes à Court's AWM acquired Bell Brothers ,
6784-446: The latter having well over twice the population. The ethnic make-up of Perth changed in the second part of the 20th century when significant numbers of continental European immigrants arrived in the city. Prior to this, Perth's population had been almost completely Anglo-Celtic in ethnic origin. As Fremantle was the first landfall in Australia for many migrant ships coming from Europe in the 1950s and 1960s, Perth started to experience
6890-458: The life of the city and state for more than 50 years. Newspaper House was vacated in the mid-1980s for the ill-fated "Westralia Square" redevelopment which was completed in 2012 under the name Brookfield Place . The editorial staff was temporarily relocated in a nearby office building. Recognised as part of an important heritage precinct, Newspaper House was scheduled for preservation and refurbishment. In 1988, larger and more modern accommodation for
6996-538: The location, the vast amount of land, and the slightly warmer climate compared to other large Australian cities – Perth has a Mediterranean climate reminiscent of Cape Town . Since the end of the White Australia policy in 1973, Asia has become an increasingly significant source of migrants, with communities from Vietnam , Malaysia , Indonesia , Thailand , Singapore , Hong Kong , Mainland China , and India all now well-established. There were 112,293 persons of Chinese descent in Perth in 2016 – 5.3% of
7102-446: The management of West Australian Newspapers announced that printed editions of The West Australian would no longer be available in retail outlets located north of Broome in the Kimberley region of Western Australia, including towns such as Derby , Halls Creek , Fitzroy Crossing , Wyndham and Kununurra , due to the expense of transporting and delivering printed newspapers. Perth Perth ( Nyungar : Boorloo )
7208-620: The metropolitan area. Perth receives moderate, though highly seasonal, winter-based rainfall. Summers are generally hot, sunny and dry, lasting from December to March, with February generally the hottest month. Winters are relatively mild and wet, giving Perth a hot-summer Mediterranean climate ( Köppen climate classification Csa ). Perth has an average of 8.8 hours of sunshine per day, which equates to around 3,200 hours of sunshine and 138.7 clear days annually, making it Australia's sunniest capital city. Summers are typically hot and dry but not completely devoid of rain, with sporadic rainfall in
7314-485: The mid-1970s. A significant reduction in winter rainfall has been observed with a greater number of extreme rainfall events in the summer, such as the slow-moving storms on 8 February 1992 that brought 120.6 millimetres (4.75 in) of rain, heavy rainfall associated with a tropical low on 10 February 2017, which brought 114.4 millimetres (4.50 in) of rain, and the remnants of ex-Tropical Cyclone Joyce on 15 January 2018 with 96.2 millimetres (3.79 in). Perth
7420-487: The morning of 2 September 1990. Holmes à Court died intestate and his estate was to be divided one-third for his widow Janet (née Ranford), and the remainder equally among their four children. Heytesbury Holdings continues as one of the largest private companies in Australia. Janet Holmes à Court managed Heytesbury from the time of her husband's death until 2005, when she retired. She was, at one time, Australia's richest woman. The couple's eldest son, Peter Holmes à Court,
7526-405: The murder of settlers (such as Thomas Peel 's servant Hugh Nesbitt ), the execution without trial of Whadjuk elder Midgegooroo , the killing of his son Yagan in 1833, and the Pinjarra massacre in 1834. The strained relations between the Noongar people and the Europeans arose due to these events. Agricultural development on the land restricted the traditional hunter-gatherer practices of
7632-500: The native Whadjuk Noongar, compelling them to camp in designated areas, including swamps and lakes north of the European settlement. Third Swamp , known to them as Boodjamooling , remained a primary campsite for the remaining Noongar people in the Perth region, also accommodating travellers, itinerants, and homeless individuals. During the gold rush in the 1890s, miners on their way to the goldfields joined this community. In 1850, at
7738-505: The newspaper suite in WA, and have since moved all of the community websites onto the PerthNow website. In June 2019, The West Australian began putting some of its website content behind a subscription paywall . In 1933, The West Australian moved to the purpose-built Newspaper House on St Georges Terrace in Perth. It included an office and publishing plant, and was a prominent landmark in
7844-707: The newspaper's editorial endorsed the Australian Labor Party opposition, led by Mark McGowan , over the Liberal – National government led by Colin Barnett . The West Australian endorsed the Coalition at the 2019 Australian federal election , Labor in the 2021 state election , and the Coalition at the 2022 Australian federal election . During the COVID-19 pandemic , The West Australian supported
7950-487: The outer extent being the City of Wanneroo and the City of Swan to the north, the Shire of Mundaring , City of Kalamunda and the City of Armadale to the east, the Shire of Serpentine-Jarrahdale to the southeast and the City of Rockingham to the southwest, and including Rottnest Island and Garden Island off the west coast. This extent correlates with the Metropolitan Region Scheme , and
8056-512: The paper "a disgrace to reasonable objective journalism". Academic Peter van Onselen substantiated this attack, identifying 10 pro-Opposition front-page headlines in the lead-up to the 2005 state election , but no pro-Government headlines. In May 2007, then attorney-general and health minister in the State Labor government, Jim McGinty , described the newspaper as "the nation's most inaccurate and dishonest newspaper". He went on to attack
8162-512: The paper's printing presses was commissioned in Osborne Park. In 1998, the editorial operations also moved to the Osborne Park complex. In the 1940s and later, the newspaper published more than twenty editions of Charles Gardner's West Australian wildflowers. At various stages in its history, the newspaper had a periodicals division that has published calendars, gardening books, and collections of historical photographs. In 1954, to celebrate
8268-661: The parent couldn't acquire its subsidiary and thereby access the money. Holmes à Court initially disposed of some Perth properties before accepting a joint takeover by Bond Corporation and the State Government Insurance Commission (SGIC), in which both parties took a 19.9% stake in Bell Group. Holmes à Court retained 6% of Bell Group and received $ 340 million from the sale. Bond Corp was subsequently forced to bid for other shares in Bell with
8374-494: The period between 1697 and 1829. However, as with Vlamingh's assessments, they judged the area inhospitable and unsuitable for the agriculture necessary to sustain a European-style settlement. Despite the Colony of New South Wales establishing a convict-supported settlement at King George's Sound (later Albany ) on the south coast of Western Australia in 1826, responding to rumours of potential French annexation, Perth marked
8480-545: The post-war period with a population of approximately 280,000 and an economy that had not experienced sustained growth since the 1920s. Successive state governments, beginning with the Willcock Labor Government (1936–1945), determined to change this. Planning for post-war economic development was initially driven by Russell Dumas , who as Director of Public Works (1941–1953) drew up plans for Western Australia's major post-war public-works projects, including
8586-559: The prime minister. This was repeated the next year, on 28 May 2023. In the 1990s, a series of pictorial books from the photographic archives were produced: The first book published in Western Australia, Report of the Late Trial for Libel!!! Clarke versus MacFaul (Fremantle, 1835), by the future editor of the Swan River Guardian William Nairne Clark , concerned a libel case brought against
8692-544: The raising of the Mundaring and Wellington dams, the development of the new Perth Airport, and the development of a new industrial zone centred on Kwinana. The advent of the McLarty Liberal Government (1947–1953) saw the emergence of something of a consensus on the need for continuing economic development. Economic growth was fuelled by large-scale public works, the post-war immigration program, and
8798-924: The rebuilding and expansion of his Heytesbury subsidiaries acquiring Stoll Moss Theatres in London, Sherwin Pastoral Co (owner of vast cattle stations in Northern Australia), and the Vasse Felix winery in Margaret River. In 1989, Heytesbury bought the Victoria River Downs and major Sherwin Pastoral Co cattle and pastoral stations. Holmes à Court also traded in Jaguar stock, as well as Christie's and New Zealand media group Wilson & Horton . During 1990, Bell Resources
8904-452: The region, interspersed with clear and sunny days where minimum temperatures tend to drop below 5 °C (41 °F). The lowest temperature recorded in Perth was −0.7 °C (30.7 °F) on 17 June 2006. The lowest temperature within the Perth metropolitan area was −3.4 °C (25.9 °F) on the same day at Jandakot Airport , although temperatures at or below zero are rare occurrences. The lowest maximum temperature recorded in Perth
9010-566: The regional city of Albany . In what he later described as his most challenging "takeover" — probably because it was his first —, he found a way to invest $ 500,000 in the ailing business, on the proviso that the state Minister for Industry, Sir Charles Court , would persuade the Government of Western Australia to forgive the $ 500,000 in loans they had made. The source of funds for his initial investment in WA Wool were never made clear, since
9116-528: The result that it ended up with a majority shareholding of 68% of Bell Group. Bond Corp then proceeded to strip $ 500 million from Bell Resources in an effort to prop up its own debts. The asset stripping included transferring cash from Bell Resources Ltd for its own purposes (thus breaching the company code and ultimately sending its chairman Alan Bond to jail), transfer of ownership of newspaper holdings into Bond Media and disposal of certain assets including TVW-7. During 1988, Holmes à Court concentrated on
9222-590: The same day. On most summer afternoons a sea breeze , known locally as the Fremantle Doctor , blows from the southwest, providing relief from the hot northeasterly winds. Temperatures often fall below 30 °C (86 °F) a few hours after the arrival of the wind change. In the summer, the 3 pm dewpoint averages at around 12 °C (54 °F). Winters are mild and wet, with most of Perth's annual rainfall between May and September. Winters see significant rainfall as frontal systems move across
9328-549: The sandy and relatively flat Swan Coastal Plain , which lies between the Darling Scarp and the Indian Ocean . The soils of this area are quite infertile. Much of colonial Perth was built on the Perth Wetlands , a series of freshwater wetlands running from Herdsman Lake in the west through to Claisebrook Cove in the east. To the east, the city is bordered by a low escarpment called the Darling Scarp. Perth
9434-450: The site was "as beautiful as anything of this kind I had ever witnessed". On 12 August that year, Helen Dance, wife of the captain of the second ship, Sulphur , felled a tree to commemorate the town's founding. From 1831 onward, confrontations between British settlers and the Noongar people escalated due to conflicting land-value systems and increased land use as the colony expanded. These confrontations resulted in multiple events, including
9540-504: The source of the name comes from Charles Fremantle 's diary entry for 12 August 1829, which records that they "named the town Perth according to the wishes of Sir George Murray". Since 2019, the Noongar name Boorloo has been recognised as denoting the central business district , the local government area , or the capital city in general. The name Boorloo was initially recorded by Robert Menli Lyon as Boorlo in 1833, which
9646-426: The state, the non-base services provide most of the employment and income to the people of Perth. Perth experienced a period of recovery in 1990. In July 1994, the state government separated the city's CBD from its suburban districts, creating the City of Perth and three other local government areas. The central business district of Perth is bounded by the Swan River to the south and east, with Kings Park on
9752-500: The success that various state governments had in attracting substantial foreign investment into the state, beginning with the construction of the Anglo-Iranian Oil Refinery at Kwinana in 1951–52. The result of this economic activity was the rapid growth of the population of Perth and a marked change in its urban design. Commencing in the 1950s, Perth began to expand along an extensive highway network laid out in
9858-657: The time of the October 1987 international stockmarket crash , Bell Group had accumulated assets that were valuable but not generating revenue sufficient to cover debts. Holmes à Court's family company, Heytesbury Holdings , at the time owned 43% of Bell Group, which in turn owned 40% of the cash rich Bell Resources. However, Bell Resources was not able to buy its parent, due to share raids being made on Bell Resources by Kerry Packer , Adelaide Steamship Company (under John Spalvins) and IEL ( Ron Brierley ). Merrill Lynch withdrew its $ 1 billion line of credit facility, meaning that
9964-439: The use of multi-page advertorial supplements and loose inserts . Advertising is frequently accorded priority over news on the front page by means of a four-page wrap-around cover section. As of January 2015, refraining from reporting greatly reduced print circulation, the paper claimed "readership across print and online platforms" of 1.8 million per month (a daily average of less than 70,000). The West Australian recorded
10070-537: The visit of Queen Elizabeth II , a souvenir program was produced. On 27 May 2022, as part the National Reconciliation Week , the paper under the title of Marawar Boodjara, published a special wraparound where the front cover was written bilingually in the local Indigenous language of the area, Noongar and English. This was helped by the newspaper's resident Noongar linguist, Alison Nannup. This received praised from many quarters including
10176-482: The western end and the railway reserve as the northern border. A state and federally funded project named Perth City Link sank a section of the railway line to allow easy pedestrian access between Northbridge and the CBD. The Perth Arena is an entertainment and sporting arena in the city link area that has received several architectural awards from institutions such as the Design Institute of Australia ,
10282-453: Was 4.1 million per month. In February 2022, Seven West Media WA chief executive Maryna Fewster announced growth to 4.5 million per month boosted by (potentially duplicated) counts of hits on subsidiary websites including PerthNow , the video program Up Late , morning radio show The West Live , and sundry video packages launched on thewest.com.au. The West Australian was owned by the publicly listed company West Australian Newspapers from
10388-459: Was Australia's largest company. Before the deal was finalised the following year, Elders IXL took a 20% stake in BHP, for $ 2 billion. In turn, BHP purchased $ 1 billion of Elders preference shares. The deal later resulted in action against Elders executives, including chairman John Elliott by the corporate regulator. BRL also spent US$ 800 million, to acquire 9.6% of Texaco stock. By
10494-483: Was also hit by a severe thunderstorm on 22 March 2010, which brought 40.2 mm (1.58 in) of rain, and large hail and caused significant damage in the metropolitan area. The average sea temperature ranges from 18.9 °C (66.0 °F) in October to 23.4 °C (74.1 °F) in March. With more than two million residents, Perth is one of the most isolated major cities in the world. The nearest city with
10600-520: Was finalised by the Federal Court on 1 December 2021. As part of this agreement, the Noongar (Koorah, Nitja, Boordahwan) (Past, Present, Future) Recognition Act was passed in 2016, officially recognising the Noongar people as the traditional owners of the south-west region of Western Australia. On 10 January 1697, Dutch Captain Willem de Vlamingh conducted the first documented exploration by
10706-517: Was interpreted as "Perth, properly Point Fraser" (a location in East Perth ). He also gave the name Byerbrup for "the highland stretching along from Mount Eliza through the centre of the town of Perth". In 1947, Ludwig Glauert posited that Lyon may have misunderstood his sources and that "boorloo" or "belo" (now transcribed as "bilya") is simply the Noongar word for "river". Another source has interpreted Boorloo to mean "big swamp", describing
10812-464: Was known as The Perth Gazette and Western Australian Times and was published by Arthur Shenton, until 24 March 1871, after which the publisher was Joseph Mitchell, until 29 September 1871. The new publisher, M. Shenton, remained in place until 26 June 1874. when it was bought by a syndicate who renamed it The Western Australian Times and who in September 1874 increased production to two editions
10918-779: Was previously known as Bell Resources between 1984 and 1990 and prior to that the company was known as Wigmores between 1938 and 1984. In 1983, Bell Group bought Perth mining equipment company Wigmores, and was renamed Bell Resources Ltd. Through the ACC group, BRL gained control of Bass Strait oil and gas explorer, Weeks Petroleum which owned a 2.5% royalty share in the Esso - BHP consortium. In 1985, BRL acquired 13% of U.S. mining company Asarco for $ 140 million and made an unsuccessful bid for Perth utility Fremantle Gas & Coke. Also in 1985, BRL made its biggest and most daring bid to date for control of resources and steelmaking giant BHP, which
11024-413: Was proclaimed as a city by Queen Victoria in 1856, although the City of Perth currently governs only a small area around the central business district. Substantial population growth occurred during the late 19th-century Western Australian gold rushes , and the city has continued to expand, particularly after World War II due to a high net migration rate . Post-war immigrants were predominantly from
11130-506: Was renamed Australian Consolidated Investments Limited. Also Bond Corporation announced a record $ 980m loss and Elders IXL followed with an announcement of a $ 1.3 billion loss. Bond Corporation entered a scheme of arrangement in 1991, with receivers taking charge of the Bell Group. In 2002, Australian Consolidated Investments was delisted from the ASX. A heavy smoker who suffered from diabetes, Holmes à Court died of heart failure in bed on
11236-887: Was subsequently filed, and in 2008, the Full Court of the Federal Court upheld parts of the appeal by the Western Australian and Commonwealth governments. Following this appeal, the Western Australian Government and the South West Aboriginal Land and Sea Council negotiated the South West Native Title Settlement. This settlement, including the Whadjuk Indigenous Land Use Agreement over the Perth region,
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