December, 2011
We hopped the train from the station near Lois and John's one day and headed into Perth's CBD for some exploration, sightseeing and fun! We met up with my brother Graeme for lunch - he works in Perth but lives in Sydney (a big commute!)
What a tidy, clean and stunning city it is! - Perfect Perth! A lovely and very manageable city with an interesting blend of old and new buildings - they have been very conscious of retaining the historic heritage as many of the new architecturally designed buildings have incorporated part of the old building or its facade. Great to see! Gives it a lot of character!
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Exiting from the train at Perth Station (underground), we popped up right in the middle of the CBD and were greeted by Perth decked out for Christmas! The beautifully decorated Christmas tree in Forrest Place - named after the first premier of Western Australia. The area is a pedestrian square used for many Perth events throughout the year. |
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Pete getting some exploring ammunition from the Information Centre
in Forrest Place.
An interesting geometrical skyline backdrops the square |
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Murray Street Mall
Very easy to shop in Perth CBD - a section of two parallel streets (Murray and Hay) made
into pedastrian Malls with connecting arcades!
The two main shopping malls in Perth are the Murray and Hay street malls. Both of the malls are closed to traffic and offer a wide range of specialty stores. There are several arcades that run off either Murray Street Mall or the Hay Street Mall and link the city from St George's Terrace to Wellington Street. |
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| Barrack Street was showing off its decorations to - very angelic! |
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| Inviting cafes with their brightly coloured flower pots and baskets litter the Malls |
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Historic Perth Town Hall
It is the only convict built Town Hall in Australia
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| The new District Court Building in Hay Street |
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The old and the new incorporated.
The columned facade was originally a theatre as outlined below |
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| Click to enlarge |
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| Other historic facades retained in the CB |
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Perth Centenary plaque on the Town Hall Building
Perth was founded on the 12th August, 1829 |
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| Barrack Street, a main thoroughfare, leading down to the Swan River |
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The impressive Bell Tower on the banks of the Swan River
stands sentinel at the end of Barrack Street
The pic was taken from outside the Town Hall beside which is the
spot where the founding tree was felled in 1929 |
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Captain James Stirling
Founding Governor of Western Australia
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| Click to enlarge |
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| More beautiful facades |
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Stirling Gardens or commonly called The Supreme Court Gardens
Take some time out on your next visit into the bustling city centre to explore the tranquil Stirling Gardens. Opened as a botanical garden in 1845, they offer beautiful shade, well-kept lawns, and an extensive range of plants and trees. There are also a number of interesting sculptures including the Ore Obelisk, kangaroo sculptures, Snugglepot and Cuddlepie and a serene water feature. |
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The Ore Obelisk
The Ore Obelisk is a modern memorial to the state''s progress and consists of a 45 foot oil drill pipe threaded with fifteen ores. |
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| The Ore Obelisk and the Kangaroo Sculpture |
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Zero Point found on the corner of the building left of St George's Cathedral
This was the site of Perth's first GPO where all the distances were measured from |
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| Click to enlarge |
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Ascalon Sculpture outside St Georges Cathedral
Named after the lance used by St George to slay the dragon, the Ascalon sculpture depicts various abstract representations of St George's victory over the dragon. The white flowing central piece, which represents the slain dragon, wraps itself around a long tube, which symbolizes the lance. At night a single beam of light shines up into the heavens from the end of the lance.
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There is a lot of interesting Public Art around the city to be admired!
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| The old Rectory of the St George Cathedral |
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| Click to enlarge |
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Historic Government House, Perth on St Georges Terrace
Built between 1859 and 1864 in Jacobean Revival Style
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| Picturesque grounds and gardens |
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| Peaking through the ornate locked gates! |
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The concert hall was constructed between 1971 and 1973 |
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The beautiful offices of the Catholic Church near St Mary's Cathedral -
The Archbishop's Palace |
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Sy Mary's Cathedral
Built in three stages, the first beginning in 1865 and third stage 2006 - it reopened in 2009
The old and the new blend perfectly!
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Mercedes School House
The Victorian Romanesque and Tudor style school house was built in 1871 of limestone. It features brick quoins (corner stones). The octagonal tower which is situated at the rear of the building originally had a steeply pitched roof. Today the school house is part of Mercedes College a private girl's school. |
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St Mary's Cathedral in the middle of Victoria Square
Lovely architecture in the buildings surrounding the Square
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The Perth Mint on Hay Street
It is Australia's oldest operating Mint
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Well worth a visit - very interesting tour!
In we go!
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| GoldCorp House in the grounds of the Perth Mint |
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| Gold Panning Sculpture |
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The founding stone laid on 23rd September, 1896 by Premier John Forrest-
this was the 59th year of Queen Victoria's reign!
A time capsule has been placed behind the stone above the plaque. |
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A reconstruction of a gold mining camp - very primitive -
prospecting must have been a harsh and difficult life in the desert and the heat!
What people will do to make their fortune! |
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Pete holds up a replica of one of the largest gold nuggets found in Western Australia -
The Golden Eagle! |
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The difficulties and rewards!
Click to enlarge |
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In 1993 this one tonne specimen of gold bearing ore was presented to the Perth Mint
by Sons of Gwalia Ltd |
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| Wow! |
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The Perth Mint's operations
Click to enlarge |
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The Larcombe's with the "Golden Eagle" which they discovered in Larkinville in 1931
Great historic pic! |
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Today's processing of gold ore
Click to enlarge |
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The Mint's architecture
Click to enlarge |
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Visiting Graeme in his office - nice view over St George's Cathedral,
Government House, The Bell Tower and the Swan River! |
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| Lots trendy cafe's and restaurants in the Pier St area where there are lots of offices |
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| Walking through lovely, peaceful Stirling Gardens after lunch - on our way to the banks of the Swann River |
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The Kangaroo Sculpture from another angle
A mob of 2.4 m high bronze kangaroos in various poses including, drinking and bounding, along the Terrace. Weighing between 850-1000 kilos each, these unique sculptures, representing Australia's most beloved animal, stand quietly but alert in the busy city landscape, delighting tourists and locals alike. There is a total of five kangaroos including a joey in mother's pouch. |
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About the sculptures and monuments in the Gardens
Click to enlarge |
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| The Holocaust Memorial |
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The Supreme Court
The oldest building in Perth
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The Bell Tower in Barrack Square
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| Sails on the river! |
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| The city skyline from The Esplanade near the Bell Tower |
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The mosaics and water feature leading down to the Barrack Street Jetty
An inlaid path made of ceramic tiles surrounds the tower. These come from nearly every school in Western Australia and are arranged alphabetically by school name. Each school's tile lists students at that school in the year of 1999. Each child has written his or her name as a contribution to the Swan Bells. |
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| Impressive! |
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London Court Arcade in Hay Street Mall
This historic arcade is one of Perth’s more quirky shopping arcades, in part due to its ‘Tudor’ design elements and replica of Big Ben at its entrance. The arcade built in 1937 contains a number of fashion and souvenir stores as well as several food outlets. |
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Great quote under the clock - very wise advice!
"No minute gone ever back again
Take heed and see ye nothing do in vain." |
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| Just lovely! Makes you want to shop it looks so inviting! |
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A street sculpture in the Hay Street Mall
A bronze statue of well loved street entertainer, Percy Button. Dressed in his trademark long tail coat and with hat by his side, a smiling Percy attracts wanted attention from passerbys, due impart to the unusual pose, a handstand.
http://www.publicartaroundtheworld.com/Percy_Button_Sculpture.html
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What a lovely place! Simply stunning
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