This vibrant and thriving city with a population of over one million, has the distinction of being the most isolated capital city in the world. The nearest capital city is Adelaide in South Australia, which is nearly two days drive away. Established in the early 1800's as the Swan River Settlement, growth was very slow until convicts were brought in, in the 1850's to alleviate the labour shortage. With the discovery of gold in the 1890's came a population explosion and a building boom. Many of Perth's fine old buildings were built with convict labour.
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Perth City Skyline
Courtesy Western Australian Tourism Commission
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More recently, it is the incredible mineral wealth of Western Australia, which has contributed to Perth's growth and that of the surrounding suburbs and towns. The city is situated on the wide, meandering Swan River, which makes its way to the coast at Fremantle, the city's port. The city centre is quite compact and easily accessible and offers visitors many things to do including, great shopping, the Perth Cultural Centre (which includes a museum, art gallery and state library) and the WACA sports ground where you can see one of the many cricket or Australian Rules Football matches. Perth is famous for its sunny climate and has some of the best surfing and recreational beaches in Australia. There is Cottesloe Beach, which is ideal for swimming, Scarborough Beach, a popular surf Beach, City Beach, Leighton and Floreat Beach's and Swanbourne Beach, which is a popular nudist beach. There are also more great beaches further down the coast at Mandurah and Rockingham. Perth's waters are also home to a variety of marine life, including whales, seals, dolphins and many types of fish. Perth also has several markets to browse through at Subiaco, Wannaroo and Fremantle.
Perth is a great base to explore many of the amazing surrounding regions. There is the beautiful southcoast area, which has great beaches, wineries, national parks and many interesting towns. To the north are also more great beaches, national parks and rugged beautiful scenery. Also, off the coast of Perth is Rottnest Island, which is a great place to spend a day and enjoy the beautiful beaches, great scenery and wildlife.
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