One of the most isolated cities on Earth, Perth lies upon a similar latitude to Sydney but over 3,400km (2,110 miles) to the west - as far away as London is from Beirut. Having grown up in isolation from Melbourne and Sydney, the city has neither the pretensions nor the pace of the eastern Australian cities.

Boasting an impressive skyline, central Perth has been designed with people in mind. The long, wide streets follow an orderly grid pattern making it easy to navigate.

Parks are a delight, most notably Kings Park, which offers stunning views of the city and the river.

With four universities, a modern, well-designed city centre and a culturally diverse population, Perth is cosmopolitan, friendly and laid-back.

Pristine beaches round off a city that's largely shaken off its image as a boring backwater to emerge as a vivacious and culturally significant Australian destination.

History
The Swan River area was occupied by Australian Aborigines for at least 50,000 years before the arrival of British settlers, who proclaimed the new colony in June 1829, led by Captain James Stirling.

With the help of convict labour (convict-built architecture can be seen around Perth and its port of Fremantle), the colony prevailed over harsh conditions and Perth was finally declared a city in 1871. Many of Perth's earliest buildings are still standing.

Thousands of immigrants flooded here during the 1850s Gold Rush, on their way to the rich Kalgoorlie gold fields. Post-WWII immigration further swelled Perth's population. Today it is home to 1.47 million people. Nearly 200,000 of them are migrants from the UK who continue to stream into Perth each year. There is also a considerable number of New Zealanders, Italians, Malaysians, Indians and South Africans.

Climate
Perth's location and warm, dry climate (the best of any Australian state capital, with hot summers and relatively mild winters) make it a year-round destination.