Perth history

Perth’s first inhabitants arrived from the north 40,000 to 60,000 years ago. Once the tribal lands of the Whadjug people, the local indigenous people, Perth was accidently discovered by the Dutch in the early 1600s when they were blown off course en route to Jakarta.
Declared Australia’s first free settlement in the early 1800s by the British Government, Perth was named by Captain James Stirling after the city of Perth in Scotland. Following discovery of gold in the late 1800s, Perth’s population and infrastructure grew and it became the capital city of the newly federated fifth state of Australia.

Post-World War II migration saw Perth’s population increase further and the minerals boom of the 1960s and 70s saw further growth in the city’s population and skyline, and it is now seeing a business boom stemming from Chinese interest in mining its natural resources.

Today, Perth is home to a diverse population drawn from waves of multicultural migration over many years. The resources and mining boom has continued over the last few decades and ensured that Perth continues to grow and develop as a bustling and interesting city. It is now one of Australia’s most desired places to live.