When John Septimus Roe, naval officer, surveyor and explorer, first laid out the City of Perth in 1829, he envisaged a powerful city at the centre of a strong economy. St Georges Terrace was the focus of this design, a broad avenue running parallel to the shores of the majestic Swan River. Today, St Georges Terrace continues it's role as the city’s powerhouse. Follow this trail to discover the history of the city through its iconic places of influence. As you walk along, keep your eyes out for plaques placed in the pavement that recognise the many people who have influenced the growth of Perth and Western Australia.
You can join or leave the trail at any point and it will take you up to two hours to complete. Longer if, like me, you get distracted along the way! The trail basically follows St Georges Terrace from Parliament House to Government House. Free Cat buses are available enroute.
Download the trail map and information at https://www.visitperth.com.au/getting-around/walking-tours
1. Perth Town Hall, cnr Hay and Barrack Streets. Explorer Ernest Giles used the undercroft as a resting place for his camels on his epic journey from South Australia in 1875.
2. Treasury Group or Central Government Offices, Cnr Barrack Street and St Georges Terrace. Recently renovated the old Post Office, Lands Department and Titles Office now house restaurants, hotels and boutique retailers. Look for Point Zero, marked by a plaque on the Corner of Cathedral Avenue and St Georges Terrace - this is the point from which all measurements of distance from Perth are still taken.
3. St George's Cathedral, Cathedral Square - you might recognise this building as it is the backdrop to the Xmas Lights lightshow.
4. The Deanery, cnr St Georges Terrace and Pier Street. Before the Deanery was built in 1859 this area housed the public stocks and whipping post and Perth's first gaol.
5. Government House St Georges Terrace. This site has been the residence of the governor since the city was founded in 1829. Governor Stirling and his family lived here with his family for the first four years of settlement in canvas tents!
6. Stirling Gardens and Old Court House Law Museum cnr Barrack St and St Georges Terrace. A statue of Alexander Forrest welcomes you into beautiful Stirling Gardens (can you find his friends Snuggle Pot and Cuddle Pie?
7. Weld Club 3 Barrack Street. A club for Perth's icons and influencers!
8. Karrakatta Club Sherwood Court. This 1937 Art Deco building is home to Australia's oldest women's club. Members included Edith Cowan, the second woman in the entire British Empire to be elected to Parliament.
9. Newspaper House 125 St Georges Terrace. Now part of the Brookfield Place retail and dining precinct, Newspaper House was where the West Australian was published from1933.
10. Perth Boys School, 139 St Georges Terrace. Perth's first purpose built school was built by convicts in 1854.
11. Forrest House Replica, 221 St Georges Terrace. If the doors are open head out to the Parterre Gardens and Bishops House.
12. Bishops House, 225 St Georges Terrace. Today Bishop Hale's early residence houses Lamonts restaurant.
13. Barracks Arch, 266 St Georges Terrace. All that remains of the Pensioner Barracks completed in 1866. The massive accommodation wings were removed to make way for the Freeway in 1966.
14. Parliament House 4 Harvest Terrace. When money ran out in the early 1900s the eastern facade would not be completed until 1958.
15. The Cloisters, 200 St Georges Terrace. Built to house Bishop Hale's school in 1858 this school saw many graduates become icons and influencers.
16. Trinity Church, 72 St Georges Terrace. The older building was built in 1865 and the newer building in front of it in 1893.
And those that contributed to Perth's development.
You can also follow this trail using the interactive map at: https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/1a3d541e2ed943c38694688e1f7fd65f
or you can download the Perth Trails App which offers walking trails curated by City of Perth designed to showcase Perth history, heritage, art and cultural points of interest. The walking trails are suitable for people of all ages and have been planned with accessibility in mind. The Perth Trails app will allow you to discover fun facts and interesting stories about Perth as you explore the city.
DOWNLOAD THE APP
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City of Perth also offers FREE Guided City Tours with qualified iCity volunteer tour guides. The Icons of Influence Tour operates Mondays at 10:15am. Tours do not run on public holidays and may be cancelled due to unfavourable weather conditions, low numbers or subject to volunteer availability. Check the City of Perth website for other tours.
In the spirit of reconciliation Out and About- Family Nature Connection acknowledges the traditional owners of the Wadjak boodjar (Perth land) and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.
To read more about exploring Perth head to https://www.outandaboutfnc.com/blog-1 or for the Art City Walking Tour (original) click on https://www.outandaboutfnc.com/post/art-trail-perth-city
or New Art City Walk Trail https://www.outandaboutfnc.com/post/the-new-art-city-walking-tour-perth