In and Around Perth
Christmas time is here and Perth is decked out accordingly. There were so few clouds around that the blue skies and heat of the day made getting out difficult at times. Sometimes it is just safer to stay indoors or in the hostel pool.
The General Post Office in Forrest Place was completed in 1923 and officially opened (along with the new Forrest Place) on 26 September.
London Court runs between Hay St and St Georges Tce. Originally built for residential and commercial purposes in 1937 and is now a recognised tourist attraction in Perth. Built to be a mock-Tudor style the entrances feature iron gates and clocks in the façade. The inside has statues of Dick Wittington and Sir Walter Raleigh.
The statue of Alexander Forrest is located on the corner of St Georges Tce and Barrack St. Alexander is the brother of John Forrest (first Premier of WA) and both men explored much of western Australia. The statue was erected in 1916 having been sculpted by Pietro Porcelli.
The Supreme Court Building in Stirling Gardens is used for the most serious of crimes in the state. The court was built in 1903 and is classified by the National Trust. The Memory Markers are by artist Anne Neil and were inspired by the process of recording and documenting history and the written memories of Stirling Gardens.
The Bell Tower was designed by Hames Sharley and opened in 2001. The tower houses 18 bells, 12 of which came from St Martin-in-the-Fields, London, and the 6 other bells which were cast locally. The tower is built from reinforced concrete and glass clad steel columns.
Surrounding the Bell Tower is Barrack Square, a redeveloped area with a few shops, cafes and the ferry and boat cruise jetty.
Kings Park is on the crest of Mount Eliza which affords great views of Perth and the Swan River. The views are from the Bali Bombing Memorial on Fraser Avenue. Lemon scented gum trees line Fraser Ave, which replaced earlier red-flowering gums tree planted for Queen Victoria’s Jubilee in 1898. The marble statue of Queen Victoria was given to the people of WA in 1902 and is surrounded by cannon used in the Battle of Waterloo.
