They were unsuccessful and sailed on to the north but not before bestowing the name Swan on the river.
It was a sea captain, Captain James Stirling who officially founded Perth and established the Swan River colony in 1829. Before then, Australian Aborigines, groups of the Nyoongar had originally lived in the Swan River region for thousands of years. They and their ancestors can be traced back some 40,000 years.
Unlike the settlers of the Eastern States, the people who populated the Swan River Colony were free settlers from Britain who had brought with them a taste for self-government. These people found themselves faced with few settlers, a strange if not downright hostile country and an impoverished colony. The hardships and labor shortages prompted the arrival of convict laborers in 1850, and since then, Perth began to grow rapidly in its industry, communication and transportation.
Many of Perth's fine buildings and city landmarks constructed with convict labor include Perth Town Hall, Government House, Old Courthouse and Trinity Church. From the arrival of the first convict laborers in 1850 until 1869, the colony had some, 100 miles of road, 47 important bridges and 79 lesser ones. Consequently, this resulted in better trade and export, improved roads and a marked effect on social life, bringing smiles to the faces of the dour men of York. Agricultural societies were founded and a community spirit began to develop. Even then, Perth s development lagged behind that of the eastern cities in Australia until the discovery of gold in the 1890 s.
There is a story behind the naming of Perth which begins with the directions given to Captain Stirling (by then the Lieutenant Governor) regarding the foundation of the proposed colony of Western Australia.
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The Secretary for the Colonies, Sir George Murray, sent Stirling a letter which read: "Amongst your earliest duties will be that of determining the most convenient site for a Town to be erected as the future seat of Government. You will be called upon to weigh maturely the advantages which may arise from placing it on so secure a situation as may be afforded on various points of the Swan River, against those which may follow from establishing it on so fine a port for the reception of shipping as Cockburn Sound is represented to be..."
By all appearances therefore, Stirling had the choice of either establishing the main town in Cockburn Sound, or, as the letter instructed, on various points on the Swan River.
Stirling complied with naming the new town Perth readily enough. Murray, who was both a Perthsire man and represented his birthplace in then House of Commons, chose the name Perth quite understandable for purely sentimental reasons. Stirling, himself a Scotsman approved of the choice although at least one early settler by the name of William Leake is recorded to have complained to the Home Office regarding the name.
Queen Victoria proclaimed Perth a City in 1856. Then, in 1891, the State achieved responsible government. In the mid 1980 s gold was discovered at Kalgoorlie, Southern Cross, and Coolgardi to the east transformed the city as the population jumped from 49,000 in 1891 to 137,000 by 1896. With the new settlers, many of whom came with a sound knowledge of Local Government, came a clamor for their own municipalities.
The valuable commodities of nickel and iron ore resulted in another boom for Perth in the 1960 s. Western Australia s natural abundance in minerals has contributed to Perth s growth.
In recent years many natural resource companies have opened Perth offices, because of its closeness to reserves of gold, iron, nickel, alumina, diamonds, oil, and natural gas.
Perth is such a great destination because of its diversity - not just in its history but in what it has to offer the tourist too - so many attractions and all in the sun! For those who this appeals to, but who are unable to travel as far as Australia, why not consider a Spanish holiday. Destinations such as the Costa del Sol are made for tourists - well organised transports, modern cities and great beaches. Cities in the Costa del Sol such as Málaga (hoteles Málaga) offer the tourist a great base for exploring a region as diverse as Perth - and a great place for holiday memories!
Some who have been to Perth for a vacation have said that it is like a dream come true. Truly Perth is a city which is one the growing cities all over the world. In fact, the city of Perth today is the major provider of free entertainment for people of about 1.5 million within the municipal area and it is also the leading destination for business, nightlife, culture and arts and entertainment. The best moment to remember in Perth is staying at one of their paradores which feature great and comfortable accommodations.
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