The Origin of Perth's Names: City Streets
Perth had its beginnings with on 12th August 1829. As the wife of Governor James Stirling was unable to make the journey to the new colony, Mrs Helen Dance, wife of the Captain of HMS Sulphur, performed the Foundation ceremony near where the Perth Town Hall now stands, with the attempted felling of a tree (right). According to lore, the timber of the tree, a casuarina, was so hard that Mrs Dance was barely able to make an impression on it with the axe. Be that as it may, during the ensuing weeks, John Septimus Roe, the Surveyor-General, laid out the street grid pattern for the City of Perth on a rise overlooking Perth Water, in accordance with instructions by Gov. Stirling.
Constrained by Mt Eliza to the west, the Swan River to the south and east and a chain of swamps to the north which drained into Claise Brook, the plan followed the model of 'New Town' in Edinburgh, Scotland, where the original terrain imposed comparable constraints. Roe tilted the oblong plan at an angle so that the lateral streets were parallel to the river. 'Front Street' was laid out as a specious terrace designed to front an open space above the river banks on the street's south side. This open space would eventually be subdivided, sold and filled in with buildings to the west of Barrack Street. It is believed that the street was originally to be called King George's Terrace, but King George IV was one of England's least liked and respected monarchs, so a compromise was reached. The main thoroughfare was named St George's Terrace and a smaller street at the western extremity of the town was called King Street. The reference to St George may have been made because a New Town in Edinburgh, on which Perth was being based, featured a St. George's Square.
Peth was given three parallel streets in each direction (parallel to the river, and north-south), the most northerly parallel street following the aforementioned line of swamps that would later be reclaimed for use by the railway. The parallel streets were named after Government officials in England - the Prime Minister, The Duke of Wellington; Sir George Murray (1772-1846), Secretary of State for War and the Colonies at the time; and Murray's Undersecretary, Robert William Hay (1786-1861). The main street north was Barrack Street. The area to the west of Barrack Street was planned as the future centre for trade and commerce; the central block between Barrack and Pier Streets was to be open space to be reserved for a military cantonment to be built at a later date. To its east, in the vicinity of present day Victoria Square, was to be the Government's administrative quarter. The north-south streets were named William, Barrack and Irwin.
Around the end of 1830, news was received of a change in Government in Britain. This prompted the naming of the recently extended eastern ends of two of the town's east-west streets, situated in the Government's administration area, after ministers in the new Whig Government - Frederick John Robinson, Viscount Goderich, the new Colonies Colonial Secretary, and his new Undersecretary, Henry George Grey, 3rd Earl Grey, Lord Howick, who late became Prime Minister. Howick Street later reverted back to being Hay Street. Wellington Street was extended east but for reasons unknown retained the name given to its eastern end. St. George's Terrace was extended as Adelaide Terrace, in honour of Queen Adelaide, the wife of King George IV. William Street honoured George IV's predecessor, King William IV (1765-1837).
Map of the Perth Central Business District

St George's Terrace: St George, the Patron Saint of England. King Edward III of England (reigned 1327-1377) was known for promoting the codes of knighthood and in 1348 founded the Order of the Garter. During his reign, George came to be recognised as the patron saint of England. It is believed that the street was originally to be called King George's Terrace, but King George IV was one of England's least liked and respected monarchs, so a compromise was reached. The main thoroughfare was named St George's Terrace and a smaller street at the western extremity of the town was called King Street. The reference to St George may have been made because a New Town in Edinburgh, on which Perth was being based, featured a St. George's Square.

Adelaide Terrace: Queen Adelaide ( 1792-1849), wife of King William IV. Born Princess Adelaide of Saxe-Meiningen (Adelheid Amalie Luise Theresa Carolin) later Queen Adelaide was the Queen consort of King William IV of the United Kingdom. Prior to becoming Queen, she was known as The Duchess of Clarence Adelaide. The capital city of the state of South Australia, is also named in her honour.

Hay Street: (originally it was named Hay Street only between Havelock and Barrack Streets) Robert William Hay (1786-1861), Under Secretary of the State for War and the Colonies, 1829 when the colony of Western Australia was founded.

Howick Street: (now Hay Streeet between Barrack and Bennett Street) Henry George Grey, 3rd Earl Grey, Lord Howick. He was Prime Minister of England 1831-1834.

Twiss Street: (now Hay Street from Bennett Street to the Causeway) Horace Twiss (1787-1849), English writer and politician, Under Secretary of State for War and the Colonies 1830-1833. He took a great part in establishing the colony and was a personal friend of Governor Stirling.

Goderich Street: (part now Murray Street between Barrack Street and Victoria Square) Recalls Frederick John Robinson, 1st Earl of Ripon (1782-1859). Known as Frederick John Robinson until 1827, The Viscount Goderich 1827-1833, and The Earl of Ripon 1833 onwards, he was a British statesman - Prime Minister of England 1827-1828 and Secretary of State for War and the Colonies 1830-1833.

Murray Street: (originally only between Havelock and Barrack Streets) Sir George Murray (1772-1846), Secretary of State for War and the Colonies during the foundation of Western Australia. He was briefly in Canada from December 1814 to May 1815 where he was appointed provisional Lieutenant-Governor of Upper Canada and reviewed the defences of Canada.

Wellington Street: Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington (1769-1852), Prime Minister of England (1828-30) during the foundation of the Colony in 1829.

Roe Street: (between William and Barrack Streets. Note: The part of Roe Street west of William Street was Kingsford Lake). Recalls John Septimus Roe (1797-1878), the first Surveyor-General of Western Australia,

James Street: Gov Sir James Stirling (1791-1865) was the first Governor of Western Australia (1828-38) and on his own initiative signed Britain's first limited treaty with Japan in 1854.

Aberdeen Street: George Hamilton Gordon (1784-1860), 4th Earl of Aberdeen, Secretary of State for the Colonies during Sir Robert Peel's term as Prime Minister. He was Prime Minister of England from 1852 until 1855. Aberdeen Street was originally called Lamb Street after William Lamb, 2nd Viscount Melbourne. The name was changed after George Hamilton Gordon became Prime Minister in 1852. A cross street, which disappeared with the construction of the railway in 1880-81, was called Melbourne Road.

Newcastle Street: (originally only that part west of Lake Street). Recalls Henry Pelham Pelham-Clinton, 4th Duke of Newcastle (1785-1851), Secretary of State for the Colonies 1852-1854.

Mangles Street: (now Newcastle Street between Beaufort and Lord Streets) Earlier known as Ellen Street, the name recalls Ellen Mangles, daughter of Captain James Mangles of Woodbridge, and wife of Governor Stirling.

Brisbane Street: Sir Thomas MacDougall Brisbane (1773-1860), Governor of New South Wales, 1st December 1821 to 1st December 1825.

Bulwer Street: recalls Edward Bulwer-Lytton, 1st Earl of Lytton (1803-1873), a novelist, playwright and politician. Secretary of State for the Colonies 1858-1859.

Forrest Place: Sir John Forrest (1847-1918), Lord Forrest, 1st Baron Forrest of Bunbury, he was the first Premier of Western Australia (1890-1900). In 1900 Forrest accepted the position of postmaster-general in Edmund Barton's Federal government.

Wittenoom Street: Sir Edward Horne Wittenoom (1854 - 1936), a prominant colonial businessman. A stock and staion agent, he was also a director Millars Karri and Jarrah Co Ltd, Dalgetys, Bovril Australian Estates and Western Australian Bank.

Nelson Avenue: Lord Admiral Horatio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson, (1758-1805).

Horatio Street: Lord Admiral Horatio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson, (1758-1805).

Waterloo Crescent: The Battle of Waterloo, Belgium, (18th June 1815) in which Napoleon Bonaparte was defeated by the British under Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington (1769-1852). The battlefield is in Belgium, about 12km (7.5 miles) SSE of Brussels, and 2km (1.2 miles) from the town of Waterloo.

Trafalgar Road: The Battle of Trafalgar (21st October 1805) in the Napoleonic Wars in which Lord Nelson lost his life.

Nile Street: The Battle of the Nile, a famous battle of the Napoleonic Wars (1st and 2nd August, 1798) in which Lord Nelson led the British to victory. It was known in France as the Battle of Aboukir Bay. The original Nile Street was closed and included in Gloucester Park trotting grounds. The name, however, was transferred to Premier Street, the latter name being cancelled.

Wickham Street: John Clements Wickham (1798-1864). He was Captain of the HMS Beagle (the vessel occupied by Charles Darwin during his voyage of discovery) and conducted various maritime expeditions and scientific surveys along the Australian coastline during 1837-41. He was the first Government Resident at the Moreton Bay area of Brisbane, Queensland, where he was police magistrate from 1843.

Jewell Street: Richard Roach Jewell, Architect and Superintendent of Public Works in Western Australia (1839-1846) who designed Perth Town Hall.

Burt Street / Way: Sir Archibald Paull Burt, Chief Justice of the Western Australian Supreme Court (1861-1877). He was from St. Kitts in the West Indies.

Vincent Street: Sir Francis Vincent, 9th Baronet, a member of Thomas Peel's syndicate which bought early colonists to the State.

Howard Street: Edward George Fitzalan Howard (1818-1883), 1st Lord Howard of Glossop, a British politician.

Mount Street: it ascended Mount Eliza.

Mounts Bay Road: Named in 1845, as it skirted Mounts Bay and Mount Eliza.

Elder Street: Sir Thomas Elder of South Australia, organiser of the first commercial shipment of camels and their handlers to Australia (1865-1866). Also the benefactor of Ernest Giles' explorations (1873-1874).

Forrest Avenue: Sir John Forrest (1847-1918), Lord Forrest, 1st Baron Forrest of Bunbury, he was the first Premier of Western Australia (1890-1900). In 1900 Forrest accepted the position of postmaster-general in Edmund Barton's Federal government.

Bennett Street: Maiden name of Matilda Roe, wife of the first Surveyor General of Western Australia.

John Street: (now William Street north of Wellington Street) Recalls John Hutt, 1839-1846, the second Governor of Western Australia. The name was not used after 1897.

Parker Street: Mr (later Sir) Henry Parker, K.C., a Chief Justice of Western Australia, Chairman of the City Council (1878-9) and Mayor (1881 and 1901).

Barrack Street: The colony's soldiers had their first barracks on the block bounded by Hay, Pier and Barrack Streets, and St George's Terrace. The land adjoining Hay Street was used as a camping ground with two or three military huts at the Town Hall corner in 1835.

Irwin Street: recalls Lieutenant-Colonel Frederick Chidley Irwin (1788-1860), Commander of the 63rd Regiment aboard HMS Sulphur. He was second in command to Governor Stirling. Irwin was acting Governor of Western Australia from 1847 to 1848.

Stirling Street: Admiral Sir James Stirling (1791-1865) was the first Governor of Western Australia (1828&endash;38) and on his own initiative signed Britain's first limited treaty with Japan in 1854.

Beaufort Street: Sir Francis Beaufort, Hydrographer to the Admiralty.

William Street: William Henry, King William IV (1765-1837), King of the United Kingdom and of Hanover from 26th June 1830 until his death. It was first known as King William Street.

Pier Street: A little jetty was located at the end of this street. It was the main jetty used by boats between Perth and Fremantle. Original the street extended north from Perth's first landing point on the Swan River, through the present Government House grounds. Now includes Mackie Street.

Hutt Street: (now William Street north of Wellington Street) Recalls John Hutt, 1839-1846, the second Governor of Western Australia. The name was not used after 1897.

Lake Street: Lake Street orginally stopped at Lake Kingsford, named after a pioneer settler, Samuel Kingsford, whose farm was nearby. By 1839, Lake Kingsford had been filled in and the stream channeled underground. Lake Street now stopped at Aberdeen Street, then called Lamb Street. Melbourne Road then linked Lake Street with Murray Street.

Melbourne Road: William Lamb (1779-1848), 2nd Viscount Melbourne, Prime Minister of England, 1834 and 1835–1841. The capital city of the state of Victoria is also named after him, as it was founded during his prime ministership. The side road on the east side of Milligan Street between Wellington and Murray Streets is all that remains of Melbourne Road, which continued across the reclaimed Lake Kingsford to the corner of Lake and Aberdeen Streets. That section of the street disappeared when the railway line was built in the 1880-81.

Fitzgerald Street: Captain Charles Fitzgerald, 1848-1855, fourth Governor of Western Australia. He was Governor of Gambia from 1844 until 1847, then Governor of Western Australia from 1848 to 1855. The town of Geraldton, Western Australia was named after him.

Milligan Street: Dr William Lane Milligan M.D., the first Colonial Surgeon, who opened the first colonial hospital in Perth, Western Australia in 1830.

Mill Street: A mill was erected here by Samuel Kingsford in 1833.

Spring Street: At the foot of this street were a number of springs that served as Perth's water supply. A small bridge existed there as early as June 1833.

Sutherland Street: Henry Charles Sutherland, Assistant Surveyor to John Septimus Roe.

Bay Street: It led down to a little bay near the Causeway.

Carr Street: J.G. Carr, a member of the first non-official Legislative Council of Western Australia.

Shenton Street: Sir George Shenton, who operated a mill on Mill Point in South Perth. He was Mayor of Perth 1880-84; 1886-88.

Douro Street: honours Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington (1769-1852), Prime Minister of England (1828-30) during the foundation of the Colony in 1829. The Duke of Wellington was Marquis of Douro after the battle of the passage of the Douro River in the Peninsular War.

Harvest Terrace: Colonel E.D. Harvest, Commandant in Western Australia 1872-1878.

Havelock Street: Sir Henry Havelock (1795-1857), one of three Generals concerned in the Indian Mutiny who were honoured by having a street in West Perth named after them. Havelock was noted for his recapture of Kanpur from rebels during the Indian rebellion of 1857.

Colin Street: Sir Colin Campbell (1792-1863) 1st Baron Clyde, one of three Generals concerned in the Indian Mutiny who were honoured by having a street in West Perth named after them.

Outram Street: Sir James Outram (1803-1863), one of three Generals concerned in the Indian Mutiny who were honoured by having a street in West Perth named after them.

Thomas Street: J.H. Thomas, first Director of Public Works.

Ord Street: Major-General Sir Harry St. George Ord (1819-95) was Governor of Western Australia from 1878 to 1880. He was also the Governor of the Straits Settlements from April 1, 1867 till November 4, 1873.

Malcolm Street (Kings Park): Sir Malcolm Fraser (1834-1900). He replaced John Septimus Roe as Surveyor-General of Western Australia in 1870. Later Commissioner of Lands then the first Agent-General for Western Australia in London.

Fraser Avenue (Kings Park): Sir Malcolm Fraser, Commissioner of Lands and later the first Agent-General for Western Australia in London.

Moore Street: George Fletcher Moore (1798-1886), Advocate-General for Western Australia 1830-1846. He was a prominent early settler in colonial Western Australia, and one of the key figures in early Western Australia's ruling elite.

Victoria Avenue / Square: Victoria, Queen of England 1837 -1901.

Hill Street: Rowland Hill (1795-1879), a member of the National Colonisation Society of 1830 who was appointed as Secretary of the South Australian Association in December 1833. Hill was also Commander in Chief of the Imperial Forces, England 1825-36. He is more internationally known as an inventor, the originator of penny postage and adhesive 'stamps', for which he was knighted. By one of those delicious little quirks of history, a recent head of Australia Post was Rowland Hill.

Lord Street: in close proximity to Goderich, Wellington and Howick Streets, which were named in honour of British Lords.

Nash Street: Richard West Nash, Barrister who served briefly as Acting Advocate General in 1841 and was later appointed to that position in 1846.

Brown Street: Peter Nicholas Brown, Colonial Secretary of Western Australia (1829-1846) and original grantee of land in the area.

Claisebrook Road: Adjacent to Claise Brook, a tributary of the Swan River. The brook was named in 1827 by Captain James Stirling after Surgeon Frederick Clause (Anglicized Claise) of H.M.S. Success, who accompanied Stirling on his exploration of the Swan River.

Bronte Street: Admiral Lord Horatio Nelson. Duke of Bronte, famous Commander in Chief of the Royal Navy (1803-1805).

Palmerston Street: Viscount Palmerston (right), Prime Minister of England 1855-58; 1859-65.

Short Street: Bishop Augustus Short of the combined Diocese of Western Australia and South Australia, 1847.

Royal Street: origin unknown.

Francis Street: Sir Francis Beaufort, Hydrographer to the Admiralty. Francis Street runs off Beaufort Street.

Hale Street: Bishop Matthew Blagden Hale, appointed first Anglican Bishop of Western Australia in 1857.

Museum Street: was adjacent to the Museum & Art Gallery complex. It was originally marked as Limbo Street on early plans and maps.

Cathedral Avenue: adjacent to St Georges Cathedral.

Plain Street: origin unknown.

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