Wellington Street
When Perth was laid out in 1829 by the Surveyor-General, John Septimus Roe, the city was given four parallel streets in each direction (parallel to the river, and north-south). The most northerly of the east-west streets - Wellington Street - followed the line of swamps that would later be reclaimed for use by the railway. Three of 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 fourth street, intended to be the main thoroughfare and a grand boulevard - St Georges Terrace - was named after the Patron Saint of England.
1936 - East Perth Police Station, Wellington Street, East Perth, WA.
An unusual expression of the Stripped Classical architectural style, it has strong Egyptian Art Deco influences, particularly in the central tower which resembles Melbourne's Shrine of Remembrance. The building was erected as the Perth Girls' School. Its tennis courts were built in 1958 on the land which originally housed the Chinese and Presbyterian cemeteries. The tennis courts were later converted into carparks. Perth Girls' School was designed and constructed as a flagship independent girls' school with the primary emphasis being on domestic science.
The monumental scale of the school after a period of extreme hardship and personal privation for many, and the investment of the resources involved, reflected the government's great optimism for the future of Perth. The plans were prepared through the architectural division of the Public Works Department under the direction of Principal Architect, A. E. Clare. Len Green and Len Walters were also closely associated with the development of the project. Its design excellence was recognised by a Royal Institute of British Architects Bronze Medal.
School enrolments began to fall in the late 1950s when centralised education was replaced by education which was community based. The school was officially closed in November 1962 and, in March 1963, the Police Department moved in, remaining there until 1966, when the new Central Police Headquarters at the Causeway were opened. The Traffic Branch remained at the school and it became the Police Traffic Department.
This park, the the east end of Wellington Street, was originally swampland. It was drained and established as a public reserve in the 1830's, providing an ideal open space to train and exercise horses stabled in the area. In 1898 two cricket pitches were installed and the ground was cleared to make a cricket field. It was formally named in honour of the Duke of Wellington, the British Prime Minister when the Swan River Colony was founded. Among locals though, it became popularly known as 'The Rec.'
The park is still very much a recreation ground today. The Perth Cricket Association, as well as the schools in the inner city, make use of the facility all year round. This square is surrounded by Wellington, Bennett, Wittenoom, and Hill Streets, in East Perth.
Cnr Wellington and Lord Streets, Perth, WA
The Hospital traces its history back to the first colonial hospital which was established in a tent on Garden Island, just off the coast of Western Australia, in 1829. In June 1830, the hospital tent was re-erected in Cathedral Avenue, Perth, on the site of the present day hospital. From 1833 a more substantial colonial hospital operated for a short time from a rented room in a private house. Six years later, in December 1840, this was re-opened in a building formerly used as stables on the corner of St Georges Terrace and Irwin Street. The Hospital commenced operations on its present site on 14 July 1855 and was formally named the Colonial Hospital.
The 450-bed Royal Perth Hospital is the largest hospital in WA, employing over 6000 people and seeing over 70 000 patients each year. Some of the services offered are imaging, trauma and neurosciences, a wide variety of surgical options, critical and emergency care, dermatology, internal medicine, haematology and many others besides. As well as providing a comprehensive array of medical services for adults, Royal Perth exists as a teaching hospital; having close associations with Western Australia's four major universities and TAFE institutions. This allows tertiary institutions to provide practical, professional education opportunities and ensures Royal Perth has well-trained and capable staff.
The original Hospital building still exists on the corner of Murray Street and Victoria Square - though additions and extensions now hide its Murray Street facade. It is heritage listed and houses the medical library, offices and the old cafeteria function space. The Hospital's first multi-storey building, for which it is most widely known, was completed and opened in 1949. The North Block was completed and opened in 1988.
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The Royal Perth Hospital Museum takes visitors on a walk through the colourful history of the hospital from its opening in 1855, right through to the present day. Packed with weird, bizarre and incredibly interesting outdated medical equipment from days gone by. If you are interested in the radical changes that have occurred in medicine, make sure you visit the RPH Museum. The Museum is open to the general public Wednesday and Thursday from 9:00am to 2:00pm. Tours are a gold coin donation and can be booked Monday through Thursday by contacting the Museum Curator.
Location: Level 1, Colonial House, Murray St, Perth WA. Phone: (08) 9224 3433.
1893-94 - Perth Railway Station, Wellington Street, Perth, WA
The main Perth Railway Station building and platforms replaced previous structures built in 1881 for the new line connecting Fremantle with Guildford. The station was designed by George Temple-Poole and constructed in several stages but an intended additional floor and central tower were never built.
Lady Robinson, wife of the Governor, laid the foundation stone in 1880. The central section of the building was finished in 1894, the west wing being added in 1896 and the east wing, completing the structure, in 1897. The station building, then known as the Metropolitan Railway Station, was planned only as the forerunner of a much more grandiose edifice of five storeys. The Horseshoe Bridge curls around and above the station's western end. The bridge was built in 1904, amid public debate.
During the 1970s, Perth Railway Station became the subject of fierce town planning controversy. It stands squarely in the centre of an area that was planned for the extension of Forrest Place, obstructing a grand boulevard designed to sweep from the heart of Perth to the new Cultural Centre, north of the railway line.
Numerous plans were considered and most envisaged the demolition of the station along with the sinking the railway line into a cutting. The final plans, which are now being actioned, leave the station in place but include the sinking of all lines on its western side. This has resulted in the Wellington Street Bus Station and Perth Entertainment Centre feeling the fury of the bulldozer, rather than the station building.
The original station building is constructed of red brick with stucco decoration, which is presently painted. The massive appearance of the facade is enhanced by a three storey central section that is capped with a gable roof. The exterior of the building's walls are capped with a parapet with Italianate balustrading. The original ground floor arcades have been enclosed.
A bridge over the railway was constructed between Barrack and Beaufort Streets in 1894, as well as two pedestrian crossings, however by the mid 1890s there were seven lines and the William Street crossing was closed for most of the day as railway traffic continued to increase.
The Horseshoe Bridge, at the station's western end, was built in in 1904 to reduce train-induced traffic congestion in William Street. It was also designed by George Temple-Poole, who took such care with the bridge's design that the bridge and the station appear to merge together as one.
In a site with no land for approaches, the shape of the proposed William Street bridge was chosen as the only viable option for achieving the necessary gradients for horsedrawn vehicles. It was initially unpopular in some circles because it replaced the two pedestrian overpasses and the shape of the new bridge meant that pedestrians had to walk a great deal further to pass over the railway lines.
New underground platforms were developed to the east of William Street (between Wellington and Murray Streets) as part of the New MetroRail project. They are linked to the original Perth railway station via a walkway under Wellington Street, and there is also an entrance from the west end of the Murray Street pedestrian mall. Services commenced on the new platforms at in October 2007.
569 Wellington Street, Perth, WA.: This building has Mannerist and Romanesque influences. The Mannerist and Romanesque styles were popular in the design and construction of warehouse buildings in Australia's capital cities in the Victorian period.
Wellington Street between King and Milligan Steets (railway side), Perth, WA
Built jointly by the Perth television station Channel 7 and the Edgley Entertainment Group at a cost of $7 million, this building when opened in 1974 contained an 8,000 seat auditorium (at the time of its opening, it was the biggest covered auditorium in Australia), two cinemas, a restaurant and a tavern.
With the opening of the Burswood Dome in 1988, its use fell into decline. The centre had been vacant since 2002, and was finally demolished in September/October 2011 and the site is being re-developed as part of the Perth City Link project which will see the city linked with Northbridge. The project includes sinking the inner-city rail line.
An entertainment and sporting arena in the city centre, Perth Arena is located on Wellington Street near the site of the former Perth Entertainment Centre, and was officially opened on 10 November 2012. The Perth Arena is the first stage of the Perth City Link, a 13.5 hectare major urban renewal and redevelopment project which involves the sinking of the Fremantle railway line to link the Perth central business district directly with Northbridge. The venue has a retractable roof, 36 luxury appointed corporate suites, a 680-bay underground car park, 5 dedicated function spaces, and touring trucks can drive directly onto the arena floor. Anchor tenants of Perth Arena include the Perth Wildcats and the Hopman Cup. With a capacity of just under 15,000, Perth Arena is the third largest arena ever used in the NBL behind the Allphones Arena in Sydney (18,000) and the Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne (15,000).
Location: 700 Wellington Street, Perth, WA.
Wellington Street Markets, looking west towards Sutherland and Delhi Streets, West Perth
The Perth Markets first opened in 1872, at the Perth Town Hall, then moved to Wellington Street when the Government purchased a 13 hectare site in West Perth. In 1926, the Metropolitan Market Trust was established to administer the new markets which opened in 1929. The Perth Markets in Wellington Street were a well organised, clean and successful market but the growing population and growth of the City of Perth made business more difficult due to location and lack of expansion area.
In 1988, the West Perth site was at capacity and the facilities designed originally for the horse and cart era was stretched to accommodate trucks and forklifts. In 1989 saw the closure of the West Perth Metropolitan Markets and the opening of Market City, at the new 51 hectare site as part of the Canning Vale industrial area.
Location: Cnr Wellington and Sutherland Street, West Perth, WA.
Charming, secluded, these tiered gardens are hidden away on the outskirts of the city. The Gardens are a popular spot for wedding photography, with plenty of opportunities for romantic photographs including a waterfall, several ponds, bridges and a beautiful array of overhanging trees. Other facilities available at Harold Boas Gardens include a children's playground, 24 hour public toilets, parking on Delhi Street and drinking water. The gardens are named after architect and former City of Perth Councillor, Harold Boas, who resided at Mount Street, Perth. He had arrived in Western Australia from South Australia in 1905. He played an important role in the development of town planning in Perth, was a prime mover in the promulgation of Western Australia s Town Planning Act (1928), the first in Australia, served as Chairman of the Town Planning Committee (1935-42), and was instrumental in the city s acquisition of land for future parks and gardens. The lake in the gardens is a remnant of a watercourse which emptied into Lake Irwin. Perth Entertainment Centre and later Perth Arena were built on reclaimed land on the former site of the lake.
Location: Corner Wellington and Havelock Streets, West Perth, WA
