Lost Perth
Richard Offen
In 1901 Federation transformed Western Australia from an independent colony to a state of the Commonwealth of Australia, and Perth gained the status of capital city. Originally funded by agriculture, the discovery of gold gave it the finances to transform itself from a modest country town to a prosperous commercial city with great civic buildings to match.
From its settlement in 1829, Perth gradually took shape as a modest town. In the early years its development suffered from a severe shortage of investment and labour to build anything above modest buildings. Change came slowly, and each round of building was, in general, an improvement on existing living conditions. As the economic situation improved, the early, almost temporary, structures gave way to larger and better buildings.
The first gold boom of the 1890s gave Perth the financial impetus to transform the city from a sleepy country town into an elegant and stylish city, with successive mineral booms thereafter contributing to an attitude of 'out with the old and in with the new'. Taking the losses in chronological order, Richard Offen (author of the best-selling 'Perth Then and Now') catalogues the beloved buildings and Perth institutions that time and progress have swept aside.
'Lost Perth' includes: Josie's Cottage, First Government House, Padbury Building, Boans Department Store, Ambassadors Cinema, Mitchell Building, trams, market gardens, Esplanade Hotel, Emu Brewery, Dalkeith Hot Pool, the Christian Brothers School and Perth Flower Day.
About the Author:
Richard Offen is the executive director at Heritage Perth, which has become a significant force in the promotion of the history of Perth. He takes walking tours of the city's historic sites and is a popular lecturer on the subject. Richard is a regular broadcaster on both radio and television, with a weekly spot on ABC Perth's Breakfast Show.
Dimensions: H 25.4cm x W 29cm x D 1.9cm
ISBN: 9781911595601
Publisher: Pavillion
Publication Date: 2018
Format: Hardback
Number of Pages: 144
More from Australian history
View all from Australian history
Book - Welcome to Country Handbook: Gde to Indi...
The Welcome to Country Handbook A Guide to Indigenous Australia By: Marcia Langton The Welcome to...
The Welcome to Country Handbook A Guide to Indigenous Australia By: Marcia Langton The Welcome to Country Handbook by Professor Marcia Langton AO is your accessible introduction to First Nations Peoples, histories and cultures. Drawn from the bestselling Welcome to Country, this guide is essential reading for every Australian, and an excellent resource for cultural awareness training in the workplace or classroom. The chapters cover precolonial and post-colonial history, language, kinship, kn...
$32.95
Book - Reconciliation Memoirs with Carol Innes
Reconciliation Memoirs with Carol Innesin conversation with Victoria Laurie Each year, Reconcilia...
Reconciliation Memoirs with Carol Innesin conversation with Victoria Laurie Each year, Reconciliation WA produces the memoirs of a long-standing champion in the reconciliation movement. This year Reconciliation WA sat down with Noongar leader Carol Innes AM, to present her Reconciliation Memoirs, written in collaboration with Victoria Laurie. Carol is a committed advocate for the reconciliation movement, and has made a significant contribution to the recognition, preservation, and advancement...
$19.95
Reconciliation Memoirs with Richard Walley
Reconciliation Memoirs with Dr Richard Walley OAMWritten in collaboration with Victoria Laurie Ea...
Reconciliation Memoirs with Dr Richard Walley OAMWritten in collaboration with Victoria Laurie Each year, Reconciliation WA produces the memoirs of a long-standing champion in the reconciliation movement. This year they sat down with Dr Richard Walley OAM to present his Reconciliation Memoirs, written in collaboration with Victoria Laurie. Dr Walley is a Noongar man and respected Elder, musician, and cultural leader who has been instrumental in the reconciliation movement in Australia. Dr Wal...
$19.95
Abandoned Gwalia, Western Australia, and other ...
Abandoned Gwalia, Western Australia, and other abandoned townsErin Jordan Red dirt, intense heat,...
Abandoned Gwalia, Western Australia, and other abandoned townsErin Jordan Red dirt, intense heat, and hordes of flies; the Australian Outback is one of the harshest environments in the world. But this did not stop early settlers from attempting to make a living in the desert in the search for gold and the chance at a better life. Now the mining boom has created specialised camps with fly-in, fly-out workers, leaving once-booming settlements to disappear off the map forever. In this beautifull...
$24.95