The Best Sight in Perth, Western Australia

Background Illustration for Sights

Because of its relative colonial youth, Perth has an advantage over most other capital cities in that it was laid out with foresight. Streets were planned so that pedestrian traffic could flow smoothly from one avenue to the next, and this compact city remains easy to negotiate on foot. Many points of interest are in the downtown area close to the banks of the Swan River, while shopping arcades and pedestrian malls are a short stroll away.

The city center (CBD, or Central Business District), a pleasant blend of old and new, runs along Perth's major business thoroughfare, St. Georges Terrace, as well as on parallel Hay and Murray streets.

London Court

CBD

Gold-mining entrepreneur Claude de Bernales built this quaint outdoor shopping arcade in 1937. Today it's a magnet for anyone with a camera wanting to recapture the atmosphere and architecture of Tudor England, and for those looking for Australian souvenirs. Along its length are statues of Sir Walter Raleigh and Dick Whittington, the legendary lord mayor of London. Above the arcade entry in Hay Street Mall, costumed mechanical knights joust with one another when the clock strikes the quarter hour.