Leaving the UK for good is a big move, but there are places that feel just like home. In the first of a new series discovering ‘little Britains’ on foreign shores, we stop off at Perth, Australia Words CHRISTOPHER NYE Pictures istock
Perth’s past The Swan River was first spotted and named by a Dutch sea captain in 1697 after the black swans he found there. On 4th June 1829 Captain James Stirling founded the new settlement of Perth (see painting below). By 1833 the local aborigine tribe the Noongar had been forced inland and since then Perth has grown on the back of its industry and mineral wealth.
Why did the British come? Nearly 10,000 British convicts were transported to the colony by 1868, many of whom stayed. Perth was the first port you arrived at on the long voyage from England, and many settlers evidently didn’t travel far once they’d got off the boat. One of the reasons for its enduring appeal for Brits is that the flight time from the UK is several hours less than flying to the east coast cities, and there’s a smaller time difference – although it’s still eight hours!
Perth now With a population of 1.45 million, Perth is Australia’s fourth largest city (and the most isolated major city in the world, 2,000 kilometres from Adelaide, and closer to Singapore than Sydney). It is endowed with immense natural beauty, with rivers, beaches, forests, rolling hills and mountains. Perth’s heat is tempered by an ocean breeze nicknamed ‘the Fremantle Doctor’. On Mercers Quality of Living Index it rates 21st highest, while on The Economist’s 2009 Most Liveable Cities index it comes fifth. Some put Perth’s easygoing, friendly vibe down to the city being so isolated – they really have to get along.
Who lives here? Mainly native-born Australians, at 61 per cent of the population. After that are 142,000 English, or 10 per cent of the population. After that, there are 35,000 New 74 A Place in the sun january 2010
Zealanders and 21,000 Scottish. There are also around 19,000 South Africans – “packing for Perth” was a nickname for those fleeing the country in recent years. Perth has a youthful population, with more than one in four aged under 14 and just nine per cent over 65.
Climate Perth has 50 per cent more rainfall than London, but it rarely rains when there’s an ‘r’ in the month. Expect rain from May to August, a little in April and September, and zilch from November to March. Average high temperatures in summer settle at just under 30ºC and in winter it is rarely below 8ºC.
What sort of work is there? Unlike the UK and USA, Australia has not been in recession. Western Australia (WA) is Australia’s wealth creator, with huge mineral deposits. Hence, there’s plenty of work for a real man. And that goes for the women, too (this is Australia). Gold digger – they found 142 tonnes of the lovely stuff last year in WA. Miner – iron ore is WA’s biggest export. Sheep farmer – with nine sheep to every human in WA, the best hope is they never turn nasty. And there’s one cow for every person. Construction – despite the slowdown, there are 122,000 construction workers in the Perth area. Diamond polisher – the most productive diamond mine in the world is in WA, and the 32 million carats produced each year come to Perth to be polished and sorted. Shop worker – In the Perth area 173,000 people work in retail. With 245,000 tourists arriving each year, there are plenty of opportunities in the hospitality perth,australa industry.
Perth’s property market
What to do for fun
House prices in Western Australia rose 31 per cent from 2006-07, but just one per cent from 2007-08. In Perth, prices picked up recently, rising 4.5 per cent from June to September 2009, to an average of AU$476,000 (£261K). Many people buy land and have a house built. An average Perth residential lot in spring 2009 was AU$230,000 (£126K), averaging AU$459 (£252) per square metre and 45 cents or 25 pence per 10 square centimetres.
The biggest sports in Perth are Aussie Rules Football, soccer and cricket. Cricket – don’t go to the WACA (Western Australia Cricket Association) or expect an England victory in the next Ashes tour – England have only won once since 1880. Soccer – Australia, 24th in the world rankings, qualified for the 2010 FIFA World Cup. Their best players are in England, though, so instead, you can enjoy seeing uncompromising English defender Andy Todd regularly getting sent off for Perth Glory. Watersports – Perth hosted the Americas Cup in 1987, from the port of Fremantle. Sailing and kayaking in the Swan River are big family favourites.
Fancy a pint? Its name deriving from the Australian for a cormorant, honest, The Lucky Shag is a waterfront institution and unofficial HQ of the ‘Barmy Army’, England’s travelling cricket supporters. Food favourites include fish and chips and seafood in a basket. Washed down with a cold beer, these
Where to live in PERTH
dishes are excellent for taking away the bitter taste of Ashes defeat. www.luckyshagbar.com.au If you fancy an ale in a Tudor-style setting, head to The Last Drop Brewery. It makes its own Europeanstyle ales using a recipe that dates back to 1516, more than 160 years before any Europeans set foot in Australia. www.lastdropbrewery.com.au
Where close to Swan River. Price AU$280,000 (£154K). Three-bedroom weatherboard cottage, close to the Swan River at Peppermint Grove. Large garden and barbecue area. Contact Realty Trend: 0061 (O)417 919 247; www.realtytrend.com.au.
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Where Sterling Street. Price AU$649,000 (£356K). Gorgeous two-bed home dating from 1897, with high ceilings and large rooms. Courtyard garden at rear. Great choice of restaurants and bars nearby. Contact Acton: 0061 (0)417 937 938; www.acton.com.au.
case studies
“We had an amazing welcome”
Claire Sutton: “We came here from Warrington, Cheshire, five years ago when my husband, who is in recruitment for the oil and gas industries, was relocated. We came with the attitude ‘we are going to make this work’ rather than ‘we’ll try it for a while’, so while other families boomerang back and forth to the UK, we settled in well. Helped, it must be said, by the amazing welcome we’ve received – they really need people here and there’s so much work. The main appeal of life in Perth is, of course, the outdoors lifestyle for our children, aged four and six. Each weekend really is like going on holiday.”
“We love it here!”
Sally Bate: “I love it here. We, that’s my husband Martin and my son Sam, bought a house on the beach at Falcon, a village about an hour’s drive from Perth, and I got a job straight away in the local deli. Our dog came with us, and walking the dog along the beach is pure bliss. Martin got a job as a delivery driver, but it doesn’t make meeting people very easy, so he has joined the cricket club and goes up to the WACA regularly, and he and Sam have also taken up kayaking. Trips up to Perth are a joy; it’s so clean, and Australians really know how to enjoy themselves, so any cultural events are huge fun.”
Where Overlooking Swan River. Price AUS$699,000 (£384K). This three-bed apartment has great views over the Swan River. It has four balconies, and two of the bedrooms are en-suite.
Where Stirling. Price AU$745,000 (£409K). Five-bedroom, two-bathroom villa in this smart, leafy suburb. This home has a garden with a pool.
Contact Coakley and Martin: 0061 (0)408 373 132; www.coakleyandmartin.com.au.
Contact Paxton Hoad: 0061 (0)419 935 295; www.paxtonhoad.com.au.
Where near Joondalup. Price AU$819,000 (£450K). Four-bedroom house with exceptional views over treetops to a National Park. Spacious, with pool and spa.
Where close to Stirling highway. Price AU$1,355,000 (£744K). Modern three-bed home with study, air conditioning, a wine cellar, workshop and garden.
Contact Acton: 0061 (0)413 910 945; www.acton.com.au.
Contact Shellabears 0061 (0)417 913 504; www.shellabears.com.au.
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