Perth (suburb)
Perth is a suburb in the Perth metropolitan area of Western Australia. It covers the city’s central business district and an area north to Hyde Park. It does not include the nearby suburbs of Northbridge or Highgate. The suburb sits across two local governments, the City of Perth and the City of Vincent, and is named after Perth in Scotland.
The area is mainly commercial, with tall office towers such as 108 St Georges Terrace, QV1, Brookfield Place, and Central Park (the tallest building in the city). The Perth Town Hall (1868–1870) was the early city administration building, and Council House (completed in 1960) is a later landmark; both are listed on the National Estate. Forrest Chase is a major shopping precinct in the CBD with a long local history.
Population and culture: about 13,700 people lived there in 2021 (roughly 11,400 in 2016). Around a third of residents were born in Australia, with other common origins including England, China, India, New Zealand, and Malaysia. About half speak only English at home, with languages such as Mandarin, Cantonese, Italian, Korean, and Vietnamese also spoken. About 38% reported no religion.
Key cultural sites include the Perth Cultural Centre, which houses the Art Gallery of Western Australia, the State Library, the State Theatre Centre, and the Western Australian Museum. The Perth Concert Hall and His Majesty’s Theatre are also in the area.
Education and sport: the suburb contains St George’s Anglican Grammar School, Kingston International College, and the Central Institute of Technology. Sporting facilities include Perth Oval (home to Perth Glory and the Western Force). Perth Arena hosts indoor sports and is home to the Perth Wildcats; the nearby Entertainment Centre was a previous home for the Wildcats. Tennis clubs are located at Robertson Park and Loton Park.
Transport: three freeways—Mitchell, Kwinana, and Graham Farmer—serve the area. There are three train stations (Perth, McIver, Elizabeth Quay) and two bus stations (Elizabeth Quay Bus Station and Perth Busport), plus East Perth Terminal for longer trips. The Elizabeth Quay Jetty serves ferries. Four free CAT bus routes operate in the area, and many car parks are available. Major streets include St Georges Terrace, Hay Street, Murray Street, and Wellington Street; Barrack Street and William Street run north–south. Parts of Murray Street, Hay Street, James Street, Museum Street, and Forrest Place are pedestrian malls.
This page was last edited on 3 February 2026, at 02:34 (CET).