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AREA: 2,526,786 sq. km.,
POPULATION: 1,474,000 (1996)
CAPITAL: Perth (1,200,000)
Lat. 31° 57' south and Long. 115° 51' east.
The majority of Western Australians live in the capital, Perth, in the south western corner of the state. Situated on the Swan River alongside the golden beaches of the Indian Ocean, Perth is a spacious, very clean, modern and laid back city. Perth also claims to be the world's most remote capital city, with Adelaide over 2,200 kilometres east.
Early explorer Dirk Hartog landed on its coastline in 1616, but . Western Australia was not really settled until around the time that Perth became a settlement in 1829. The early settlers faced incredibly harsh times with isolation, weather and drought. Floods and droughts were common and it was not until the 1850's when convict labour was introduced to the colony that an infrastructure of bridges and roads began to develop.Off the coast of Perth is Rottnest Island, a 2,000 hectare island accessed by aircraft or ferry from Perth or Fremantle.
The international airport in Perth is a popular entry point for visitors to Australia and the state is a good starting point for your Australian holiday. The state emblem is a Black Swan and its floral emblem is the Kangaroo Paw.
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