Perth is home to the West Australian Symphony Orchestra which regularly performs at the Perth Concert Hall. Opera is provided by the West Australian Opera.

Many popular performers are from Perth including John Butler Trio, Jebediah, Johnny Diesel, and Baby Animals. Bon Scott of AC/DC grew up in Fremantle.

Due to the fact that Perth is isolated from the other cities, overseas artists usually exclude it from their tour. Perth does participate in the nationwide Big Day Out and has its own concert, Rock-It.

There are many art galleries around Perth.  The Cultural Centre Northbridge is home to the Art Gallery of Western Australia which houses both Australian and international paintings, prints, sculptures and drawing. The Western Australia Museum highlights displays of a reconstruction of the old Perth Gaol and there are displays of Western Australia’s Aboriginal history and early European settlement. There are also theatres and cinemas in the complex.Of further interest in the Fremantle Arts Centre, The Perth Institute of Contemporary Art (PICA), Photography Gallery and the State Library.                       

The Business Environment

The Economy
Perth has prospered by becoming a key service centre for the natural resource industries. It is the closest city to the huge reserves of gold, iron ore, nickel, alumina, diamonds, natural sands, coal, oil and natural gas. Most of the world’s major resource and engineering companies have offices in Perth.  Perth is also a major port for the export of Wheat, Barley and Sheep products such as wool and meat.  In recent years tourism has become a leading industry in Perth.

Shopping

Perth has many major shopping centre malls located in the CBD and generally provides various retail outlets to service most of its people’s needs. There are large shopping centers dotted in handy distances to most areas. All suburbs have local shopping centers as well. Some of the larger supermarkets are open 24 hours on most days but open later and close earlier on Sundays. Local grocery stores generally operated 7 days a week and often have the same hours as retails stores. The following is a rough guide to most retail outlets although larger chain stores have extended hours.

Perth and Surrounds

Around the CBD

There are many historic sites within easy walking distance around the CBD, or you can take a bicycle tour, or perhaps you wish take advantage of the free bus service.  You can see attractions such as Perth Railway Station, the Perth Mint, St George’s Cathedral, The Deanery and Perth Concert Hall as well as many others in the area.  

Enjoy the cuisine at the many restaurants around the city.

Day Trips

The seaside town of Rockingham is about 40 minutes south of Perth and offers one of Western Australia's most unique natural experiences - swimming with a wild dolphin.

You can take a cruise with Rockingham Dolphin Cruise boat and slide into the water with the local wild dolphin pods just off shore. While in the area, visit the Peel and Baldivis Estate wineries, grab a bottle and a picnic lunch and head for the foreshore or grassed park areas.

Boating and yachting are popular along Rockingham's sheltered beaches.

Located to the east of the city is the Darling Range which provides a backdrop to Perth and is a great day or weekend trip.

The Perth Hills incorporates the Shires of Mundaring and Kalamunda and in the foothills along the range to the south the heritage towns of Armadale, Gosnells, Serpentine and Jarrahdale.

The Darling Range is purported to be one of the most ancient places on earth containing granite and quartzite formed some 2,500 million years ago.

Further a Field

Heading down the coast from Perth there are many coastal towns which hold attractions too numerous to list. Places like Bunbury, an ever growing regional town, Margaret River, renown for not only the wine but also an internationally popular surfing area. Also visit the national parks around Albany and Esperance.     

North of Perth there is some sensational coastline and long distances between major towns. Geraldton is 424 kms north of Perth has many famous historical landmarks such as the monument to the HMAS Sydney which has thought to have been lost of the coast, The construction of the St Francis Xavier Cathedral started in 1916 but was not completed until 1938. The cathedral was designed by Monsignor John Hawes who was both an architect and a priest. The lighthouse located on Point Moore was recently repainted and established as another attraction of Geraldton. Coronation Beach is also popular for windsurfing.

800 kms from Perth is Monkey Mia a popular tourist resort where the main attractions is feeding Dolphins. The resort is 25 km north-east of the town of Denham in the Shark Bay Marine Park and World Heritage Site.

 Much further a field there is Port Headland and Broome. Broome is 2100 kms from Perth is has a long and extremely interesting history. In 1889, a telegraph undersea cable was laid from Broome to Singapore, connecting to England. Hence the name Cable Beach given to the landfall site. Famous for the pearling industry and the people who helped carve the industry from its beginning to the current cultured pearl industry of today.