Australian Cities, States and Territories - Tourism Australia Add Share Mainland Australia is the world’s largest island but also the smallest continent. The country is divided into six states and two territories. What are Australia's cities, states and territories? Mainland Australia is the world’s largest island but also the smallest continent. The country is divided into six states and two territories. Australian Capital Territory The Australian Capital Territory (ACT) bounds the national capital of Canberra and is the centre of government. The Australian Capital Territory is located approximately 290 kilometres (180 miles) south of Sydney, and is home to a number of important national institutions, including Parliament House, the Australian War Memorial and the National Gallery of Australia. New South Wales New South Wales (NSW) is Australia’s oldest and most populous state. New South Wales was originally settled as a penal colony on the shores of Port Jackson where the bustling capital city of Sydney now stands. Sydney is the nation’s largest city and is renowned for its idyllic beaches, great walks and world-class dining. New South Wales is also home to popular attractions including the Blue Mountains and the Hunter Valley wine region. Northern Territory At the top end of Australia lies the Northern Territory (NT).

Darwin , on the northern coast, is the capital, and Alice Springs is the principal inland town. Alice Springs is the physical heart of Australia, almost exactly at the nation's geographical centre. The Northern Territory is home to the famous Uluru (Ayers Rock), Kata Tjuta (the Olgas) and Kakadu National Park . Queensland Queensland (QLD) is Australia’s second-largest state (in size) and is home to the world famous Great Barrier Reef , the world’s most extensive subtropical rainforest and the beautiful Queensland Islands – including the World Heritage-listed Fraser Island . Brisbane is the state’s capital; it enjoys more winter sunshine and warmth than most Australian cities and is perfect for outdoor activities and water sports. South Australia South Australia (SA) sits in the southern central part of the country, and covers some of the most arid parts of the continent. The state’s capital is Adelaide and is a great base for exploring the Barossa wineries, the Flinders Ranges and Kangaroo Island . South Australia has a thriving arts scene and is known as the ‘Festival State’, with more than 500 events and festivals taking place there each year.

Tasmania Tasmania (TAS) is separated from mainland Australia by the Bass Strait and is the smallest state in Australia. The capital, Hobart , was founded in 1804 as a penal colony, and is Australia's second oldest capital city after Sydney. One-fifth of Tasmania is covered by national parks and wilderness – abundant in driving routes and walking trails – and it is one of the world’s most mountainous islands. Victoria Victoria (VIC) is the smallest of the mainland states in size but is home to the country’s second most populated city, Melbourne . Often referred to as the nation’s cultural capital, Melbourne is famed for its graffiti laneways, fashion-forward boutiques and booming café scene. Victorians' enthusiasm for sport is also legendary and this is where Australian Rules football began. The only thing more sacred than the footy is Melbournians love of coffee, and here you’ll find some of Australia’s best flat whites, cappuccinos and piccolo lattes. Western Australia Western Australia (WA) is Australia’s largest state and is a place of true contrasts: from desert in the east to 13,000 kilometres of pristine coastline on the west.

The state’s capital is Perth ; the fourth most populous city in Australia and famed for its uncrowded beaches, parklands and fresh seafood. Off the coast of Esperance, in the state’s south, is Middle Island, which is home to the extraordinary pink-coloured Lake Hillier . Australia also administers Ashmore and Cartier Islands, Christmas Island, the Cocos (or Keeling) Islands, the Coral Sea Islands, Heard and McDonald Islands, Norfolk Island and the Australian Antarctic Territory (covering 42 per cent of the Antarctic continent) as external territories. Change your country and language Change your country Perth, Australia Travel Guide - Must-See Attractions - YouTube Perth, Australia Travel Guide - Must-See Attractions Want to watch this again later? Sign in to add this video to a playlist. Need to report the video? Sign in to report inappropriate content. The interactive transcript could not be loaded. Loading... Rating is available when the video has been rented. This feature is not available right now. Please try again later. Published on Jul 18, 2013 Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia.

It is the fourth most populous city in Australia, with an estimated population of 1.9 million living in Greater Perth. Perth was originally founded by Captain James Stirling in 1829 as the administrative centre of the Swan River Colony, and gained city status in 1856 (currently vested in the smaller City of Perth). The most important places to visit in Perth are: Kings Park, Hillarys Boat Harbour, Scarbourough Beach, Perth Zoo, Subiaco Oval, Fremantle Prison, The Art Gallery Of Western Australia, West Australia Cricket Ground, Western Australia Museum, Scitech and many more. This video offers a lot of tips to help you plan the perfect vacation. If you want to save time and money, the most important Perth travel tip is to compare prices before booking a hotel room or a flight. You can do this for free on , a site that searches through hundreds of other travel websites in real time for the best travel deals available. Category Perth | Western Australia, Australia | Britannica.com Western Australia, Australia Georgina Hope Rinehart Perth, city and capital, Western Australia .

Perth lies along the estuary of the Swan River , 12 miles (19 km) above that river’s mouth, which forms the inner harbour of neighbouring Fremantle . The city, the fourth largest in Australia , is the centre of a metropolitan area containing about three-fourths of the state’s population. Skyline of Perth, the state capital of Western Australia. Prisma/SuperStock In the early 19th century the British, suspicious of French and American interest in the Australian west coast, decided to expand their settlement to that region and claim the entire continent. In 1827 Captain (later Sir) James Stirling arrived to choose a town site. The following year Captain Sir Charles Fremantle took possession of the area, and in 1829 a colony, with private financial backing, was declared. It was named after the county of Perth in Scotland, birthplace of Sir George Murray, then secretary of state for the colonies, and was proclaimed a city in 1856.

It was linked to Adelaide (in South Australia) by telegraph in 1877 and received strong impetus for growth from the discovery (1890) of gold at Coolgardie - Kalgoorlie (374 miles [602 km] east), from the opening of an improved Fremantle harbour (1901), and from the completion of the transcontinental railway in 1917. It became a lord mayoralty in 1929. Swan River at Perth, W.Aus., Austl. Derrick Coetzee Perth is a major industrial centre with heavy industries concentrated in the suburban zones of Kwinana , Fremantle, and Welshpool. The city’s diversified manufactures include paint, plaster, printed materials, sheet metal, cement, rubber, tractors, steel, aluminum, and nickel. There are also petroleum refineries and food-processing plants. Tourism has grown in importance, especially since Fremantle hosted the America’s Cup yacht race in 1987. The city has a moderate climate for eight months of the year, but January and February are quite hot, and both June and July are cool and damp.

The city is accessible via several highways, the transcontinental railway, the port of Fremantle, and the international airport. It was the site of the British Empire and Commonwealth Games (now Commonwealth Games ) in 1962. Perth has Anglican and Roman Catholic cathedrals. The Perth area has a number of universities, including the University of Western Australia (1911), Curtin University of Technology (1966), Murdoch University (1973), Edith Cowan University (1991), and, in Fremantle, a campus of the University of Notre Dame Australia (1989). Many Italian and East and Southeast Asian immigrants live in northern Perth and in Fremantle. Pop. (2006) Perth Statistical Division, 1,445,078; (2011 est.) Perth Statistical Division, 1,738,807. Learn More in these related articles: in Western Australia Australia's top 50 largest cities and towns by population | .id blog Find detailed information for over 500 Australian communities by visiting the .id Demographic Resource Centre.

Some interesting points about this list: Sydney remains Australia’s largest urban centre, but it’s now only 5% bigger than Melbourne. The exclusion of Central Coast has an impact, but Melbourne has also had some outlying centres like Melton excluded. Melbourne is growing faster and should overtake Sydney within about 25 years on current trends. The fastest growing centres in this list are Ellenbrook (WA) and Melton (Vic) – which is a little misleading as these centres are really part of Greater Perth and Greater Melbourne respectively, but are separated in the new ABS list. NSW has 18 centres (including cross-border ones) in the top 50 list, by far the most of any state. South Australia manages only one, Adelaide. Mount Gambier just misses out, in 51st place. Despite a population only a quarter the size of South Australia, Tasmania manages 3 entries in the list, Hobart, Launceston and Devonport, due to a more dispersed population. Queensland also “punches above its weight” with 10 entries, more than Victoria with a much larger population. This is for the same reason, a dispersed population.

All of the top 50 centres increased in population over 5 years. The lowest growth was in Lismore, just 1.9%. In the top 100 centres, only 2 showed decline over that period, Broken Hill and Moe-Newborough. Further reading You might like to download our e-book Predicting the Growth Suburbs of the Future to look at where we see population growth occurring in the future. And our National Demographic Indicators website has the population and other demographic measures for every Local Government Area in Australia. Notes on geography Populations are more malleable than people think, and really depend on where you draw the boundaries. For example Central Coast is no longer included as part of Sydney but has its own identity in this list. This means that Sydney’s population appears substantially lower than in the previous list , which used the Greater area and had no listing for Central Coast. The ABS have come up with new boundaries, called “Significant Urban Areas”, so this article has used these, and ranks the centres by these new boundaries.

According to the ABS, Significant Urban Areas “represent concentrations of urban development with a population of 10,000 or more using whole Statistical Areas Level 2 (SA2s). They do not necessarily represent a single Urban Centre, as they can represent a cluster of related Urban Centres with a core urban population over 10,000. They can also include related peri-urban and satellite development and the area into which the urban development is likely to expand.” What this means is that they represent cities and towns as most people understand them, but in some cases, areas may be subsumed within a larger Significant Urban Area (eg. a contiguous suburb of a major city would generally be included as part of that city). Large satellite centres which are part of the Greater Capital City area, but geographically separated, are now separately identified in many cases (hence Central Coast being separated from Sydney. So the important thing to remember is that this represents a particular way of drawing boundaries to rank areas but it may not be the only one. If your area isn’t listed, it’s likely included as part of another major centre, due to geographic proximity.

Access the Australian Community Profile to find Census results for each Capital City, State, and Australia on topics including population, age, country of birth, languages spoken, occupations, industries, employment, disability, income, qualifications, transport and much more… Share Western Australia travel guide - Wikitravel Other destinations[ edit ] Pinnacles Desert in Western Australia Kalbarri National Park — explore vibrantly coloured gorges and cliffs sculpted by the Murchison River as it flows to the sea Coral Bay and Exmouth — 1250km from Perth, are gateways to the magnificent Ningaloo Reef Karijini National Park — a major destination in the Pilbara , featuring huge canyons and gorges, and nice hikes through majestic scenery Margaret River — a fine winery and surfing region about 250 km south of Perth, a weekend playground for Perth.

Mount Augustus — rivalling the better-known Uluru in Northern Territory for size, it's often claimed to be the largest monolith on Earth Pinnacles Desert — an eerie landscape of limestone pillars rising from the sand about 100 km north of Perth Understand[ edit ] The large majority of the the 2 million inhabitants live in the southwestern part of the state, in or close to Perth , the capital and the most isolated city of this size anywhere in the world. Outside of the Perth area there are less than 500,000 people, hence the demoynm Sandgropers. The largest towns outside Perth metro are Albany and Geralton , only about 30,000 population each depending on seasonal fluctuations. Beyond the coast, Western Australia's vast interior is very sparsely populated, with only a handful of townships with over a few thousand residents. Mining settlements and cattle stations are thinly-spread so it is all to easy to find yourself alone in a 100 mile radius. The state's main attraction resides precisely in its overall remoteness and huge expanses of untouched scenery.

Geography[ edit ] Mount Augustus is widely claimed to be the world's largest monolith Western Australia covers about third of the total land mass of Australia . It encompasses climatic zones from the monsoonal and tropical north, to the temperate and mediterranean south, and the desert and barren inland. Apart from the south-western coast, the majority of the land is extremely old, eroded, flat, arid and infertile. The population centres are extremely isolated from one another, and from the other populated zones of Australia. This and the tough environment may account for a more independent spirit than in the eastern states. The vastness of the state is certainly not to be underestimated when planning your trip. If it were a country, it would be in the top 10 by area, as large as Argentina , larger than any African or European country, and twice the size of Alaska. It is the largest statoid in the world (sub-national body) besides the Sakha Republic in Russia. Perth and the south-west corner including the Margaret River and Albany are easily accessible, as is Broome . Visiting much of the rest of the state requires some planning, and will probably require some long drives.

Never plan on doing a road trip, without clearly telling either the authorties or someone else, on you're planned route, as you could be buggered if you break down. Make sure you always have lots of water (and spare gas) with you. History[ edit ] Western Australia was discovered by the Dutch explorer Dirk Hartog in 1616 while en-route to what is now known as Jakarta . In the following decade, other Dutch explorers would encounter the land here, but with no apparent natural resources to exploit, left as quickly as they came. During the late 18th century, the British and the French began to explore the more Southern regions of Western Australia and in 1826 the British decided that King George Sound would be a suitable location for a settlement. Three years later the Swan River Colony was established and this would later become the city of Perth. The state grew slowly until the discovery of gold in Kalgoorlie in the 1890s, which led to a huge influx of pepole. Western Australia is the only state to never have been part of New South Wales and is the only Australian state to have tried to leave the federation, voting to secede in 1933.

A delegation was sent to Britain to petition parliament to pass the legislation needed to enable independence, but it was determined that the British parliament did not have the necessary powers to pass such legislation. The suggestion of secession still appears in the Western Australian media from time to time, and there are many Western Australians who support the idea. Time Zone[ edit ] Western Australia is in the Australian Western Standard Time zone, 8 hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time (UTC+8). It doesn't observe daylight savings time, and is two hours behind the east coast of Australia during winter, and falls three hours behind New South Wales , Victoria , and Tasmania when they move to daylight savings. Note that not all of W.A. is in the same time zone! Residents of towns east of Caiguna on the Eyre Highway (including Eucla , Madura , Mundrabilla and Border Village) in the south-east corner near the South Australian border do not follow official Western Australian time. Instead, they use what is unofficially known as Central Western Standard Time, which is halfway between Western and Central time--UTC+8:45. By plane[ edit ] Perth has the only airport in Western Australia with regular international flights. The vast majority of interstate flights also land in Perth .

However there are a small number of interstate flights to Kalgoorlie , Kununurra , Karratha and Broome . Skywest has a weekly flight from Kalgoorlie to Melbourne, however it may still be cheaper to fly Kalgoorlie - Perth - Melbourne depending on the travel dates desired. The price of flights from other Australian capital cities to Perth fluctuates wildly. The red-eye overnight flights can often be obtained at a discount over the more civilised flight times. By car[ edit ] Considering the huge distances, driving into Western Australia from anywhere else is an experience by itself. There are only two sealed roads into Western Australia: in the south, the Eyre Highway is the most direct route from Adelaide to Perth . In the north, the Victoria Highway connects the Kimberley region with the Northern Territory up to Darwin . Both involve extremely long drives. Perth-Adelaide is at least 3 days of driving with stops only to sleep, and much of the drive is across the extraordinarily barren Nullabor Plain. Darwin-Perth is at least a week. It is often possible to organise one-way car hire without additional fees from Adelaide to Perth .

Shop around, and check conditions carefully, as some cars hired in Adelaide cannot even be driven into Western Australia. The unsealed Great Central Road, Tanami Track and Gunbarrel Highway run between the Northern Territory and remote Western Australian towns. By rail[ edit ] There is one railway connecting Western Australia with the eastern states. The Indian Pacific [2] train service runs between Sydney and Perth via Kalgoorlie , Adelaide and Broken Hill . Prices are generally more expensive than air travel, but you can put your car on the train. The train ride is a unique experience in itself, as it can take 3 nights to get to Sydney at the other end of the line and you see a lot of rugged beauty along the way. Quarantine[ edit ] There are quarantine rules [3] if you are coming from other states in Australia. You cannot bring fruits and vegetables (including seeds and cuttings) into Western Australia. Frozen fresh food is also not allowed but you will be OK with commercially packaged foods, except honey and bee products. There are quarantine checkpoints set up on the state borders and rules are strictly enforced.. Inspectors board trains into the state to check passengers, and there are checkpoints at all airports.

If you are arriving directly from overseas, additional quarantine rules apply. See the Australia article for details. By car[ edit ] If you want to travel across WA by road, be ready to drive a lot to get from point A to point B. There are only a limited number of sealed roads (any map of the state will probably show you all of them), if you plan to leave them to get to more remote areas you will need to consider renting a 4WD. Contact the company to which you rent the vehicle to check the policy concerning driving on unsealed tracks, as you might have to get their authorization. Driving a rented conventional (non-4WD) vehicle on an unsealed track may breach your rental contract and void your insurance. Check with the local depot before arriving. Sealed highways and byways[ edit ] Albany Highway. A sealed, main through route Perth to Albany , with few stop or attractions. Scenic alternative via the coastal route. Unsealed tracks[ edit ] Track in Western Australia These roads are not what most people would call a "highway" or even a "road". They are unsealed and should definitively not be taken lightly, especially if you have no experience in driving off sealed roads in the Australian desert.

Be extremely cautious if you decide to attempt these tracks, as they are adventures on their own. Petrol supply is scarce, water is rare and accommodation is close to non-existent. These roads should only be used with thorough research beforehand, and a 4WD is very strongly recommended. On some more remote tracks, it could be weeks until anyone finds you or your body if you break down. The legendary Canning Stock Route is 1800 km long cattle track from Willuna in the northern Goldfields to Halls Creek in the Kimberley , crossing the inner desert parts of the state. It is one of the most remote tracks on the planet, with absolutely no facilities, fuel or food supplies, and runs hundred kilometers from any civilization. Prior fuel dropping arrangements and thorough research about the dangers involved in the crossing are absolute prerequisites. Attempting the track in the summer is madness. The 650 km long Gibb River Road crosses through the heart of Kimberley in the North through majestic scenery. By plane[ edit ] Given the distances involved, plane travel is a vital connection to many Western Australian communities. Many towns based on mining have private 'Fly-in Fly-out' (FIFO) services for their employees, which are difficult for travellers to access.

Most larger towns have some form of commercial scheduled air service. Charter services are commonly available to access more remote areas, and airstrips available for landing are available even in the very smallest towns. If you can get a group of 6 together, a charter flight need not cost significantly more than a scheduled commercial service, but don't expect to be able to each take your 23kg suitcase on board. By train[ edit ] Train services are limited outside of Perth and Mandurah. In addition to the Great Southern Railway's Indian Pacific, there are three regional train services all operating from Perth. The Australind, runs down to Bunbury . every morning and evening. The Prospector runs out to Kalgoorlie , every day, with coach connections onto Esperance The Avonlink runs up to the Wheatbelt at Merredin By coach[ edit ] Coach Services comprehensively cover the towns in the South West of the state. Greyhound run a coastal service from Perth through to Broome and onto Darwin via Kununurra . See[ edit ][ add listing ] If WA does not quench your thirst of (harsh) wilderness, it is unlikely that anywhere else in the world will.

That said, most visitors stay within the very civilised areas of the southwest corner and Broome , which have many attractions and well developed facilities. Ancient forms of life. Thrombolites at Lake Clifton and stromatolites at Shark Bay are rock-like mounds built by micro-organisms that resemble some of the earliest forms of life on earth. edit Do[ edit ][ add listing ] Besides driving, which can be an experience for some (being on the only sealed road for hundreds of kilometers, without crossing anyone, might be either disturbing or enjoyable to most of Western Europe drivers), WA offers nice surfing on its beaches (around Geraldton for instance). There are many 4WD tracks in Western Australia. Four-wheel driving on them is an adventure in itself, but also enables you to experience more remote places in the woods, along the beaches or in the outback. Dive[ edit ] Ningaloo Reef near Coral Bay. probably the place to dive with abundant coral, marine life and a good chance of seeing a whale shark. edit Rottnest Island. Not far off Perths coast its has many underwater caves that are worth exploring.

edit Four-wheel driving[ edit ] The Captain Fawcett Commemorative, Dawn Creek Road/Nanga Road intersection (Obtain trip notes at the DEC office). is a 4WD track in the vicinity of Dwellingup, only a 1.5h drive from WA's capital Perth. It showcases some 90km of Western Australia's best Jarrah forests, magnificent views, historic farmhouses and original settlers' trestle bridges. edit Hike[ edit ] Bibbulmun Track, ☎ +61 8 9481 0551 ( friends@bibbulmuntrack.org.au ), [4] . A hike on the nearly 1000km trail from Perth to Albany , passing through many south west towns is arguably one of the best walks in WA. The signposted trail wanders through forest, wetland, coastal, and grassland environments to campsites equipped with a three-sided timber shelter, rainwater tank and toilets. Pocket sized map books can be bought from the Bibbulmun track Foundation. If taking on the entire length is too daunting, several sections make good 2-5 day jaunts.

edit Cape to Cape, ☎ +61 8 9752 5555 ( info@capetocapetrack.com.au ), [5] . The 135km trail between Cape Naturaliste and Cape Leeuwin in the Leeuwin-Naturaliste National Park meanders around precipitous coastal scenery, forests and along beaches. Periodic established campsites offer a spot to pitch your tent, toilet and watertank. The northern trailhead is 15km south of Dunsborough and ends 6km shy of Augusta , passing through four towns along the way. edit Munda Biddi Trail (Mountain bike only track), ☎ +61 8 9481 2483 ( admin@mundabiddi.org.au ), [6] . If you prefer two wheels the 498km Munda Biddi Trail goes from Mundaring in the Perth hills to Nannup in the South West. The trail varies in terrain but is not extraordinarily challenging, making it a pleasant ride for all ability levels. Campsites with shelters are spaced a days ride apart and towns along the way give you chance to return to civilisation.

edit Railway Reserve Heritage Trail. An easy, but interesting, trail in the Perth Hills that follows a 40km loop along the route of the former Eastern Railway abandoned in the late 50's. The most popular stretch is in John Forrest National Park from Swan View to Hovea passing through the spooky Swan View tunnel, over a decaying wood framed bridge to the magnificent Hovea Falls. The areas relatively unspoilt bushland is a major wildlife corridor so it's not uncommon to see groups of kangaroos at dusk among other native animals. edit Swim[ edit ] Cable Beach in Broome. One of Western Australia's most well known beaches, with warm water and sand swept clean by the tides every day. You can't swim there from October until May because of Box Jellyfish (as with any beach north of Exmouth ). Irukandji are also a risk at other times of year, and the beach can also be closed if a crocodile cruises past. edit Lake Argyle in Kununurra. As one of the largest man made lakes in Australia Lake Argyle is a good place for a dip with the friendly crocodiles.

Kununurra also has a number of secluded waterholes around that make a refreshing place to float about with a beer during the humid wet season. edit Serpentine Falls in Serpentine. Located a 35 minute drive east of Mandurah, is an excellent place for a swim. edit Perth Metropolitan Beaches, [7] . White sand beaches close to the city range from Family-Friendly calm, gently shelving beaches with grass picnic areas adjacent to reliable surfing stretches of the coast. Many of these beaches are accessible by public transport. edit Eat[ edit ][ add listing ] Perth and the larger towns have the usual range of restaurants. Australian influenced Thai, Chinese and cafes are common. Pubs can usually be relied upon for an evening meal in most towns and roadhouses have a range of sandwiches, burgers and sometime more substantial cooked meals. Trips away from the major towns will probably require some amount of self-catering. Truffles – An item you wouldn't expect to come out of WA is the opulent black fungus that's favoured by trendy restaurants in the better part of town.

While the local variety isn't considered to be equal to it's European counterparts, it exhibits the characteristic taste and smell that justifies the high prices it demands. Truffle growing in the state is still in its infancy but in recent years the industry has grown large enough to support two festivals. At the end of May the Truffle Affaire [8] in Manjimup is a day-long event with capacity limited to the 100 epicureans indulgent enough to pay $245 for trufflesque tours, hunting and eating. Somewhat more egalitarian is the Mundaring Truffle Festival [9] held at the end of July where you can wander between a multitude of truffle related stalls while you wait for the next free food talk or demonstration. The $10 entry fee lets you see and taste quite a bit. As of 2013 the Mundaring truffle festival has stopped being held although it may start up again in the future. Marron is a freshwater crayfish unique to WA. The Carnarvon area grows fresh capsicum, chilli peppers (and paprika) with a long harvest season. Beer[ edit ] Fremantle has a number of micro-breweries.

The most well known is Little Creatures, housed in an old boat shed where they serve a pale ale straight from the conditioning tank. Kimberley residents love a drink, so it's no surprise that Matso's Brewery in Broome has a rightful reputation among hopheads for making some fine brews. The South West has a handful of brewers. Albany AleWorks in Albany and Blackwood Valley Brewery in Bridgetown are old style brewers. Margaret River and Busselton have a half-dozen independent micro-brewers to visit. The Swan Valley in Perth 's outskirts is known for its wine but also makes some decent drops of the amber variety. Duckstein Brewerey is one of the states first micro-brewers and produces a range of German style beers that are particularly popular around Oktoberfest time. You can take a look at their copper brewing kettle and then sample an ale in the garden. Coffee[ edit ] A debate about the quality of coffee in WA grumbles on endlessly, with many visitors claiming a decent cup near impossible to find in the west and locals countering that they are just not looking in the right place.

Subjective bean preferences aside, it is agreed that coffee is generally more expensive than in Eastern capitals and a higher price (averaging $3.80, but up to $4.50) does not necessarily buy you a better cup. Northbridge, Fremantle, Subicaco, Mount Lawley and the CBD in and around Perth have the highest concentration of cafes where you are more likely to get a decent espresso. Outside of the metro area it can be hit and miss, but you might improve you chances around Albany and Margaret River where a couple of boutique roasters have operations and coffee sits in the same circles as the gourmet food and wine scene. Non-aficionados who prefer a little coffee in their milk drink might be disappointed that there are no Starbucks stores here, but should be satisfied enough with the Dome coffee chain that has outlets state-wide. Spirits[ edit ] Kununurra in the Kimberley is home to the Hoochery Distillery, the oldest continuously operating rum producer in WA (est. 1995), where local cane sugar is used to make some pretty potent booze.

Though it's aged in oak barrels it's still a harsh gulp but the high alcohol percentage, up to 70%, hits in the right way. Tours of the distilling operations run in the peak season. Wine[ edit ] Western Australian viticulture may not produce the large volumes of the wineries on the east of Australia, but the vineyards here are known for producing quality over quantity. The Margaret River wine region was only established in the late 1960s but has since built a reputation as an eminent producer of premium wines, particularly Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon varieties. Around 90 vineyards have their cellardoor open for tastings and sales, providing plenty of opportunities for serious libations. Swan Valley in the outskirts of Perth was one of the first places in the old colony where grapes were grown for wine, however it really developed as a wine region in the 1920s when migrant Croatian and Italian families established many of the wineries that still exist today. The valley overflows with a myriad of wine related attractions along the Swan Valley Food and Wine Trail and hosts no less than three festivals a year.

Stay safe[ edit ] The vastness of Western Australia requires travellers to be particularly careful when going into remote areas (which constitute the majority of the state anyway). When leaving sealed roads and entering remote unsealed tracks, advise someone of your movements (for example the local police) of your expected time/date of arrival, and your travel intentions. Check with local officials about the conditions of unsealed roads, especially during the wet season during which these roads are likely to be difficult to travel or impassible. Seek advice from locals when fording rivers, as many become swollen and deep/fast during the wet season. Many remote rural and outback areas in Western Australia are home to kangaroos and other mammals, reptiles and birds that will cross the roads, especially at dawn and dusk. So try to avoid driving at these times (kangaroos are most active at these times) and always be alert. There are several 'deadly animals' inhabiting the northern regions of Western Australia. Snakes are widespread throughout all Australia.

Saltwater crocodiles ("salties") live in the water systems of northern Western Australia and are very potent killers, while fresh water crocodiles (called Johnson crocodiles or "freshies") are much less dangerous and are not aggressive despite their appearence. Don't swim in waterholes, riverbeds, etc in regions inhabited by crocs. Deadly jellyfish can be found in the sea (from Canarvon to Wyndham) in the North, particularly between October to April, so only swim in your hotel pool. Although Western Australia is a relatively safe place, be aware that there is a problem with violent nightlife. Late at night, be on your guard in areas such as Northbridge and Fremantle, particularly if you are in a demographic which is considered to be a target, i.e young male or female. Avoid eye (or any) contact with suspicious characters and drunks. Get out[ edit ] Alice Springs in the Northern Territory - The hard way to the red center is from Halls Creek via the rough-as-guts Tanami Track. The easy way is along a series of sealed roads from Kalgoorlie , passing through Leonora and Uluru and a lot of pretty flat and arid land.

Christmas Island - Closer to Indonesia than WA, but still part of Australia. Christmas Island is an emerging destination for divers and crab lovers looking for something not yet over run by other people. Darwin in the Northern Territory - Leaving from the northern corner, Kununurra is the last town on Highway 1 as it heads heading into the NT's top end via Katherine . Port Augusta in South Australia - The 1668km drive along Nullarbor Plain and the Great Australian Bight along the Eyre Highway is one of the longest and lonely drives in Australia Principality of Hutt River [10] - By some obscure legal technicality, this small farm near Geraldton successfully declared its independence from Western Australia in the 70s. You can even get a passport, buy rare stamps and coins and if you are lucky you can even meet the Royal Family. Top 33 Biggest cities in Australia by population | .id blog 50,373 Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics: Regional Population Growth, Australia, 2010 – 11 (Cat. No.

3218.0) Note that the boundaries used for this list include the main and outlying urban areas of the town or city, not necessarily based on local government boundaries. For example, the LGAs of Wagga Wagga and Bendigo have larger populations than the centres as listed here, while Albury-Wodonga’s definition extends beyond the LGA to encompass a wider district. Some interesting points: The two largest cities account for 39% of all the nation’s population. The five largest make up 61%. Of the list of centres over 50,000, 11 are (all or part) in Queensland, while only 8 are (all or part) in NSW (to be fair, the next 4, just under 50,000 are all in NSW!). Though a state capital, Hobart sits well behind the non-capital cities of Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast, Newcastle and Wollongong, as our 11th largest city. The Gold Coast, just a few scattered coastal villages prior to 1960, is now Australia’s 6th largest city.

As recently as 1980, Perth was a smaller city than Adelaide, but it now has a population more than 500,000 higher (43% higher). Western Australia only has 3 centres over the 50,000 mark, and one of those, Mandurah, is about to be subsumed into Greater Perth under the new geographic classification. South Australia and the Northern Territory each have just one entry in the list, Adelaide and Darwin (SA’s second largest centre, Mount Gambier, only has 26,000 people). Always in competition, Ballarat and Bendigo are next to each other on the list, with Ballarat still having a slightly higher population (the Local Government Area of Greater Bendigo has a higher population but the outer parts are excluded from the official urban area). There is also a strong rivalry between Launceston and Hobart, but Hobart has a much larger population. Three of these centres cross state borders. So where does your area sit? Current Estimated Resident Populations have now been updated on profile.id and economy.id sites, so you can check out the most up-to-date population for your LGA right now at .id’s demographic resource centre .

Share Major Cities and Towns in Western Australia - Postcodes Australia Perth Situated in the south-east coast of Australia on the Indian Ocean lies Perth, the capital city of Western Australia. Founded as a colony on the Swan River in 1829 by Captain James Stirling, Perth is now a rapidly-growing city housing over 75% of all WA's population. Prior to European settlement, the area had been inhabited by the local Aboriginal Noongar people for over 40,000 years. Western Australia facts | About Australia Facts Western Australia facts The state of Western Australia, is Australia’s face on the Indian Ocean. Its capital Perth is closer to Singapore and Jakarta than it is to Canberra. The majority of people live in and around Perth. Western Australia is the largest Australian State. With an area of more than 2 500 000 sq km, a 12 500 km coastline and spanning 2 400km from north to south, it occupies a third of the continent. Only the narrow Timor Sea separates its northern coastline from equatorial islands of the Indonesian Archipelago and to the south is the Southern Ocean and Antarctica.

Climate From its tropical north, to temperate areas in its south-west corner, Western Australia experiences a variety of climatic conditions. With distance from the coast, rainfall decreases and temperature variations are more pronounced. Perth averages eight hours sunshine per day and 118 clear days per year. Mean monthly maximum temperatures range from 17ºC in July to 30ºC in February. Even in the coldest months, minimum temperatures rarely fall below 5ºC. Most of its 802mm annual rainfall occurs in the winter months. Primary industries Agriculture is Western Australia’s second major export industry. The State’s vast area provides soils and climates suited to a variety of agricultural production from open range grazing and broad acre cereal cropping to irrigated pastures and horticulture, orchards and vineyards. Wheat, wool, beef and lamb are its main products. Tropical and temperate horticultural products and stockfeed are also important. Farmers and investors are identifying new specialised markets in Asia and taking advantage of seasonal differences with the northern hemisphere. A diverse and efficient agriculture sector provides the raw material for a rapidly growing range of processed exports. These include wine, ice cream, barley malt, noodles and fine leather.

Western Australia’s fisheries are major world suppliers of lobsters, prawns and pearls. A steadily growing aquaculture industry is successfully providing high value products to specialist markets. A well-managed forestry industry produces hardwood and softwood timbers and woodchips from natural forests and plantations. Sufficient sustainable resources have been identified to support a paper pulp mill. Mineral and energy resources Extensive natural gas reserves ensure Western Australia will be an important source of energy well into the next century. The State supplies liquefied natural gas (LNG) to Japan, and is developing markets in Taiwan and Korea. With more than 270 operating mines, Western Australia is a leading supplier of many commodities including alumina, diamonds, iron ore and mineral sands, – monazite; ilmenite; rutile/synruite and zircon. The State also produces 70 per cent of Australia’s gold and significant exports of salt, nickel, tantalum and numerous other metals. New projects established in recent years include a silicon smelter, titanium dioxide plants and a fused alumina plant. The State is poised to supply an important share of the world market for new materials such as rare earth chemicals, fused alumina, zirconium compounds and specialty alloys.

Manufacturing Processed mineral and agricultural products are the State’s major manufacturing exports. Local firms have also achieved success with more elaborately transformed products. Recent major investments have established facilities producing chemicals, mining and electronic equipment and pharmaceuticals. Western Australia’s shipbuilding industry has built more than 60 per cent of the nation’s civil craft. It has also supplied 10 per cent of the world’s lightweight passenger ferries. Local firms have adopted new designs, materials and technology to capture an important share of a growing market. Research and development activities by local and international companies have produced internationally competitive innovations in engine technology, building products, reagents for bio-technology and electronics. Transport Sealed highways link regional centres to Perth and two national highways, one in the north and one in the south, provide for interstate traffic. A major east-west rail line carries freight and passengers between Western Australia and other Australian States. An extensive public rail network services agriculture and industry in the State’s south-west. In the north-west, private rail lines carry ore from inland mines to coastal ports. Perth’s international airport handles flights servicing Africa, Asia, Europe and North America.

Numerous daily air services carry passengers and freight between Perth, the State’s regional centres and other state capitals, especially Sydney and Melbourne. International shipping can be accessed at Fremantle, the State’s main port and eight regional ports linked to major agricultural and mineral producing areas. Education Five universities, a state-wide technical and further education system, private vocational colleges and dual public and private school systems cater for more than 500 000 students each year. There are 9 500 students from overseas. In addition to formal courses, post-secondary and tertiary institutions provide management and workforce training tailored to meet the needs of individual employers or industry organisations. Universities regularly participate in collaborative research activities with private sector and government bodies, sharing staff, equipment and information. Tourism A range of experiences, from wilderness adventures in the arid outback or diving on coral reefs, to fine dining in world-class restaurants or a night at a casino, attract a wide variety of visitors to Western Australia. Many of these visitors come from Asia, the balance from Australia. The numbers of international and interstate visitors, as tourists, students, conference delegates or business people, are projected to increase significantly over the next 5-10 years.

A sound domestic tourism market underpins this growth. As much of this growth reflects the State’s strengthening links with Asia, there is considerable room for specialised new services and facilities such as resorts, golf courses, hotels and conference facilities. The State encourages investment in the tourism sector. Cities in Australia, Australia Cities Map Hobart Map Australia is divided into six states and two mainland territories. The states in Australia are New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria, and Western Australia. Australia's mainland territories are the Australian Capital Territory and the Northern Territory. Each of the states and territories is headquartered at its own capital city. The capital of Australia is Canberra, which is located in the Australian Capital Territory in southeastern Australia. Canberra has a population of about 367,000, making it the largest inland city in the country, but the eight largest city in all. Canberra covers an area of 814 square kilometers (314 square miles). The most populous city in Australia is Sydney, which is the capital of New South Wales. Sydney is home to about 4.6 million people, in an area of about 12,144 square kilometers (4,689 square miles).

Sydney is a major cultural center of Australia, as the location of the Sydney Opera House, a thriving art scene, and cultural events and festivals. Melbourne, the capital of Victoria, is the second largest city in Australia with a population of about 4.1 million. The area of Melbourne is about 8,806 square kilometers (3,400 square miles), and it is called Garden City. Melbourne is often considered the cultural capital of Australia, with the headquarters of the country's film and television industry, and major sports and arts center. Brisbane is Queensland's capital, and the third largest city in Australia with a population of 2.1 million. Brisbane covers an area of 5,949 square kilometers (2,297 square miles) along the east coast of the continent. Perth is situated in Western Australia and is the largest city and capital of the state. Perth has a population of 1.8 million people living in its metropolitan area, which covers 5,386 square kilometers (2,079 square miles). The fifth largest city in Australia is Adelaide, the South Australian capital.

Adelaide's population numbers about 1.2 million and an area of 1,827 square kilometers (705 square miles). Cairns in Queensland and Darwin, the capital of the Northern Territory are other important cities in Australia. Some of the important Australian cities include:- ACOD~20130205

Question: Which city, the largest on the Australian west coast, is the capital of the state of Western Australia ?
Answer: PERTH