Perth, Western Australia

:For other places with the same name, see Perth (disambiguation).

Geography

Sand plain setting

Perth is set on the Swan River, so named because of the native black swans. It is a city that fills the sandplain that lies adjacent to the Darling Scarp; extending to Joondalup in the north, Mandurah in the south and Mundaring in the east.

Related Topics:
Swan River - Black swan - Darling Scarp - Joondalup - Mandurah - Mundaring

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The coastal suburbs take advantage of Perth's oceanside location and clean beaches. To the east, the city is bordered by a low escarpment called the Darling Scarp. Perth is on generally flat, rolling land - largely due to the high amount of sandy soils and deep bedrock.

Related Topics:
Beach - Darling Scarp

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Water supply

In recent years, climate change has resulted in reduced rainfall in the region, reducing inflow into dams by two thirds over the last 30 years. The lower runoff into Perth's dams and groundwater supplies, coupled with Perth's relatively high population growth, has caused concerns that Perth will be "out of water" within ten years. The Western Australian State Government has responded by introducing mandatory household sprinkler restrictions in the city. The State Government has also begun the process of constructing a relatively expensive sea water desalination plant in Kwinana (expected to be finished in late 2006), and is considering other solutions including piping water from the Kimberley region or extracting water from the Yarragadee Aquifer in the southwest of the state.

Related Topics:
Climate change - Sprinkler - Sea water - Desalination - Kwinana - Kimberley region

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City skyline

Perth and Perth Water have been viewed and photographed since settlement in the mid-nineteenth century from Kings Park which is on high ground to the south-west of the City. The historical record of the view, shows clear river banks close to the city and a low skyline through to the 1960's. At that point and to the present, the filling in of the northern side of Perth Water, and crowding of the skyline has continued unabated.

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The current Perth city skyline displays the economic prosperity the state currently enjoys . The city's tallest building, Central Park, is according to some ranking systems the fourth tallest building in Australia.http://www.emporis.com/en/bu/sk/st/tp/co/?id=100012

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Weather

Perth summers are generally hot and dry, with February generally being the hottest month of the year. The hottest ever recorded temperature in Perth was 46.2°C (115°F) on 23 February 1991. Winters are cool and moist, though winter rainfall has been declining in recent years. The official temperature for Perth has only twice reached 0°C, on 15 July 1997 and 27 July 1998. Even in mid-winter, maximum daytime temperatures only occasionally fall below 16°C (60°F).

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