When was western australia colonised

Yet the stigma of having a convict population also contributed to a serious decline in the number of free settlers willing to emigrate. While Australia's eastern colonies flourished with the discovery of gold in the s, the poorer western colony stagnated, remaining reliant on its agricultural and pastoral industries. Most farming was done in the south-west and around the Champion Bay district near Geraldton, although a pastoral industry began in the remote Kimberley in the s.

Great distances separated fertile areas within the colony, and local commerce and coastal shipping only began to flourish towards the end of the 19th century. The newly elected Western Australian Government had a revenue of just over , pounds per annum to be used for the administration of a third of the Australian continent.

Not only was Western Australia the last Australian colony to gain responsible government, but it was also the last to stop the transportation of convicts in In some men still bore the scars of the cat-o-nine tails on their backs, while ex-convicts were barred from standing for a Parliament which was elected by just under 3, male voters. The colony was the first to be developed entirely by free settlers. The early growth of the city was slow.

By the population was By it had only grown to and even in it was only a medium sized country town with a population of 31, The arrival of the Trans-Australian Railway in and the early success of the gold mining towns pushed the population to , in and the subsequent immigration from Britain meant that by there were , people living in Perth and its suburbs.

Western Australia History. In the city precinct itself, the traditional owners are known as Whadjuk Noongar people. When surveying the area previously, Captain Stirling was said to have been stunned by the beauty of the Swan River and the fertile land around it. Since water transport was vital to communications in the new colony before roads were built, the meanderings of the Swan River determined the site of the first towns.

The city site was mid-way between the sea and the farming areas of the Upper Swan. However, the early years were difficult financially for the colony and in it was decided that convict labour would be beneficial in that regard. Between and almost 10, convicts were transported from Britain.

Due to the influx of convicts, many public works were completed during the period from , notably the Perth Town Hall. The first meeting of the Perth City Council was held on 10 December Rich gold discoveries in the Kalgoorlie region in the early s brought a new era of prosperity for the city and many impressive buildings, some of which still grace the streets to this day.

The city also experienced significant population growth. Representative government evolved in Western Australia in the second half of the 19th Century and in Western Australia federated with the other Australian States to form the Commonwealth of Australia.