Western Australia (Perth)
Geography
Perth is one of the most isolated metropolitan areas on Earth. The nearest city to Perth with a population over 1 million is Adelaide in South Australia, which is 2,104 kilometres (1,307 mi) away. Perth is geographically closer to East Timor, Singapore and Jakarta, Indonesia, than it is to Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane. The antipode of Hamilton, Bermuda is located 45 kilometres offshore from Point Peron in Perth’s southern suburbs.
Culture
Perth Cultural Centre is both an area of central Perth and the collective name for the main buildings of the Art Gallery of Western Australia, Western Australian Museum, Alexander Library, State Records Office and Perth Institute of Contemporary Arts (PICA).
The Perth International Arts Festival is a cultural festival which has been held annually since 1953.
Black swans on the Swan River
Museums
The Western Australian Museum holds an extensive display of Aboriginal artefacts as well as numerous zoological and social exhibits.
The new (2002) Western Australian Maritime Museum in Fremantle displays maritime objects from all eras and includes a former Royal Australian Navy submarine. It also houses Australia II, the yacht that won the Americas Cup in 1983.
Art galleries
The Art Gallery of Western Australia houses the State Art Collection. It curates and hosts numerous impressive visiting exhibitions, like the 2006 Norman Lindsay exhibition. Additional exhibits occur at PICA and many other smaller venues on a regular basis across Perth.
Music and performing arts
Perth Concert Hall is the city’s main concert venue and hosts theatre, ballet, opera and orchestral performances. Other theatres include an auditorium within the Perth Convention Exhibition Centre (completed in 2005), the historic His Majesty’s Theatre and Burswood Dome, which hosts music concerts. Outdoor concerts are held in Kings Park, Subiaco Oval and Members Equity Stadium and the Convention Centre on the foreshore replaces the Burswood Dome until a more satisfactory building is established.
Because of Perth’s relative isolation from other Australian cities overseas artists often exclude it from their Australian tour schedules. This isolation, however, has developed a strong local music scene, leading some to dub Perth the “new Seattle“.
The late AC/DC lead singer Bon Scott was from the Fremantle area.
Veteran performer and artist Rolf Harris was born in Perth and is known as “The Bassendean Boy”.
Perth has been a hotbed of local rock music producing such nationally and internationally respected acts as Pendulum, John Butler Trio, Eskimo Joe, End of Fashion, Little Birdy, Jebediah, The Sleepy Jackson, The Panics, The Bank Holidays, Snowman and Birds of Tokyo. Whilst the Hip-Hop and R&B scene has seen rise to artists such as Che’Nelle and Samantha Jade whom has an international recording contract with America’s Virgin Records. The local music culture revolves around a series of venues such as The Amplifier Bar and The Rosemount Hotel. The WAMI awards (West Australian Music Industry Awards), have been acknowledging local music since 1985.
The more popular rock concerts held in Perth are the Big Day Out (nationwide) and V Festival (Australia). The city is also referenced in the Pavement song “I Love Perth”.
Perth has a very changeable and, at times, energetic Folk music culture. Bands such as The Settlers regularly played at Clancy’s Fish Pub in Fremantle and the earlier line ups of the Mucky Duck Bush Band that now has regular bush dances in Whiteman Park. A favourite spot was the Hayloft in West Perth - home of WA Folk music in the 1970s and later moving to the Peninsula Hotel in Maylands. Perth is also home to a vibrant alternative sexuality music scene, focused especially around such nightclubs as “The Court” and “Connections”. It also has a large growing electro indie scene through such nightclubs as “Cassette”, the “Brass Monkey” and “Universal Bar”. Perth is also known for its thriving Drum & Bass scene and is known as the capital city for Drum & Bass Music in Australia. Perth has produced several big name Drum & Bass producers such as Greg Packer and Pendulum who regularly tour overseas.
Models Gemma Ward and Megan Gale, actor Heath Ledger and actress Isla Fisher, grew up in Perth.
Perth also boasts the internationally regarded Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts of Edith Cowan University, from which many successful actors and broadcasters have launched their careers, notably actor Hugh Jackman.
Perth is home to the West Australian Symphony Orchestra which performs a regular programme of orchestral music, usually from its base at the Perth Concert Hall. The Perth International Arts Festival also includes music in its schedule. Opera is provided by West Australian Opera.
WA Youth Music allows young musicians in Perth to gain performance opportunities by playing in a musical ensemble. The Western Australian Youth Orchestra is WA Youth Music’s premier and flagship ensemble, however the organisation offers several other ensembles including the WA Youth Symphonic Band and the WA Youth Chorale. Acceptance is granted to amateur players under the age of 25 years. Auditions are held in November of each year.
(information and photos courtesy of Wikipedia)