Planning the City

Initial surveying of the town of Perth – an area of some three square miles – was completed in August 1829. The grid pattern was defined by the Swan River to the south and east, by the promontory of Mount Eliza to the west, and by “fresh water swamps with rushy margins’ to the north” (Morel-EdnieBrown 2008).

This network of swamps was the main feature of the landscape that is now Northbridge, North Perth, Highgate and Leederville. As the city expanded these areas were drained, filled in and sold off as town blocks or made into European style parks. The beds of these seasonal lakes or wetlands remain, buried beneath parts of the city. 

The topography of Northbridge can be seen when one stands at the top of William Street where it intersects with Brisbane Street, and looks south towards Perth city. From this viewpoint it is possible to make out the contours of the low lying basin between the ridges of Northbridge and Perth which contained lakes “reed-grown and bordered with tea-tree…glistening in the sunlight” (Whittell 1949).

The wedge of land that separates Perth from Northbridge lies along the bed of the deepest lake, Lake Kingsford. This is the site of Perth Railway Station, a proposed new underground Wellington Street Bus Station, and the proposed Yagan Square precinct. Sinking the Fremantle railway line was designed to connect Perth CBD and Northbridge. 

Lake Kingsford’s high water table is still causing obstacles for city development. The new underground Wellington Street Bus Station is by necessity being built by a top-down construction method. The walls will be put in place, the roof will be installed, and then all excavation will take place underneath. Diaphragm walls (d-walls) will be used which provide the highest level of watertightness (Metropolitan Redevelopment Authority 2014).

22,000 cubic metres of concrete will be poured in the construction of the new Perth Busport, equal to around nine average swimming pools. Excavation for the Busport will require about 90,000 cubic metres – around 36 Olympic size swimming pools of earth to be moved (Government of Western Australia 2014).

Sepia picture of the Perth Township Plans

Plan from actual survey of Township of Perth showing Lots, Streets & Lakes bounded by Perth
Image copyright State Records Office of Western Australia

Colourful 3D rendered drawing of a city scape with people and trees

Site of Lake Kingsford. Artist impression of Yagan Square
Image copyright 
Metropolitan Redevelopment Authority