Perth has undergone a number of building booms.
Disregarding the “boom” at the beginning of European settlement when living quarters were built for the new arrivals there have been four major booms.
Firstly, when convicts arrived in the colony in 1850, there was a major boom in Government building. The Town Hall and the Tresury Building in Barrack St are the best-known reminders of this time.
Secondly the Gold Boom in the 1890’s which saw many commercial buildings erected and many of those have been featured as “Bits of Perth”.
Thirdly a post-depression boom in the late 1930’s saw some of the commercial buildings upgraded and new multi-story office buildings appeared. The Art Deco “Gledden Building” is the best known remaining structure of this type.
The fourth boom was in the 60’s and 70’s when the first Iron Ore boom created fortunes which led to a share market bubble and the penis-envy sky-scraper boom. Much of Old Perth disappeared and was replaced by the unsightly Monstrosities we now see as the Perth Skyline.
Now, in the “Puberteens” of the 21st Century, Perth is seeing its fifth building boom. I wonder what my city will look like in another decade. Over the past decade many high-rise residential buildings have begun to grace the sky. Bringing people back into the city as residents is the new mantra. The Government is doing its bit by “renewing” many Governmental buildings.
Even the cultural centre of Perth is not immune and cranes appear and disappear with the menace of the ambulatory AT-AT machines from Star Wars.
Ærchies Archive - Digital Detritus 