Perth Town Hall

It took three years to build using convict labour and had its formal opening on 1 June 1870. It is said that a team of 15 convicts worked every day for three years to complete the building. It was designed in an aesthetically pleasing, almost whimsical style as a showplace for the colony. It is also the only Australian town hall designed in a Medieval style. The man who became known as ‘Father of the Kimberley’, Alexander Forrest, was sworn in as Mayor of Perth at the Town Hall in 1892 and held office for six years (1892-1895 and 1897 and 1900). One of the more unusual uses of the Perth Town Hall was as a camel stable! Explorer Ernest Giles used the undercroft as a resting place for his camels on his epic journey from South Australia in 1875, creating much excitement among Perth’s residents. Major works completed in 2005 restored the Town Hall to its place as a popular Perth venue for the new century.