Forrest Place

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View north along Forrest Place from Murray Street towards the railway station.

The General Post Office building was completed in 1923, a year before Forrest Place itself was created.^[1]

The Commonwealth Bank building stands on the corner of Murray Street and Forrest Place.

Forrest Place is a pedestrianised square located within the CBD of Perth, Western Australia. The street was created in 1924 ^[1], and has a history of being a focal point for significant political meetings and demonstrations.

1 History
2 Uses
3 Transport
4 External links
5 References

[edit] History

Named after Sir John Forrest, the first Premier of Western Australia, Forrest Place was for most of its history a roadway between the Perth railway station and Murray Street.

Prior to the building of Forrest Chase complex (containing Myer and numerous other retail stores), the central building on the eastern side of Forrest Place was the Padbury Buildings (built in 1925^[2] and demolished in 1986-1987). While the buildings on the east side have changed a number of times in the street's 82-year history, the General Post Office (completed in 1923 ^[3]) and the Commonwealth Bank building (completed 1933 ^[1]), both designed by John Smith Murdoch in the Interwar Beaux-Arts style and faced with Donnybrook sandstone, have endured significant change around them.

Forrest Place became a large paved area with the closing of the roadway in the late 1987^[4] It still links Wellington Street and Perth railway station with the Murray Street Mall, but the addition of steps to the northern end prevents vehicle thoroughfare.

[edit] Uses

Forrest Place is used in many ways throughout the year, including cultural displays, children's activities and parades, and contains the City of Perth visitors centre ^[5].