Northbridge, Western Australia

Northbridge
Perth, Western Australia

James Street, Northbridge
Northbridge
Population: 673[1]
Postcode: 6003
Location: 1 km (1 mi) N of Perth
LGA: City of Perth
State District: Perth
Federal Division: Perth
Suburbs around Northbridge:
West Perth North Perth Highgate
West Perth Northbridge East Perth
West Perth Perth Perth

Northbridge is an inner city suburb of Perth, Western Australia, separated from Perth's central business district by the Fremantle and Joondalup railway lines. It is part of the City of Perth local government area.

Contents

Geography

Located immediately north of the CBD, Northbridge is officially bounded by William Street, Roe Street, Newcastle Street and the Mitchell Freeway.

The name Northbridge is often misapplied to areas and landmarks which are east of William Street and/or north of Newcastle Street — such as the Perth Cultural Centre — which are technically still part of the CBD.

The area is accessible by foot from Perth railway station and Wellington Street bus station. It is served by a free CAT bus and also has a significant number of public car parks, both open and high rise.

The area is largely a mix of commercial, public and residential properties.

History

The area now known as Northbridge originally hosted freshwater swamps where the current train station and train lines are[2]. Draining of the swamps commenced in the 1860's, by convict labour, facilitating the construction of more permanent buildings[2]. The gold boom of the 1890's saw the construction of many hotels for the accommodation of prospectors, including the Brass Monkey (built 1896)[2]. The 1890s saw the area house the attorney-general, and many others from the elite classes[2]. It was for that elite population that several private schools were established in the area, such as Scotch College (1897), and Presbyterian Ladies' College (1915)[2]. These schools were subsequently relocated. Around the time of World War I, as the elite began to move out of the area, the area became a hub of European immigration, especially Greek and Macedonian[2] In the 1950's, post-war European migration brought with it a culture of outdoor coffees and al-fresco lifestyle[2].

The area was previously a part of the Perth CBD, and was known by informal names such as "North of the Bridge" and "North of the Line". Northbridge was split from Perth and officially gazzetted as a suburb in 1982.[3]

Culture

Northbridge today is a predominantly ethnic precinct, and contains a wide array of cuisine, including Asian and Mediterranean cuisine, and contains Perth's main nightlife district, which is centred on James Street and Lake Street. The area has a historical connection to the Greek and Italian communities, with Perth's first Orthodox Church located on Parker Street.[4][5]

Gallery

References

  1. ^ Australian Bureau of Statistics (25 October 2007). "Northbridge (State Suburb)". 2006 Census QuickStats. http://www.censusdata.abs.gov.au/ABSNavigation/prenav/LocationSearch?collection=Census&period=2006&areacode=SSC52076&producttype=QuickStats&breadcrumb=PL&action=401. Retrieved 31 August 2008.  Map
  2. ^ a b c d e f g Matthew Perkins (14 August, 2008). "The swampy history of Northbridge". http://www.abc.net.au/local/photos/2008/07/28/2316570.htm. 
  3. ^ Western Australian Land Information Authority. "History of metropolitan suburb names". http://www.landgate.wa.gov.au/corporate.nsf/web/History+of+metropolitan+suburb+names. Retrieved 2008-08-31. 
  4. ^ Morel-EdnieBrown, Felicity (January 2011). "Community engagement, heritage and rediscovering a sense of place in Northbridge, Perth, Australia". International Journal of Asia-Pacific Studies 7 (1): 1–25. ISSN 1823-6243. http://web.usm.my/ijaps/articles/IJAPS-7%281%29-Art1-1-253.pdf. 
  5. ^ Jordan, Kirrily; Collins, Jock (2009). "Cosmopolitan Northbridge: A changing inner-city ethnic landscape". Northbridge Studies Day Papers (Network Books): 249–275. ISBN 9781920845513. 

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