Fremantle Prison is a former
Australian prison located in The Terrace,
Fremantle, in
Western Australia. The 60,000 m² site includes the prison, gatehouse, perimeter walls, cottages, tunnels, and prisoner art. The prison was built by
convict labour in the 1850s, and transferred to the colonial government in 1886 for use as a gaol for locally-sentenced prisoners. During
World War I and
World War II, the
Australian Army took over part of the prison and used it as a military prison. The
gallows room was the only legal place of
execution in Western Australia between 1888 and 1984, with 43 men and one woman hanged in this period. It closed as a prison in 1991 and reopened as a historic site and is now a public museum, managed by the
Government of Western Australia. One of the notable features of the history is the preservation of art and graffiti on the walls in some cells.
The
Dryandra Woodland is a nature conservation area in
Western Australia within the Shires of
Cuballing,
Williams and
Wandering, about 164 kilometres (100 mi) south-east of
Perth and 22 kilometres (14 mi) north-west of the town of
Narrogin. It is a complex of 17 distinct blocks managed by the Western Australian
Department of Environment and Conservation and spread over approximately 50 kilometres (30 mi) separated by areas of agricultural land. The area is considered to be one of the state's major conservation areas, and although it is far from pristine due to its history of logging operations, a number of species of threatened fauna are rebuilding populations through the removal of introduced predators such as
foxes and
feral cats. The combined area of the Woodland is 28,066 hectares (108 mi²), with individual blocks ranging in size from 87 hectares (0.3 mi²) to 12,283 hectares (47.5 mi²). Part of Dryandra Woodland is listed on the
Register of the National Estate by the
Australian Heritage Council.
Hamersley is a residential suburb fourteen kilometres north-northwest of the
central business district of
Perth, the capital of
Western Australia, and six kilometres from the
Indian Ocean. The suburb adjoins two major arterial roads —
Mitchell Freeway to the west and
Reid Highway to the south — and is within the
City of Stirling local government area. It was built during the late 1960s and 1970s as part of the
Government of Western Australia's response to rapidly increasing land prices across the metropolitan area. Prior to development, Hamersley was a remote district covered in
jarrah,
marri,
banksia and other vegetation typical of the
Swan Coastal Plain, with small areas having been cleared for small-scale agriculture such as
market gardening and poultry farming. Rapid growth in areas further north removed the focus from Hamersley, which was completed in 1981, remaining relatively stable since. Significant reserves of remnant bushland are retained in parts of the suburb. The
guyed tower was constructed in 1939 and is a landmark in the region, although it has become a local political issue over the past decade.
Banksia epica is a
shrub that grows on the south coast of
Western Australia. A spreading bush with wedge-shaped serrated leaves and large creamy-yellow flower spikes, it grows up to 3½ metres (11½ ft) high. It is known only from two isolated populations in the remote south east of the
state, near the western edge of the
Great Australian Bight. Both populations occur amongst coastal
heath on
cliff-top dunes of
siliceous sand. One of the most recently described
Banksia species, it was probably seen by
Edward John Eyre in 1841, but was not collected until 1973, and was only recognised as a distinct
species in 1988. There has been very little research on the species since then, so knowledge of its ecology and cultivation potential is limited. It is placed in
Banksia ser. Cyrtostylis, alongside its close relative, the well-known and widely cultivated
B. media (Southern Plains Banksia).
The
Argyle diamond mine was a
diamond mine located in the north-east of Western Australia and was commissioned in December 1985. It ceased operation in November 2020. The Argyle mine was the largest diamond producer in the world by volume, although due to the low proportion of gem-quality diamonds, was not the leader by value. It was the only known significant source of pink diamonds, producing 90 to 95% of the world's supply. The Argyle diamond mine was also notable for being the first commercial diamond mine exploiting a
volcanic pipe of
lamproite, rather than the more usual
kimberlite pipe. The mine was owned by the
Rio Tinto Group, a diversified mining company which also owns the
Diavik Diamond Mine in Canada and the
Murowa diamond mine in
Zimbabwe.
Perth is the
capital of the
Australian state of
Western Australia. A population of 2.19 million (2016 estimate) makes Perth the largest city in Western Australia and home to three-quarters of the state's residents. The city is also the
fourth most populous urban area in Australia, and with a growth rate of 2% is currently the fastest growing major city in Australia. Perth was founded on June 11, 1829 by
Captain James Stirling as the political centre of the free settler
Swan River Colony. It has continued to serve as the seat of Government for Western Australia to the present day. The
metropolitan area is located in the south west of the continent between the
Indian Ocean and a low coastal escarpment known as the
Darling Range. The
central business district and suburbs of Perth are situated on the
Swan River.
Yagan (c. 1795–11 July 1833) was a
Noongar warrior who played a key part in early
indigenous Australian resistance to
European settlement and rule in the area of
Perth, Western Australia. After he led a series of attacks in which white settlers were killed, a
bounty was offered for his capture dead or alive, and he was shot dead by a young settler. Yagan's death has passed into
Western Australian folklore as a symbol of the unjust and sometimes brutal treatment of the indigenous peoples of
Australia by colonial settlers. Yagan's head was removed and brought to
London, where it was exhibited as an "
anthropological curiosity". It spent over a century in storage at a museum before being buried in an unmarked grave in 1964. In 1993 its location was identified, and four years later
it was exhumed and repatriated to Australia. Since then, the issue of its proper reburial has become a source of great controversy and conflict amongst the indigenous people of the Perth area. To date, the head remains unburied.
"Bon" Scott (July 9, 1946 – February 19, 1980) was a
Scottish born
Australian rock musician. He was born in
Kirriemuir,
Scotland, and immigrated to
Melbourne,
Australia with his family in 1952 at the age of six. Scott is most well-known for being the
lead singer and
co-lyricist of
hard rock band
AC/DC from 1974 until his death in 1980.
In 1956, the family moved to
Fremantle, Western Australia. He dropped out of school at the age of 15 and spent a short time in
Fremantle Prison in the assessment center and nine months at the Riverbank Juvenile Institution relating to charges of giving a false name and address to the police, having escaped legal custody, having unlawful
carnal knowledge and stealing twelve gallons of
petrol. In 1964 he joined his first band, The Spektors, as drummer and occasional lead singer.
Moondyne Joe (born
Joseph Bolitho Johns, c. 1826–August 13, 1900) was Western Australia's best known
bushranger.
On 15 November 1848, Johns and an associate named
John Williams were arrested near
Chepstow for stealing "three loaves of bread, one piece of bacon, several cheeses, and other goods". Johns was sent to the British
penal colony of
Western Australia on board the
Pyrenees in the early 1950s. In reward for good behaviour, Johns was issued with a
ticket of leave on arrival. After stealing a horse and serving another prison sentence, Johns found work on a farm, but in January 1865 a neighbour's steer was killed and eaten, and Johns was accused and sentenced to ten years' penal servitude. In early November, he and another prisoner absconded from a work party and were on the run for nearly a month, during which time they committed a number of small robberies. They were finally caught 37 kilometres east of
York by a party of policemen that included the Aboriginal tracker
Tommy Windich. In August 1865, he escaped again and met up with three other escapees, who together roamed the bush around Perth, committing a number of robberies. Moondyne Joe formulated a plan to escape by travelling to
South Australia, and on 5 September Moondyne Joe equipped his company by committing the biggest robbery of his career. Their tracks east were discovered by police on 26 September, and a team of police set out after them. They were captured on 29 September, about 300 kilometres north east of
Perth.
Vasse Felix was the first vineyard and winery established in the
Margaret River Wine Region. Established in
Cowaramup in 1967 by Dr Tom Cullity, Vasse Felix is recognised as a pioneer of the Region. Other pioneering wineries in the region include Cullen Wines, Moss Wood, Leeuwin Estate and Cape Mentelle.
Banksia brownii is a
species of
shrub that occurs in
southwest Western Australia. An attractive plant with fine feathery leaves and large red-brown flower spikes, it usually grows as an upright bush around two metres (7 ft) high, but can also occur as a small tree or a low spreading shrub. First collected in 1829 and published the following year, it is placed in
Banksia subg. Banksia,
section Oncostylis,
series Spicigerae. It occurs naturally only in two population clusters, between
Albany and the
Stirling Range. In the Stirling Range it occurs among
heath on rocky mountain slopes; further south it occurs among
Jarrah woodland in shallow nutrient-poor sand. It is
rare and
endangered in its natural
habitat, with all known populations currently threatened by
Phytophthora cinnamomi dieback, a disease to which the species is highly susceptible. Other threats include loss of habitat, commercial exploitation and changes to the fire regime. B. brownii is highly valued by
Australia's
horticultural and
cut flower industries.
Aquinas College is a
Catholic independent,
day and
boarding school for boys, located in
Salter Point,
Western Australia. The
college was founded in 1938 as the child-school of
Christian Brothers' College (CBC Perth) and is a member of the
Public Schools Association and the
Junior School Heads Association of Australia. CBC Perth was founded in 1894, located in the
centre of Perth, it was one of the first boarding schools in Western Australia. In 1937, it was decided that a more suitable location was needed to cater for boarding students; Aquinas opened in the following year.
The college is located on a 62-hectare (150-acre) campus, with
3 kilometres (1.9 mi) of water frontage on the
Canning River. The campus consists of a
high school for Years 8–12 and a
junior school for Years 4–7, sporting grounds, and
boarding facilities for 210 students.
Cyclone Rosita was a
tropical cyclone that affected northern Australia from 15 April through 21 April 2000. Rosita was one of the most intense tropical cyclones to hit the west
Kimberley coast in the last hundred years. Crossing the coast as a Category 5 about 40 kilometres (25 miles) south of
Broome on 20 April, Rosita caused severe damage in the Eco Beach resort and the vegetation around Broome. Its region of very destructive winds (gusts exceeding 170 km/h) passed south of Broome by only 15 kilometres (9 miles). Cyclone Rosita was the first cyclone to directly hit Broome since
Cyclone Lindsay in March 1985.
Sir Hughie Idwal Edwards VC,
KCMG,
CB,
DSO,
OBE,
DFC (1 August 1914 – 5 August 1982), was an
Australian recipient of the
Victoria Cross, the highest honour for valour "in the face of the enemy" that can be awarded to members of the
British and
Commonwealth armed forces. Serving as a bomber pilot in the
Royal Air Force, Edwards was decorated with the Victoria Cross in 1941 for his efforts in leading a bombing raid against the port of
Bremen, one of the most heavily-defended towns in
Germany. He became the most highly-decorated Australian serviceman of the
Second World War.
Born in
Fremantle,
Western Australia, Edwards joined the
Royal Australian Air Force in 1935, and a year later was granted a short service commission with the Royal Air Force. Serving with the RAF throughout World War II, he gained a permanent commission and continued his career in the RAF after the war; he retired in 1963 with the rank of Air Commodore. Returning to Australia, he was made
Governor of Western Australia in 1974.
Banksia telmatiaea, commonly known as
Swamp Fox Banksia or rarely
Marsh Banksia, is a shrub that grows in marshes and swamps along the lower west coast of
Australia. It grows as an upright bush up to two metres (7 ft) tall, with narrow leaves and a pale brown flower spike, which can produce profuse quantities of nectar. First collected in the 1840s, it was not published as a species until 1981; as with several other similar species it was previously included in
B. sphaerocarpa (Fox Banksia).
The shrub grows amongst
scrubland in seasonally wet lowland areas of the coastal sandplain between
Badgingarra and
Serpentine in
Western Australia. A little studied species, not much is known of its
ecology or
conservation biology. Reports do suggest, however, that it is pollinated by a variety of birds and small mammals. Like many members of series
Abietinae it has not been considered to have much horticultural potential and is rarely cultivated.
C. Y. O'Connor (11 January 1843 – 10 March 1902), full name
Charles Yelverton O'Connor, was an
Irish engineer who is best-known for his work in
Australia, especially the
Goldfields Water Supply Scheme. He was born in Gravelmount, Castletown,
County Meath. In 1864, at the age of 21 he migrated to
New Zealand, and was appointed assistant engineer for
Canterbury Province on 6 September 1866. After holding other positions, O'Connor became inspecting engineer for the whole of the mid-
South Island. In 1883 he was appointed Under-Secretary of Public Works in New Zealand and in 1890 he was appointed
Marine Engineer[disambiguation needed] for the whole
colony. O'Connor had much experience in harbour and dock construction by April 1891, when he resigned his position to become Engineer-in-Chief of
Western Australia. There he was responsible for the construction of
Fremantle Harbour and the
Goldfields Water Supply Scheme project that supplied water to the
Eastern Goldfields. He was the inaugural Engineer in Chief of the
Public Works Department. O'Connor took his own life on 10 March 1902 by shooting himself, while riding his horse into the water at a beach south of Fremantle.
Cyclone Inigo is tied for the most intense
cyclone in the
Australian cyclone region on record. It developed from a tropical disturbance that crossed eastern
Indonesia in late March 2003. Becoming a named tropical cyclone on April 1, Inigo
rapidly intensified as it tracked southwestward, reaching a minimum central pressure of 900
hPa on April 4. An approaching
trough weakened the cyclone and turned it to the southeast, and on April 8 Inigo dissipated after making
landfall on
Western Australia as a minimal tropical storm.
Paddy Hannan, (
1840 – November 4, 1925) was a
gold prospector whose discovery on June 17, 1893 near
Kalgoorlie,
Western Australia set off a
gold rush in the area. After registering his claim an estimated 700 men were prospecting in the area with three days. Hannan, Tom Flanagan and Daniel Shea discovered gold near Mount Charlotte less than 40 kilometres from the
Coolgardie Goldfields.
After registering his claim an estimated 700 men were prospecting in the area with three days.
The
Black Swan is an important cultural reference in Australia, although the character of that importance historically diverges between the prosaic in the east and the symbolic in west. The Black Swan is also of spiritual significance in the traditional histories of many
Australian Aboriginal peoples across southern Australia.
The
Black Swan is the official state
emblem of
Western Australia, and is depicted on the
Flag of Western Australia, as well as being depicted on the
Western Australian Coat-of-Arms. The symbol is used in other emblems, coins, logos,
mascots and in the naming of sports teams.
The
2010 Kalgoorlie-Boulder earthquake was a richter magnitude 5.0 earthquake that occurred near the city of Kalgoorlie-Boulder, Western Australia on 20 April 2010 at approximately 8:17 am
Western Standard Time (WST).
The earthquake caused major damage to the historic buildings in Kalgoorlie-Boulder. Its epicenter was approximately 30 km (19 mi) northeast of Kalgoorlie, at a depth of 10 km (6.2 mi). The duration of shaking lasted about 10-15 seconds and was felt up to 1,007 km (626 mi) away. It was also the largest recorded in the Goldfields region and one of the largest in Australia. No one was killed but two people were treated at Kalgoorlie hospital for minor injuries resulting from the earthquake. It resulted in the temporary closure of local gold mines including the Super Pit gold mine.
Avondale Agricultural Research Station is one of thirteen research
farms and
stations operated by Western Australia's
Department of Agriculture and Food. In addition to its research, Avondale has historical buildings, a farming equipment museum and operates as an agriculture education centre specialising in introducing
primary school children to farming, and teaching of its history in
Western Australia.
Avondale is situated on land where the Dale River joins the Avon River 10 kilometres (6 mi) northwest of Beverley. It is located on land originally granted to the first Governor of Western Australia, Captain (later Admiral Sir) James Stirling and Captain Mark Currie RN in 1836. These grants were combined in 1849 and with additional land purchases they became known as Avondale Estate, expanding to in excess of 13,330 acres (53.9 km2).
On the 4 April 1924 the remaining 1,740 acres (7.0 km
2) of Avondale were passed on to the Department of Agriculture and Food. Initially Avondale continued its involvement with Group Settler program, it was not until 1926 that research activities commenced. During the 1930s it was to be the laboratory for Dr
Harold Bennetts successful research into
Bacillus ovitoxicus. As part of
Western Australia's 1979 sesquicentennial celebrations a machinery museum was built and the other buildings were restored to original condition.
Central Park is a 51-storey
office tower in
Perth,
Western Australia. The building measures 226 m (741 ft) from its base at
St Georges Terrace to the roof, and 249 m (817 ft) to the tip of its
communications mast. Upon its completion in 1992, the tower became the tallest building in Perth, however it will be overtaken in height by the
City Square project in the coming years. It is also currently the
seventh-tallest building in Australia.
The approval of the tower was controversial due to the plot ratio concessions made by the Perth City Council to the developers. These concessions enabled the developers to construct a tower more than twice the height which would otherwise be allowable on the site. There was also opposition to the Council's decision to ignore its own town planning experts in allowing a large car park to be constructed underneath the site.
The building is formed by a composite steel and concrete frame, with various step-backs in its profile meaning the upper floors are much smaller in area than lower levels. Outrigger trusses at the top of the building and at the various set-backs help to stiffen the building's
reinforced concrete core against the strong winds prevalent in the area. The base of the building features a small
park, for which the tower is named.
Banksia prionotes, commonly known as
Acorn Banksia or
Orange Banksia, is a species of woody
shrub or tree of the genus
Banksia in the
Proteaceae family. It is native to the
southwest of
Western Australia and can reach up to 10 m (30 ft) in height. It can be much smaller in more exposed areas or in the north of its range. The banksia has serrated, dull green leaves and large, bright flower spikes, initially white then opening to a bright orange. Its common name arises from the partly opened
inflorescences, which resemble
acorns. The tree is a popular garden plant and also of importance to the
cut flower industry.
Banksia prionotes was first described in 1840 by English botanist
John Lindley, probably from material collected by
James Drummond the previous year. There are no recognised varieties, although it has been known to
hybridise with
Banksia hookeriana. Widely distributed,
B. prionotes is found from
Shark Bay (25° S) in the north, south as far as
Kojonup (33°50′S). It grows exclusively in sandy soils, and is usually the dominant plant in
scrubland or low
woodland. The Acorn Banksia is
pollinated by and provides food for a wide array of
vertebrate and
invertebrate animals in the autumn and winter months. It is an important source of food for
honeyeaters (Meliphagidae), and is critical to their survival in the
Avon Wheatbelt region, where it is the only nectar-producing plant in flower at some times of the year.
"Showdown" is the fourth single and first track from the album In Silico by Australian drum and bass band Pendulum. It has been remixed by several artists, including DJ Clipz, Excision, and Redlight. It is also the first single taken from In Silico not to use the album logo prominently on its cover.
The single was originally released through various
online music stores on 5 January 2009. It was not available in any physical format until 9 February, when
Warner Music UK released the
12" picture disc of "Showdown". To help promote the single, Pendulum also released a
Space Invaders themed video game which offered players a chance of winning an official framed
gold disc of
In Silico.
The
Narrows Bridge is a freeway crossing of the
Swan River in
Perth,
Western Australia, at The Narrows between Mill Point and
Mount Eliza. Made up of two road bridges and a railway bridge, it connects the
Mitchell and
Kwinana Freeways, linking the city's northern and southern suburbs. The original road bridge was opened in 1959 and was the largest
precast prestressed concrete bridge in the world. Construction of the northern interchange for this bridge necessitated the
reclamation of a large amount of land from the river.
The bridge formed part of the
Kwinana Freeway which originally ran for only 2.4 miles (3.9 km). Over the following decades, the freeway system was expanded to the north and south, greatly increasing the volume of traffic using the bridge. As a result, in 2001, a duplicate traffic bridge was opened to the west of the original bridge, and in 2005, the railway bridge was constructed in the gap between the two traffic bridges. Passenger trains first traversed the Narrows in 2007 with the opening of the
Mandurah Railway Line.
The
red-winged fairy-wren (
Malurus elegans) is a species of
passerine bird in the family
Maluridae. It is sedentary and
endemic to the southwestern corner of
Western Australia. Exhibiting a high degree of
sexual dimorphism, the male adopts a brilliantly coloured breeding plumage, with an iridescent silvery-blue crown, ear coverts and upper back, red shoulders, contrasting with a black throat, grey-brown tail and wings and pale underparts. Non-breeding males, females and juveniles have predominantly grey-brown plumage, though males may bear isolated blue and black feathers. No separate subspecies are recognised. Similar in appearance and closely related to the
Variegated Fairy-wren (
M. lamberti) and the
Blue-breasted Fairy-wren (
M. pulcherrimus), it is regarded as a separate species as no intermediate forms have been recorded where ranges overlap. Though the Red-winged Fairy-wren is locally common, there is evidence of a decline in numbers.
The
electoral district of Perth is a
Legislative Assembly electorate in the state of
Western Australia. Perth is named for the capital city of Western Australia whose central business district falls within its borders. It is one of the oldest electorates in Western Australia, with its first member having been elected in the inaugural
1890 elections of the Legislative Assembly. It is currently regarded as a safe seat for the
Australian Labor Party, which has held it consistently since the
1968 election. The present Member,
John Hyde, was first elected in the
2001 election.
The
Canning Dam and reservoir provide a major fresh water resource for the city of
Perth,
Western Australia. The
dam is situated on the
Darling Scarp and is an impoundment of the
Canning River. It is noted for its innovative structural and hydraulic design that was considered to be at the forefront of concrete
gravity dam design at the time of construction. The Canning Dam was Perth's primary water supply up until the 1960s when other sources of fresh water were tapped. Currently the dam supplies approximately 20 percent of Perth's fresh water. Inflow into the Canning Reservoir is estimated to be 22 gigalitres (780,000,000 cu ft) and has a storage capacity of 90,352 megalitres (3,190.8
×10^6 cu ft).
Since its completion in 1940, the Canning Dam has contributed to a wide range of environmental and ecological problems in surrounding regions, problems include more common
algal blooms,
habitat loss and
sedimentation. Despite these issues, Canning Dam and the adjacent parks and forests provide a variety of recreational activities for the public such as bushwalking, historic walks and picnic facilities.
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