About Western Australia
Western Australia spans over 2.5 million square kilometres and covers one-third of the Australian continent. The State covers some of the most ancient landscapes in the world, including rugged gorges, tropical reefs, towering forests, woodlands, white beaches and 12,500 kilometres of coastline. The state has one of the most diverse flora found anywhere, from giant karri trees to the renowned spring wildflowers. There are about 3,000 native species of animals, birds and fish - and many more insects.
The population of Western Australia is approximately 2 million people, most of whom live in and around the capital city. Western Australia is renowned for its brilliant blue skies, warm sunny climate and white sandy beaches. It boasts some of the world's most precious natural phenomena including the dolphins of Monkey Mia, the 350-million-year-old Bungle Bungle range and the beautiful karri forests of the South West.
Western Australia is located in the world's fastest growing and developing economic regions - the Asia Pacific and Indian Ocean rim regions. Western Australia is ideally positioned to interact with Asia, the Indian Ocean region and beyond.
Western Australia's economy is based largely on unprocessed primary products, from agriculture and horticulture, mining, and, to a lesser extent, forestry and fishing. Gold and aluminium are the mainstay of the mining industry, supplemented by nickel, diamond and mineral sands. Iron ore is a major export commodity.
Major resources of oil and natural gas are extracted from the northwest shelf (off the Port Hedland-Karratha coast) and the Timor Sea. The North West Shelf Project is Australia's biggest resource development. Natural gas is exported in liquefied form and is also piped to the southwest for domestic and industrial use, including power generation.
Perth, the capital of Western Australia has a population of over 1.4 million. It is a cosmopolitan city, with a wide ethnic and cultural diversity. It is situated on the banks of the Swan River and overlooked by Kings Park, a 400-hectare area of virgin bushland. The CBD is less than 12 kilometres from the Indian Ocean.
Perth enjoys a Mediterranean climate, with more hours of sunshine than any other capital city in Australia. Summers are hot and dry and the winters mild and wet.
Its world-famous beaches, extensive parklands and wonderful variety of restaurants and cafes provide a superb living environment. Perth is well served with art galleries, theatres and cinemas and is home to the Western Australian Symphony Orchestra. The cultural highlight of the year is the Perth International Arts Festival.
Perth provides excellent junior and secondary schools and many renowned private and state schools located close to the University. There are four publicly-funded universities and one private university in Perth.
There is a variety of housing in areas close to the University with prices in the range $300-$600,000. Perth can offer an inner-city lifestyle with housing close to the restaurants and entertainment facilities or a more rural lifestyle in the hills outside the city.
For more information about Perth and Western Australia, try visiting these websites:
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