Perth Water

Perth Water is a section of the Swan River on the southern edge of the central business district of Perth, Western Australia. It is between the Causeway to the east, and Narrows Bridge to the west – a large wide but shallow section of river, and the northern edge of the suburb South Perth. It is considered a landmark of the City of Perth.

Historically it was much larger in size. The shorelines have been regularly changed.

Considerable reclamation has taken place on both sides of the river. For example, in 1879, landfill of Perth Water was used to create The Esplanade.

For the construction of the Narrows Bridge and its approaches, considerable amounts of the north-west section of Perth Water were reclaimed.

The former river bank in that area is equivalent to the edge of Mounts Bay Road. The whole new Convention Centre lies on the river side of the former river bank.

In 2006, the last race in the Red Bull Air Race World Series was the first held in Australia, and was held in Perth, with the competition being centred over Perth Water.

It has been the annual site of Australia Day fireworks, with crowds lining the lawns and open space along the foreshores. A good view for these activities has been from Kings Park due to its elevation and position looking across the Perth Water area. Post-cards, calendar images, posters and photographs from most decades of the twentieth century exist, that show the view from the Park looking across Perth Water to the city.

Since the establishment of Perth, there have been either jetties or landing and mooring facilities at the location of Barrack Square at the jetty. The long running Transperth ferry service travels between Perth and the Mends Street Jetty in South Perth. Commercial companies also use the jetties for trips to Rottnest via Fremantle, and Swan River wine and leisure cruises.

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