158 THE SWAN RIVER DISTRICT 



but Westralians are beginning to resent this error in 

 referring to what is only a district of Western Australia. 



Perth is the chief town of the region and the capital 

 of the whole colony of Western Australia. It is situated 

 on the north bank of the Swan, which, at this point, widens 

 out into a lake-like expanse, but the swans, the former 

 presence of which gave the river its name, have long since 

 been driven from the neighbourhood. Yet an occasional 

 straggler is shot near the city ; and on the upper reaches 

 of the river, flocks of black swans were seen by me in the 

 year 1890. Unfortunately parties of sportsmen invariably 

 turned out in pursuit of any flock reported to be in the 

 neighbourhood of the townships. 



The old buildings of the town of Perth are fast being 

 cleared away to make room for modern erections, which 

 are built on a scale and in a style commensurate to the 

 supposed future requirements of the city, and I have no 

 doubt there are many fine buildings in the place — or will 

 be, for several of the largest, if not finest, were in course 

 of erection at the time of my short residence there. I cannot 

 say that I consider Perth an imposing place. It is a 

 remarkably compact and closely built place for an 

 Australian town ; and what is still more strange, is without 

 a town reservation, a thing almost unheard of on the 

 eastern side. The spot pointed out to me as " the public 

 park " was scarcely large enough for a fowl-run. 



If one may judge from the number of cathedrals and 

 churches closely packed in the place, Perth is inhabited 

 by a very religious community. I should think that every 

 denomination on earth has a place of worship here, and I 

 cannot forbear remarking that there is something ridiculous 

 in applying the term " cathedral " to what looks, to an 

 ordinary layman, like a very poorly designed church. 



The old town-hall is worth mentioning because it is 

 not only a large and rather majestic-looking building, but 

 is said to have been entirely erected by convict labourers. 



Turning to the flora and fauna of the district, the 

 observing naturalist is soon struck by the difference and 

 development of the vegetable productions from anything 



