Perth, updated paperback edition
Reviewed By Janet Mawdesley February 1, 2021
Author David Whish-Wilson
Distributor: New South Books
ISBN: 9781742237053
Publisher: NewSouth
Release Date: November 2020 (new edition)
Website: https://www.newsouthbooks.com.au
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Perth – a place that is considered the most remote capitol city in the World is a place like no other; unique, unusual and a mere dot on the map of Western Australia, a State that is the largest in Australia in land mass, not population.
Its history is chequered, its people what could be considered as eclectic, reflecting back to the arrival of the first non-indigenous people to the coast line as peoples from many cultures arrived on the shores of Western Australia, many to settle permanently to begin creating the structure that is Perth in the modern world. In so many ways Perth now is not all that far removed from the early settlement days and yet in many others ultra-modern, down to earth, full of contradictions, ghosts, history and colourful characters.
David Whish-Wilson a born and bred Western Australian looks forward while looking back, reminiscing on the days of his youth growing up in and around Fremantle and Perth, spending time reflecting and considering the many changes that have occurred over the past fifty years. In doing so he has created a beautifully worded tribute to Perth: an amazing place that somehow has survived the boom and bust of a State which over many years has earned its wealth initially from wheat and wool, then Mining, all industries that rely on overseas trade and demand.
Initially released in 2013, as a part of the City Series, Whish-Wilson has added a ‘post script’, talking about the changes that have occurred in Perth since the first release and how they have reflected on a City that to some degree is still resisting being forced into conformity, as the people, the State, remain determined to ‘do it their way’.
As a Perth-ite, who has lived away from Perth for many years reading this carefully researched and detailed capturing of the very essence of Perth, bought back many memories of growing up in Perth and Fremantle, enjoying what appeared to be endless sunshine filled days of summer, the white sands of Cottesloe, the sharp shock of plunging into the cold clear waters, the bustle of Fremantle Harbour before containerisation, the smell and essence of Kings Park and the joy of discovering WA also has bush ranger!
Whish-Wilson has travelled back through his years growing up there and is now introducing his young family to the joy to be found on beaches, streets, parks and along the Swan River but has also allowed everyone who reads this charming collection of the life and times of Perth, to tread in his footsteps.
If you are considering visiting Perth, an ideal choice of destination in this rather challenging time in which we all live, grab your copy and take a walk in his footsteps to discover the real gems that make Perth unique: a place with attitude, the right sort, naturally, full of flamboyant colour, inclusivity and a place that delights in being considered as idiosyncratic.