News and Media
27 January 2011
Perth, the city of light
Perth is Australia's most western city. It is known for its long hours of sunshine, its beautiful white sandy beaches and spotless blue skies... all of which make for one very relaxed lifestyle.
The Perth Central Business District perches on the banks of the Swan River, a very social place where the 1.6 million locals come out to play.
Perth is quite an isolated city, but residents find they amuse themselves with all that their city has to offer, from the miles of beaches, river areas, parklands and gardens; and let's not forget the internationally acclaimed wine region, the Margaret River.
Of course for Defence families the distance from their loved ones can be difficult but with a strong Defence community, many families quickly establish strong friendships.
With a couple of Defence establishments in and around Perth, Defence housing tends to be spread fairly wide around the region to accommodate the needs of the Defence force. Our houses are characteristically brick on the outside and tiled on the inside. The layout is typically three-bedroom, one-bathroom or four-bedroom, two-bathroom with either a carport or lock-up garage. Most of the houses are single-storey on good sized blocks with heating and ducted cooling systems. The older houses, especially in Swanbourne, have larger backyards and are perfect for the kids to run around and play in. If you're not after a big backyard though, then our newer homes tend to offer more space on the inside with smaller backyards.
Of course building on flat sandy coastal plains, as a lot of Perth suburbs are, requires a rethink of the housing, particularly the landscaping of properties. The sandy soil can mean that it is somewhat infertile and sand fleas which you will become accustomed to, can make growing plants rather difficult. For some this might mean that your favourite plants that move with you may be better off in pots and may require a little extra care.
Most DHA properties in Perth have low maintenance gardens with large lawn areas and small garden beds. In an effort to help the plants endure the dry summers, we have generally fitted the front and rear gardens with watering systems.
With Perth's rather Mediterranean climate the summers are usually hot and dry with little rain fall, however on the rare occasion the city can experience heavy downpours. Winter on the other hand brings cooler weather (although rarely below 5 degrees), and the rainfall can pick up dramatically.
If you like your sunshine, there's a pleasant surprise waiting for you - Perth is a considerably sunny city receiving about 3000 hours of annual sunlight. For this reason Western Australia does not have daylight savings.
There are three main Defence establishments around the Perth area. The RAAF Base Pearce in Bullsbrook is located just over an hour drive north of Perth and is the main RAAF Base in Western Australia. Bullsbrook is a small town with most families choosing to live in the nearby town of Ellenbrook where there are many local jobs, shops, and schools with the added bonus of being closer to the city.
The main naval base on the west coast is HMAS Stirling which is located south of Perth on Green Island. It is a small island connected to the mainland via a causeway and its abundance of national parkland makes it a stunning place to work. There is no housing on Green Island; personnel that work on the base live on the mainland usually in Rockingham.
The coastal suburb of Karrakatta is where the Australian Army Base, Irwin Barracks is located. This Base is only a short 15-20 minute drive west from the City Centre.
If you have your own vehicle you should be aware that it is compulsory for every vehicle registered in Western Australia to be fitted with a Government approved immobiliser. This requirement is part of a program designed to reduce car theft in the state. You can arrange to get an immobiliser fitted by a local installer. Details are provided in the local Yellow Pages.
Alternatively Transperth offers inexpensive bus, ferry and train transportation to get around the city and the suburbs of greater Perth. Several of the buses that facilitate the Central Business District are free and shuttle along popular routes around the city. If you're looking to travel, Perth has a major airport that handles domestic and international flights daily.
The Perth Housing Management Centre is located in Fremantle and is your point of contact for housing services including housing allocations, rent assistance and house maintenance. If you'd like any further information on moving to Perth and what you should expect, then why not talk to the locals — our staff will be only too happy to help.
Contact us139 DHA (139 342)
Unit 43
Level 1, Fremantle Malls
27-35 William St, Fremantle