INTERNATIONAL
DESTINATION
GUIDE
PERTH
AUSTRALIA
CONTENTS
1. INTRODUCTION TO PERTH
History of Perth
Statistics
Climate
Dressing for Perth’s weather
Time Zones
Daylight Savings
Calendar Dates
Public Holidays in Perth for 2005
Quarantine & Customs
Currency
2. SHOPPING
City Shopping
Sunday Shopping
Metropolitan Shopping
Mall Shopping
Food Shopping
Tipping
3. BANKING
Banks
Opening a bank account
ATM - Automatic Teller Machines
EFTPOS - Electronic Fund Transfer Point of Sale
Credit Cards
Cheque Accounts (Check Accounts)
Telephone Banking
Bill Pay (Bpay)
4. DRIVING AND MOTOR VEHICLES
Road Regulations
'On the Spot' fine
Push Bikes & Motor Cycles
Drink Driving
Parking
Registration & Compulsory Third Party Insurance (CTP)
International Drivers
All Drivers
Obtaining a Driver’s Licence
Traffic Handbook
Department of Transport Contact Details
Driving Instruction
Motor Vehicle Insurance
Insurance Companies offering motor vehicle insurance
Car Hire
Motoring Associations
Importing a Motor Vehicle into Australia
Petrol
5. PUBLIC TRANSPORT
Trains
Buses
Ferries
Airlines
Taxi Cabs
6. HOMES & RESIDENTIAL AREAS
General Overview
Perth residential areas
Renting a Home
Purchasing a home
Temporary Accommodation
Rates and Utilities for Residential Properties
Telecommunications
Emergency Calls
Post Office
Home Contents Insurance
7. EDUCATION & SCHOOLS
Public, State or Government Schools
‘Private’ or Independent Schools
Catholic Schools
Pre-schools
Play Groups
Tertiary Education
8. RELIGION
9. LEISURE AND RECREATIONAL ACTIVITIES
Sport
Art Galleries
Markets
Booking Services
Newspapers
Home Entertainment and Video Tapes
Free to Air television
Pay Television
Beaches
Sun Protection & Skin Cancer
Learn to Swim
10. HEALTH CARE
Health Insurance
Major Hospitals
Baby Health Care Centres
Baby-sitting Agencies
Pet Care
11. REGULATORY
Income Tax
Voting
Total Fire Ban Days
Pet Registration
12. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Associations & Clubs
Overseas Consulates in Perth
Dealing with Culture Shock
Australian Terms & Phrases
International Clothing Sizes
Metric Conversion
Please Note
13. NOTES
Emergency Phone Numbers
1. INTRODUCTION TO PERTH
History of Perth
The first known European arrival in Western Australia was in 1616 when Dutchman Dirk Hartog landed at what is now known as the World Heritage Shark Bay region. In December 1696, three Dutch ships, commanded by William de Vlamingh anchored off Rottnest Island. Vlamingh thought the island was a ‘rats nest’, as he had mistaken the indigenous marsupial ‘Quokkas’ for rodents. Some of Vlamingh’s men rowed up the Swan River, coming across black swans, and so named the waterway ‘Black Swan River’. The Swan River had few European visitors until the arrival of Captain James Stirling in 1827, who then returned to England where he was granted permission to colonise the Swan. The new colony was named Perth, after Perth in Scotland, and its official founding ceremony was held on 12 August 1829.
Due to its isolation, the region was seen as a natural prison, and in June 1850 the first group of convicts was transported to the new colony. For the next 18 years, convicts were used to construct public buildings and roads. As settlers spread into the southwest, convicts were used as their labour force. However, development was slow and it was not until the gold rushes of the 1890s that the colony really began to progress. Today, the state’s prosperity is largely based on its far more technologically advanced mineral boom.
Perth is now a vibrant and modern city, pleasantly sited on the Swan and Canning rivers, with the Indian Ocean to the west and the Darling Ranges to the east. It claims to be the sunniest state capital in Australia, though more striking is its isolation from the rest of the country - Perth being closer to Singapore than to Sydney.
The Swan River links Perth to its port, Fremantle. The western end of Perth rises to the pleasant Kings Park, and then extends to cosmopolitan Subiaco. Further west, suburbs extend as far as Scarborough and Cottesloe beaches on the Indian Ocean. The railway line bounds the city centre on the northern side, with Northbridge immediately north of the line.
Also known as the ‘City of Lights’, Perth is proud of its multicultural heritage which is clearly reflected through the wide range of cuisine available in restaurants and its many speciality stores.
Statistics
Population of Perth / 1,397,918Population of WA / 1,927,322
Population of Australia / 20,188,000 approximately
Land mass of WA / 2,525,500 square kilometres
Land mass of Australia / 7,682,300 square kilometres
Australia is approximately the size of mainland USA, excluding Alaska, and about 24 times the size of the British Isles. Western Australia is the largest mainland state of Australia.
Climate
Perth experiences hot, dry summers and mild, rainy winters. The late afternoon breeze blows in from the sea and is known as the ‘Fremantle Doctor’. The main climate zones in Western Australia are tropical in the north, semi-arid in the interior and mild ‘Mediterranean’ in the southwest.
Summer / December, January, February / Average temperature 30 CAutumn or Fall / March, April, May / Average temperature 24 C
Winter / June, July, August / Average temperature 18 C
Spring / September, October, November / Average temperature 22 C
Dressing for Perth’s weather
Dress in Western Australia is usually relaxed and casual. Jackets and ties are not normally required in restaurants and bars, or when visiting friends. Occasionally, a dress standard of no jeans, thongs/flip-flops or sneakers may be requested. Lightweight clothing is recommended for summer along with sunglasses and a sun hat. In winter jacket, sweater and umbrella are recommended. Children often wear UV suits at the beach to protect against sun damage and schools regularly enforce the wearing of hats at playtime during the summer months.
Time Zones
Perth operates on Western Standard Time (WST) and is 8 hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time (GMT). However, this time difference will vary when the United Kingdom is operating on British Summer Time (BST). Time differences will also vary with the Eastern States when they are on daylight savings time.
Time zones around the world are published in the back pages of your White Pages telephone directory.
Australia has three standard time zones:
EST Eastern Standard Time / Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria & TasmaniaCST Central Standard Time / South Australia and the Northern Territory
WST Western Standard Time / Western Australia
Note: that some townships in the far west of New South Wales, such as Broken Hill, actually operate on CST.
Daylight Savings
During the summer months some states of Australia practice 'daylight savings.' This involves moving clocks forward one hour to gain an 'extra' hour of daylight at the end of the working day. Daylight savings begins at 2am on the last Saturday in October. Daylight savings ends on the last Saturday in March, when clocks are put back one hour (again at 2am).
Western Australia does not adopt Daylight Savings.
During summer months the state of Queensland usually remains on Eastern Standard Time thereby creating a one hour time difference between Queensland and the other Eastern states for the summer period only.
Calendar Dates
Calendar dates in Australia, when abbreviated, are written with the day of the month preceding the month. For example March 4, 2000 would be written 4/3/2000.
Initially this can be confusing, especially if you come from North America where the month precedes the day of the month, so it is wise to confirm dates where there is potential for confusion.
Public Holidays in Perth for 2005
New Years DayNew Years Day Holiday / Saturday1 January
Monday 3 January (in lieu)
Australia Day / Wednesday 26 January
Labour Day / Monday 7 March
Good Friday / Friday 25 March
Easter Monday / Monday 28 March
Anzac Day / Monday 25 April
Foundation Day / Monday 6 June
Queen’s Birthday / Monday 26 September
Christmas Day / Sunday 25 December
Boxing Day
Boxing Day Holiday / Monday26 December
Monday 27 December (in lieu)
Quarantine & Customs
Australia has strict quarantine and customs regulations. Your Crown Moving Consultant will help you with any queries you have regarding quarantine and customs.
Currency
Australian currency consists of coins with values of 5, 10, 20 and 50 cents and One and Two dollars. Notes are issued at values of Five, Ten, Twenty, Fifty and One Hundred dollars. This is based on the decimal system where one hundred cents equals one dollar.
2. SHOPPING
City Shopping
In Perth the main shopping precinct is along the Hay Street and Murray Street malls and the arcades that run between them. St George’s Terrace is the centre of the city’s business district. Major department stores, such as Myer and David Jones are located on Murray Street and Hay Street respectively. Other arcades and malls, containing hundreds of speciality stores, include Piccadilly Arcade, Carillon City, Plaza Arcade, Forrest Place, London Court and Shafto Lane.
Standard Shopping Hours
Monday to Wednesday / 8.30 am – 5.30 pmThursday / 8.30 am – 9 pm
Friday / 8.30 am – 5.30 pm
Saturday / 8.30 am – 5 pm
Sunday Shopping
Sunday shopping is permitted in the City Centre during the hours of noon – 6 pm. Contact individual stores for their Sunday trading hours. Extended shopping hours apply for pre-Christmas shopping.
Metropolitan Shopping
Most suburbs have a local shopping centre or strip mall, which often consists of a row of stores along a street or road.
Mall Shopping
Large shopping complexes or malls, with multiple stores under the one roof and free parking, are:
Garden City Shopping Centre, Riseley Street, Booragoon / 9364 7911Karrinyup Shopping Centre, Karrinyup / 9445 1122
Westfield Carousel Shopping Centre, Albany Hwy, Cannington / 9458 6344
Centro Galleria Shopping Centre, Walter Road, Morley / 9375 3228
Food Shopping
Major supermarket chains for grocery shopping are Woolworth, Coles, Action, Newmart and Dewsons. Trading hours will vary but, in some areas, supermarkets are open until 8 pm.
Local, suburban shopping centres may also have small supermarkets and local corner stores known as delicatessens.
Tipping
Tipping is not as widespread in Australia, as it is in North America, as full wages are paid to employees working in the hospitality and service related industries. You can tip a taxi driver, waiting staff at restaurants, a hotel porter and other service staff in first class hotels. The recipient will generally appreciate your tip. Ten percent is a fair tip and recognises excellent service.
3. BANKING
Banks
Normal banking hours are / 9.30 am to 4 pm Monday to Thursday9.30 am to 5 pm Friday
The major banks have offices in the Perth Central Business District (CBD) and local branches in the suburbs. Automatic Teller Machines (ATM’s) are also available for after hour's withdrawals and deposits. Many different types of savings and cheque accounts are available.
Opening a bank account
To open a bank account in Australia you need to provide ‘100 points’ of identification. Items such as your passport, driver’s licence, Medicare card etc can all contribute to the ‘100 points’.
If you currently hold a bank account in another state of Australia you may simply transfer your account to a local branch, of the same bank, in your new state.
If you have arrived from overseas and wish to open a bank account you can open an account with only your passport as identification providing you do so within 6 weeks of your arrival in Australia. After the 6 weeks you will need to provide ‘100 points’ of identification and should therefore take your passport and drivers licence with you when you go to open the account.
ANZ / Customer Banking Enquiries / 131 314Bankwest / Customer Service Centre / 131 718
Commonwealth Bank / Customer Service Centre / 132 221
National Australia Bank / General Enquiries / 132 265
Westpac/Challenge Bank / Customer Service Line / 131 862
ATM - Automatic Teller Machines
ATM’s allow you to deposit and withdraw cash sums during and after bank trading hours. You will find ATM’s in front of most bank branches and increasingly they are being positioned in shopping malls, airports, hotel lobbies and other convenient locations. On request your bank will issue you with an ATM card, which will be linked to one of your accounts.
Do not write your PIN (personal identification number) in your wallet or purse and notify your bank immediately if you lose your ATM card. Many banks’ ATM’s are interchangeable, ie you can withdraw cash from a Commonwealth Bank ATM with a Westpac card, but you may incur an additional fee for this type of transaction.
EFTPOS - Electronic Fund Transfer Point of Sale
EFTPOS allows you to pay for goods and services by making a direct transfer from your bank account to the service provider. EFTPOS is a convenient and increasingly common way to pay for groceries, petrol and a wide range of retail products.
Credit Cards
Visa, MasterCard, Bankcard and American Express credit cards are widely accepted in Australia. Many credit cards are linked to loyalty systems where you can accrue frequent flyer points and other awards.
Cheque Accounts (Check Accounts)
Many savings accounts offer a cheque account option, although cheques will attract additional bank fees. Cheque cashing privileges may be arranged at some grocery stores. To ‘cross a cheque’ means to make a cheque ‘not negotiable’. This measure prevents any person, or company, from cashing the cheque at a bank counter. The cheque must be paid into a bank account. Two lines and/or the words ‘not negotiable’ are written across the face of the cheque. Cheques should always be made ‘not negotiable’ for safety purposes unless you wish to exchange the cheque for cash at the bank. When you deposit a cheque to your bank account the funds are typically not available to you until the cheque has been processed or ‘cleared’. This takes three business days.
Telephone Banking
Many banks provide telephone-banking facilities that allow you to transfer funds between accounts, pay bills and pay credit cards by telephone. Contact your bank for details.
Bill Pay (Bpay)
Bpay is a telephone banking service that allows you to pay bills by direct transfer from your bank account. Bpay is a convenient method for paying utility bills such as telephone, power, gas and water.