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Our Constitution

Perth, 1895, by Albert C CookeAlbert Cooke captured the changing skyline of Perth in this lithograph

The goldrush changed the face of Western Australia. On the goldfields towns sprang up overnight.

The population of Western Australia quadrupled in just ten years.  Perth went from a relatively small town to a bustling city with impressive new buildings.  The ``West End" of Fremantle was rebuilt with ornate warehouses reflecting the new wealth.

Views across Fremantle, 1832 and 1890s The view to and from the Roundhouse shows the degree of change in sixty years.  The painting by G. F. Dashwood in 1832 (above) shows the rudimentary buildings established in the first years of settlement.  By the end of the nineteenth century, Fremantle had become a thriving centre in its own right.

Inquirer and Daily News Offices, St Georges Terrace 1860 and circa 1900. Rapid and extensive population growth meant a larger market for newspapers. Increased business was reflected in the building of new offices.