A huge attraction

A state of enormous size and contrasts, Western Australia makes up roughly
one-third of the Australian continent

Extending over 2.5 million square kilometres, it is separated from the rest of the country by large expanses of desert. In the north, the climate is hot and dry; in the south, where it borders the western edge of the Great Australian Bight, it is cool and wet.

Western Australia has 11 distinct regions. These comprise: the Kimberly in the tropical far north of the state; the Pilbara with its breathtakingly dramatic natural scenery; Gascoyne, with such attractions as the Shark Bay World Heritage area and Ningaloo Marine Park; the Mid-West, centre of the colourful wildflower region; Perth, the capital of Western Australia and a modern, beautiful city; Peel to the immediate south; Heartlands with such attractions as the world-famous Pinnacles; the South-West including the Margaret River wine-making district; and Great Southern region and Esperance in the south-east.

Perth, a city of great charm and elegance, is arranged around the magnificent Swan River. The first major European settlement in Western Australia occurred in May 1829 when a small group of free settlers arrived at Fremantle and travelled 16 kilometres up the Swan to settle near Mount Eliza, the site of today's Kings Park.

The city's growth proved to be exceedingly slow and even as late as 1891 the population of Perth barely exceeded 8000 people. The discovery of gold in the early 1890s in the desert west of Perth brought not only immense prosperity but a swelling population.

The historic maritime village of Fremantle lies 19 kilometres downriver from the Perth CBD. It remains a working port and home of Perth's fishing fleet, bracketed by an atmospheric commercial district laden with beautifully restored nineteenth century buildings. Fremantle was established in May 1829. In the 1980s, with the enormous push into the tourism market occasioned by Australia's win of the America's Cup, Fremantle became the focus of a massive restoration program.

The southern part of Western Australia includes the Margaret River wine district, home to more than 40 wineries. Further south are popular tourist spots Busselton, Albany and Esperance.

The most visited town in the extreme north of the state is Broome. With a richly romantic history as a pearling port, Broome has reinvented itself for tourism. Located at Roebuck Bay at the southern tip of the Kimberley, Broome lies 2200 kilometres north of Perth. In reality,

Broome is closer to Bali than it is to its own capital, so visitors come expecting the last frontier. This is pretty much what they get.

The population of Broome has always been a mixing pot, drawn by the quick fortunes that could be made from pearling. In the boom time, during the years before World War I, more than 400 pearl boats, or luggers, operated. These days, the industry revolves around cultured pearls and visits can be made to cultured pearl farms and the upmarket pearl showrooms in Chinatown.

>> conference and meeting venues in Western Australia.