The History Of Perth's Kings Park In 1 Minute

Kings Park view over Swan River
Kings Park view over Swan River | © Alan & Flora Botting/Flickr
Ellie Griffiths

Visited by over six million people every year, Perth’s Kings Park is 400.6 hectares of natural bushland and gardens that overlook the city skyline and the Swan River. Home to one of the most extraordinary diverse displays of native wildflowers not found anywhere else in the world, this park is a popular place for walks, picnics and cultural and ceremonial events.
Upon the 1697 Dutch expedition to Western Australia, they climbed to the highest point, being Mount Eliza (the hill that forms part of Kings Park), where they found a large eucalypt up to five metres in diameter. Long after, Jacques Felix Emmanuel, Baron Hamelin ordered a French party to explore the area once again in 1801. Come 1827, Captain James Stirling and Charles Fraser climbed Mount Eliza, and by 1829, they had set aside the area for ‘public purposes’. However, it wasn’t until 1872 that 172 hectares of the reserve were to become a public park.

Boab Tree

Following the establishment of the State Government in 1890, the newly appointed Premier John Forrest began development the same year, introducing park fences at either end of the then-newly constructed Perth Park Road (now known as Poole Avenue, Forrest Drive and Fraser Avenue in different sections). In 1895, the land was named ‘The Perth Park’. By the turn of the millennium, King Edward VII came to the British throne, and to mark this momentous occasion, the park was renamed in 1901 to Kings Park.

The following years saw the addition of a Memorial Statue of Queen Victoria and the Cenotaph of the State War Memorial. In 1965, the State Government opened a 17-hectare Botanic Garden, with the subsequent addition of a DNA Observation Tower and Vistas and playgrounds. Adding to the memorial site, the Flame of Remembrance was officially opened in 2000 by the HM Queen Elizabeth II, and the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island War Service Memorial was presented in 2001. Since then, the park has continued to thrive with several memorial sites, playgrounds, cafés, art shops, a restaurant and so much more to discover.

Kings Park has long been a sacred place to Aboriginal people, and to honour their culture associated with it, the Botanic Gardens and Park Authority are committed to preserving it. In 2008, the estimated 750-year-old Giga Jumulu Boab tree was relocated to Kings Park from the Kimberley as a special gift to Western Australians from the local Indigenous people, the Gija – the traditional land owners.

Since you are here, we would like to share our vision for the future of travel - and the direction Culture Trip is moving in.

Culture Trip launched in 2011 with a simple yet passionate mission: to inspire people to go beyond their boundaries and experience what makes a place, its people and its culture special and meaningful — and this is still in our DNA today. We are proud that, for more than a decade, millions like you have trusted our award-winning recommendations by people who deeply understand what makes certain places and communities so special.

Increasingly we believe the world needs more meaningful, real-life connections between curious travellers keen to explore the world in a more responsible way. That is why we have intensively curated a collection of premium small-group trips as an invitation to meet and connect with new, like-minded people for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in three categories: Culture Trips, Rail Trips and Private Trips. Our Trips are suitable for both solo travelers, couples and friends who want to explore the world together.

Culture Trips are deeply immersive 5 to 16 days itineraries, that combine authentic local experiences, exciting activities and 4-5* accommodation to look forward to at the end of each day. Our Rail Trips are our most planet-friendly itineraries that invite you to take the scenic route, relax whilst getting under the skin of a destination. Our Private Trips are fully tailored itineraries, curated by our Travel Experts specifically for you, your friends or your family.

We know that many of you worry about the environmental impact of travel and are looking for ways of expanding horizons in ways that do minimal harm - and may even bring benefits. We are committed to go as far as possible in curating our trips with care for the planet. That is why all of our trips are flightless in destination, fully carbon offset - and we have ambitious plans to be net zero in the very near future.

Culture Trip Spring Sale

Save up to $1,100 on our unique small-group trips! Limited spots.

X
Edit article