6 days in Perth, Australia- 5/22- 5/27/2024

Day 2-Downtown Perth-5/23/2024

London Court is one of Perth's most distinctive and beloved landmarks. It's a shopping arcade that feels like stepping back in time. London Court was the brainchild of Claude de Bernales, a wealthy gold financier and businessman. He was one of the most prominent figures in Western Australian mining. De Bernales conceived the arcade as an important link between the city's main retail street (Hay Street Mall) and its major business street (St George's Terrace).

It was intended to be both a commercial hub and a residential building, originally featuring 53 shops and 24 residential flats. Construction began in 1936 and the court was officially opened on July 29, 1937. It was a major event in Perth, celebrated with a three-day "Ye Olde English Fayre." De Bernales aimed to bring a piece of Old World European charm to the heart of the modernizing city of Perth, hence the intricate, themed design.

The most striking feature of London Court is its architectural style, a meticulous recreation of Mock-Tudor/Elizabethan England. The design is a faithful and whimsical imitation of 16th-century English architecture, featuring half-timbered facades, gabled roofs, gargoyles, masks, shields, and decorative lead lighting in the windows.

The entrances on both Hay Street Mall and St George's Terrace are marked by large, wrought-iron gates.

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While the building once housed apartments, London Court today functions primarily as a two-level, open-air pedestrian thoroughfare and retail destination.

The court is home to dozens of smaller, independent shops and boutiques. These commonly include: Souvenir Shops and novelty gift stores,  Antique and Jewelry Stores (often selling vintage or unique pieces), Cafes and Coffee Shops (popular for taking a break during the workday),  and Specialty Retailers selling accessories, chocolates, and unique wares.

London Court is protected by a Heritage Council of Western Australia classification and remains one of Perth's premier tourist attractions, offering a nostalgic and charming shopping experience.

The feeling of "walking through the past" comes from the total commitment to the Tudor Revival style. It's not just a facade; it's a completely immersive atmosphere created by details such as The Scale of the walkway is deliberately narrow, mimicking the ancient, winding "lanes" or "courts" of medieval European cities, which makes the outside world feel far away.

The Timber Framing: The black-and-white half-timbering (mock-Tudor) on the shop fronts and upper levels instantly transports you to 16th-century England.

Features like the wrought-iron signs, the leadlight windows, the lanterns, complete the illusion, making it feel like a set from an old English play.

We are now at the northern end of London Court, opening out onto the Hay Street Mall. This end of the arcade is designed to be the main retail entry from the bustling Hay Street Mall, and it embodies the peak of the court's theatrical Tudor styling.

High up on the first-floor level, perched in a small bastion tower, is the statue of Dick Whittington and his Cat. The statue looks down the length of the arcade, "gazing down on the shoppers below."  Richard Whittington, a real medieval figure, a wealthy merchant, and four-time Lord Mayor of London. He is famously known through the English folklore story of Dick Whittington, a poor boy who seeks his fortune in London with the help of his cat.

We are in the heart of the CBD (downtown) Perth  Williams street and straight ahead the tall building you see is the Palace Tower (also known as 108 St Georges Terrace), sits right on the corner of Williams Street and St Georges Terrace. This is considered one of the most central and prestigious intersections in Perth's financial and business district.

The former Palace Hotel at the corner of William Street and St Georges Terrace has a dramatic and fascinating history that reflects Perth's major economic booms and its fight to save its architectural heritage. Opened in 1897, during the height of the Western Australian Gold Rush. It was commissioned by American entrepreneur John De Baun and designed by architects Porter and Thomas in the Federation Free Classical style. When it opened, it was renowned for its lavish amenities, including marble stairs, the first electric lift (elevator) in Australia, electric lights in all 216 rooms, a bathroom on every corridor, and materials imported from overseas, such as Italian marble for the fireplaces. It was a social and political hub for the city's elite.

 The office of the Woods Bagot Perth Studio is physically located within the preserved, heritage-listed section of the structure, known as the Palace Hotel building (the three-story classical façade). Woods Bagot was the interior designer for the recent major refurbishment of the lobby and communal spaces for the entire skyscraper, which is officially known as Palace Tower (or 108 St Georges Terrace). Their studio location at the base of the tower is frequently described as being "in the heritage listed 'Palace Hotel' building."

The Trinity Uniting Church in Perth is a remarkable heritage building that is indeed dramatically framed by the modern skyscrapers of the central business district (CBD). The church is located at 72 St Georges Terrace in the heart of Perth's financial district. Its survival is a striking example of a 19th-century colonial building that has been preserved despite the intense commercial development that has surrounded it, and it is dwarfed by the modern surrounding towers.

In the early 1980s, instead of demolishing the church for a high-rise office tower (a plan which was considered), a modified redevelopment scheme was adopted. This resulted in the construction of the Trinity Arcade to the rear, which links St Georges Terrace and Hay Street and wraps around the historic church group. This solution helped preserve the church while generating income for its restoration. Since 1977, following the merger of Congregational, Methodist, and Presbyterian churches, it has operated as the Trinity Uniting Church and is a central part of the Uniting Church in the City initiative.

The "Judith" sculpture serves as a memorial to the resilience of families during the Great Depression and the connection between art and the community. In 1936, nine-year-old Judith Fyfe and her family were struggling after her father lost his job. They found cheap lodgings in a caretaker's flat on the top floor of the building right above where the sculpture now sits on Howard Street.  Artist Karin Tulloch had a studio nearby and young Judith was hired to model for her and would sit patiently for the artist over three wintry months. The original plaster sculpture was created in 1936, but due to the outbreak of World War II, it was never cast in bronze and shipped to Britain as planned. The plaster original was eventually gifted to the model, Judith Fyfe. Over 70 years later, Judith Fyfe (by then Judith Anketell) donated the original plaster to the City of Perth. The City then commissioned the work to be finally cast in bronze in 2008 and installed near her childhood home on Howard Street, bringing the artwork "home."

The Wesley Church in Perth is located at the intersection of William and Hay Streets, is a prominent example of Victorian Academic Gothic Revival architecture. It is one of the oldest church buildings and one of the few remaining 19th-century colonial buildings in the City of Perth. The church is built of load-bearing brick laid in a Flemish bond pattern. The bricks, fired at varying temperatures, create a visually appealing, slightly checkered or mellow-toned effect on the walls

The church features a landmark bell tower and a tall, elegant spire that was originally about 115 ft. high.

In 1968, the Meckering earthquake caused structural damage. The top portion of the steeple was removed, and the damaged section was replaced with a copper cone. The original bell was removed from the tower for safety and is now mounted on display outside on the Hay Street side of the church. The spire is topped with a copper weathercock. The building stands next to and is integrated with the modern Wesley Quarter shopping precinct and the Wesley Centre office tower, creating a juxtaposition of historic and contemporary city architecture.

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