City (pop., 1996 est.: 1,097,000), capital of Western Australia state, Australia.
Located on the Swan River 10 mi (16 km) from its mouth, Perth was settled in 1829. It developed rapidly after the discovery of goldfields at Coolgardie in 1890 and the opening of Fremantle Harbor in 1897. It is now a major industrial centre with a rapidly expanding economy. The site of the 1987 America's Cup , it is the seat of the University of Western Australia and Murdoch University.