Originally discovered by the Dutch in 1616, the first settlements by Europeans were made by the British in the 1820's. On the 1st of June, 1829, Captain James Stirling founded the Swan River Colony, which was later to become the state's capital city of Perth. The colony originally adopted a policy of no convicts, but a lack of population growth overturned the decision. Eventually convicts were sent to help build infrastructure and buildings. The name of Perth was bestowed upon the colony as a tribute to Sir George Murray who, at the time was the secretary of state for the colonies, and who sat in the House Of Commons as member for the old Scottish capital of Perthshire. To the right is all that remains of the old Pensioner Guard Barracks, now known as Barracks Arch, located at the west end of St Georges Terrace in Perth's CBD.

Western Australia's economy is based largely on unprocessed primary products - Agriculture / Horticulture, mining, forestry and fishing. Minerals including oil and natural gas have gained increased importance, with WA looking set to be the major natural gas provider to much of Asia. The tourism industry has taken off in the past decade, with the world waking up to the fact that WA is one of the last frontiers of exploration left on the planet. Health technologies is also another emerging industry. Western Australia has had a AAA credit rating for the last 10 years, confirming that WA is a great place to do business.

Australian currency is decimal. Notes include $5, $10, $20, $50, $100 and coins 5c, 10c, 20c, 50c, $1 and $2. Banks are open from 9.30AM - 4.00PM Monday to Thursday and 9.30AM to 5.00PM on Fridays. Automatic Teller Machines are available at any time and are located at most shopping centres in each town.

Foreign exchange is available at city banks, major hotels, Thomas Cook offices, American Express offices, the Perth International Airport and Foreign Currency Exchange.

Tipping is not a necessary part of social culture in Western Australia and most major credit cards are accepted throughout the State. Use the form below to see what your currency is worth in Australian dollars.

Being the fastest growing state in Australia, the unemployment level is also the lowest at around 7%. There is plenty of work in the hospitality and construction industries with high paying salaries. Due to the weaker Australian dollar, overseas visitors have the opportunity to earn quite a lot of money on a working holiday. To search for available jobs in Western Australia, visit the jobsearch website, which lists every advertised job with Social Security.

2 500 000 sq/km

2 400 000

Numbat

Kangaroo Paw

Black Swan

+8 hours GMT

+61 (Country) - 8 (State)

Largest amount of mineral deposits in the world.

Mount Augustus is the largest rock in the world. 8000m long, 3000m wide and 377m high. 

The northern waters are home to the largest fish in the world - the Whale Shark at up to 13m long. 

Some of the best and largest surfing waves in the world can be found near Margaret River. 

The highest standard of housing in the world - 5 bedroom, 2 bathroom homes with swimming pools are very common. 

Has more cars and road space per capita than any other place in the world. 

Broome is the pearling capital of the world. 

The Busselton Jetty is the longest wooden jetty in the Southern Hemisphere. 

The Ningaloo Reef is the largest coral reef (stretching 260 km in length) that you can walk to directly from the beach. 

Burger King is known as "Hungry Jack's" with the same logo's and style with one exception, the "Aussie Burger" which features, Beetroot, Egg, Bacon, Onions, Tomato and Lettuce. It's a really big burger... 

Telethon, held once a year on TV station Channel 7, is the most successful in the world, raising more money per capita than any other similar event in the world.