Northbridge

Northbridge is an inner city suburb of Perth, Western Australia, historically separated from Perth's central business district by the Fremantle and Joondalup railway lines.

Northbridge is an inner city suburb of Perth, Western Australia, historically separated from Perth's central business district by the Fremantle and Joondalup railway lines. It is part of the City of Perth local government area.

The area now known as Northbridge originally hosted freshwater swamps where the current railway station and railway lines are.Draining of the swamps commenced in the 1860s, by convict labour, facilitating the construction of more permanent buildings. The gold boom of the 1890s saw the construction of many hotels for the accommodation of prospectors, including The Great Western Hotel (built 1896, now the Brass Monkey Hotel). The 1890s saw the area home to the state attorney-general and many other wealthy or influential people.Several private schools were also established in the late colonial area, such as Scotch College (1897) and Presbyterian Ladies' College (1915). These schools have since relocated. Around the time of World War I, the area became a hub of European immigration, especially Greek and Macedonian.In the 1950s and 60s post-war European migration changed the culture of the city, creating an al-fresco lifestyle of restaurants, cafes and bars that people enjoy today.The area was once a part of the Perth central business district, and was known by informal names such as "North of the Bridge" and "North of the [railway] Line". It was split from Perth and officially gazetted as a suburb in 1982.