:Northbridge, Western Australia

Located immediately north of the CBD, Northbridge is officially bounded by William Street, Roe Street, Newcastle Street and the Mitchell Freeway.

The name Northbridge is often misapplied to areas and landmarks east of William Street and/or north of Newcastle Street,{{citation needed|date=September 2021}} such as the Perth Cultural Centre, which are technically still part of the suburb of Perth.

The area is accessible by foot from Perth railway station and Perth Busport. It is served by a free Central Area Transit bus and also has a significant number of public car parks, both open and high rise.

The area is largely a mix of commercial, public and residential properties.

The area now known as Northbridge originally hosted freshwater swamps where the current railway station and railway lines are.{{cite web|url=http://www.abc.net.au/local/photos/2008/07/28/2316570.htm|title=The swampy history of Northbridge|author=Matthew Perkins|website=Australian Broadcasting Corporation|date=14 August 2008}}

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).{{Cite web |title=Brass Monkey |url=https://heritageperth.com.au/properties/brass-monkey/ |access-date=2020-06-11 |website=Heritage Perth|publisher=City of Perth}} 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.{{LandInfo WA|m|N|2008-08-31}}

File:Northbridge Piazza.jpg and Lake streets intersection]]

Northbridge presently is a multicultural precinct, and contains a wide array of cuisine, including Asian and Mediterranean cuisine, and contains Perth's main nightlife district, which is centred on James Street and Lake Street. Northbridge's restaurant, cafe and bar scene varies from laneway bars and hole in the wall eateries, to prominent multi storey venues such as the Brass Monkey and Metro City concert club. Northbridge also hosts Perth's main Chinatown area centred around Chung Wah Lane.{{cite web |url=http://www.mra.wa.gov.au/projects-and-places/chinatown |title=MRA - making great places in Perth |website=www.mra.wa.gov.au |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141108064606/http://www.mra.wa.gov.au/projects-and-places/chinatown |archive-date=2014-11-08}}

The area has a historical connection to the Greek and Italian communities, with Perth's first Orthodox Church located on Parker Street.{{cite journal|url=http://web.usm.my/ijaps/articles/IJAPS-7%281%29-Art1-1-253.pdf|title=Community engagement, heritage and rediscovering a sense of place in Northbridge, Perth, Australia|last=Morel-EdnieBrown|first=Felicity|journal=International Journal of Asia-Pacific Studies|volume=7|issue=1|pages=1–25|date=January 2011|issn=1823-6243}}{{cite journal|title=Cosmopolitan Northbridge: A changing inner-city ethnic landscape|last=Jordan|first=Kirrily|author2=Collins, Jock |journal=Northbridge Studies Day Papers|year=2009|publisher=Network Books|pages=249–275|isbn=978-1-920845-51-3}}

The main public open space area in the suburb is at Russell Square. The Northbridge Piazza also serves as an open air communal space, which has been used as a venue to show free movies, live music performances, and broadcasts of popular sporting events.{{Cite web |url=https://www.perth.wa.gov.au/northbridge-piazza |title=Northbridge Piazza | City of Perth |access-date=26 May 2017 |archive-date=17 March 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170317001228/https://www.perth.wa.gov.au/northbridge-piazza |url-status=dead }}

In March 2018, Yagan Square was officially opened, a new public space between the CBD and Northbridge. The Digital Tower, the Marketplace and recreational areas are now available for tourists and residents.

File:Old Tower House, Northbridge.jpg

In the early 2000s the Northbridge History Project was supported by the Government of Western Australia, on the recommendation of a report to the Premier Richard Court. The project finished in 2010.

Northbridge History Study Days were conducted in 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2010.{{cite web |url=http://www.northbridgehistory.wa.gov.au/Pages/NorthbridgeHistoryStudiesDay.aspx |title=Northbridge History Project - Northbridge History Studies Day |website=www.northbridgehistory.wa.gov.au |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140126081502/http://www.northbridgehistory.wa.gov.au/Pages/NorthbridgeHistoryStudiesDay.aspx |archive-date=2014-01-26}}

During the project duration publications were produced, and an archive of the project was made, with publications and reports available on the project website.{{cite web |url=http://www.northbridgehistory.wa.gov.au/Pages/Publications.aspx |title=Northbridge History Project - Publications |website=www.northbridgehistory.wa.gov.au |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140126081534/http://www.northbridgehistory.wa.gov.au/Pages/Publications.aspx |archive-date=2014-01-26}}{{Citation | author1=Newport, Tanya | author2=Morel-EdnieBrown, Felicity | author3=Western Australia. Dept. of the Premier and Cabinet | title=Northbridge : guide to sources 2006 | publication-date=2006 | publisher=Dept. of the Premier and Cabinet | url=http://trove.nla.gov.au/work/28561838 | access-date=24 March 2013 }}

The book published in 2009 compiling the Study Days papers{{Citation | author1=Yiannakis, John N | author2=Morel-EdnieBrown, Felicity | author3=Nile, Richard, 1958- | title=Northbridge studies day papers | year=2009 | publication-date=2009 | publisher=Network Books | isbn=978-1-920845-51-3 }} had the following items from two years:

• Felicity Morel-EdnieBrown The swamp stealers : topography and change in Northbridge
• Jenny Gregory Northbridge and Carlton : ethnoscapes of consumption?
• Susanna Iuliano Espresso bar lifestyle : Italian migrants and cafe culture in Northbridge, Western Australia
• Nonja Peters On the street where you live : inner city immigrant enterprise
• John N. Yiannakis 'The chicken of the egg', Greek settlement in Northbridge : Greeks in metropolitan Western Australia

File:Northbridge Sign.jpg

• Emma Benichou Northbridge through the eyes of a 'Flaneur'
• Geoffrey Bolton Northbridge as microcosm
• Richard Offen Northbridge heritage : friend or foe
• Peter Conole The Northbridge era in Western Australian policing
• Bobbie Oliver 'Be workmen true, to workmen still', labor history and heritage in Northbridge
• Keith B. Shilkin Jewish Northbridge
• Christine Choo Socially and economically disadvantaged in Northbridge : a recent history (1960s-2007)
• Kirrily Jordan and Jock Collins Cosmopolitan Northbridge : a changing inner-city ethnic landscape

• {{legend2|#004e93}} Blue CAT Perth Busport to Kings Park (free service) – serves Fitzgerald Street and Aberdeen Street{{Cite Transperth bus|P-CAT|2=}}

Bus routes serving Fitzgerald Street:

• {{legend2|#929800}} 19 Perth Busport to Flinders Square{{Cite Transperth bus|19}}
• {{legend2|#929800}} 360 and 361 Perth Busport to Alexander Heights Shopping Centre (limited stops){{Cite Transperth bus|360}}{{Cite Transperth bus|361}}
• {{legend2|#929800}} 362 Perth Busport to Ballajura (limited stops){{Cite Transperth bus|362}}
• {{legend2|#008F9C}} 960 Curtin University Bus Station to Mirrabooka Bus Station (high frequency){{Cite Transperth bus|960}}

The former separation of the Perth CBD and Northbridge has been changed through the Perth City Link project - which saw the former railway yard that was just to the west of the Perth railway station changed to an urban development project. Northbridge now connects through to the Perth CBD through Yagan Square and Manatj Park.{{Cite web |title=Perth City Link - Overview |url=https://developmentwa.com.au/projects/redevelopment/perth-city-link/overview |access-date=2022-04-09 |website=DevelopmentWA - Shaping our State's future |language=en}}

Notable people from or who have lived in Northbridge include:

• Gum Yuen (1875 – 1943), Chinese Australian furniture maker and restaurateur

{{gallery

|align=centre

|width=242

|height=160

|File:Northbridge Sign and The Rechabite.jpg

|Sign and Rechabite

|File:View from William Street, Northbridge.jpg

|View of TAFE buildings across William Street

|File:Russell Square Perth 9261.jpg

|Gazebo in centre of Russell Square

|File:Public art - Arch, Northbridge.jpg

|Arch before it was removed

|File:St Brigid's Church with St Brigid's School.jpg

|St Brigid's church and school

|File:Cathedral of Saints Constantine and Helene, Northbridge.jpg

|Greek Orthodox Cathedral of Saints Constantine and Helene

}}

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• {{cite web |title=Three Boys Living in Lake Street: 1941-1967 |first=Con |last=Christ |date=2018-08-28 |website=City of Vincent |url=https://www.vincent.wa.gov.au/Profiles/vincent/Assets/ClientData/Documents/Local_History_Awards/Christ__Con_Three_little_boys_living_in_Lake_St.pdf |access-date=2021-01-28 }}

{{Refend}}

• [https://web.archive.org/web/20070830134847/http://northbridgehistory.wa.gov.au/ The Northbridge History Project]

{{subject bar |auto=y |portal1=Western Australia |portal2=Geography }}

{{City of Perth suburbs}}

{{Perth landmarks}}

Category:Restaurant districts and streets in Australia

Category:Suburbs of Perth, Western Australia

Category:Suburbs in the City of Perth