Swan River Settlement
New Colony
After a little hesitation, the British government agreed to form a colony on the Swan River. They appointed Stirling as Lieutenant-Governor, and he arrived on 1 June 1829 in the transport Parmelia. Ahead of him had come Captain Fremantle to claim New Holland for Britain.
This was done on 2 May 1829.
Stirling soon decided that the port would be at the mouth of the river. It was to be called Fremantle. The capital would be located about twenty kilometres upstream, next to Mt Eliza. It would be called Perth after a city in Scotland.
A simple ceremony to mark the foundation of Perth was held on 12 August of the same year. As part of it, Mrs Helen Dance chopped down a small tree. The site can be seen in Barrack Street, near Bank West. A metal plate marking the spot has been placed in the footpath.