Perth's Physical Characteristics

Question 1

Site Characteristics

Answer 1

Topography:
Perth ranges in height from 0 to 60 metres asl. The land, located on the Swan Coastal Plain, tends to be gently undulating.

Soils:
Perth’s soils are generally sandy, but there are areas of poorly drained wetlands resulting in alluvial soils near the swan and canning river flood plains.

Vegetation:
Inland there are large areas of forest, such as the John Forest national park at Mundaring Weir

Question 2

Situation Characterisitics

Answer 2

Latitude & Longitude:
Perth is situated at 31o 57’S 115o 51’E

Distance & Direction from major Landmarks:
- Perth is located:
- 2 700km west of Adelaide
- 180km north of Bunbury
- 424km south of Geraldton

• Perth’s CBD is located:
  
  • 14km east of the Indian Ocean
    
    • 17km upstream to the north-east of Fremantle Port

Question 3

External Morphology

Answer 3

In Perth, the cultural value and belief of the ‘Australian Dream’, which meant owning your own home on a large block of land, along with a high desire for coastal living among other factors, has resulted in a low density sprawling city that covers a large area. A settlement’s external boundary is usually when there is a change from urban land to undeveloped land, such as regional reserves or rural farming land. Perth’s external morphology can be broadly described as semi-stellate (star-shaped) in shape, which is slowly becoming more rectangular over time due to the urban infill taking place between the corridors of the Indian Ocean and the Darling Scarp.

The 1970s Corridor Plan largely created the original semi-stellate shape of Perth as it aimed to develop equal growth of the city along four major corridors, north towards Joondalup, east towards Midland, southeast towards Armadale, and south towards Rockingham. The extent of the urban area is approximately 1600 km^2. Satellite communities, which are pockets of smaller urban developments, separated from the main part of the urban area, are also visible throughout the Perth region (these include places like Ellenbrook and Byford).

Greater Perth has more than 350 suburbs and is divided into 30 local government areas. The metropolitan boundary stretches from Two Rocks in the north to Singleton in the south, and to Two Lakes in the east. It covers approximately 6400km^2 which encompasses the residential, rural-residential and rural areas, with some commercial and industrial land uses.