Perth

In 1829, the British Empire proclaimed the Colony of Western Australia, and added one million square miles of territory to Britain's overseas possessions. By this act, the entire continent of Australia became a British Territory. But the English settlers who came to Western Australia could not cope with the land or its climate. Perth, the capital city, struggled for many years, and was forced to take transported convict labour after the rest of the country had rejected the system. Bill Peach reports on the transformation of Perth into an attractive, prosperous city on the banks of the Swan River.