Perth is a growing city, home to more than two million people, located on the western edge of the Australian mainland. Changes to international flight routes will turn Perth into the gateway to Australia, bringing even more visitors, residents and exciting opportunities.
Western Australia's capital
The state of Western Australia (WA) is almost the size of Western Europe. Here are some other interesting facts:
- WA covers one third of the Australian continent.
- WA spans more than 2.5 million square kilometres (or one million square miles).
- WA is home to more than 2.5 million people, most of them in Perth.
Perth was named by Captain James Stirling in 1829 after Perth, Scotland. It is now known as one of the most liveable cities in the world.
A great place to live… in 2016, Perth was ranked the 7th most liveable city in the world.
Famous for its climate
Perth enjoys more hours of sunshine than any other capital city in Australia.
Perth is also famous for some of the Hollywood stars who were born, raised or studied here including Isla Fisher (The Great Gatsby), Sam Worthington (Avatar) and Melissa George (Mulholland Drive) and the late Heath Ledger (The Dark Knight). Hugh Jackman also spent time in Perth training as a young actor.
The river and the sea
The city of Perth sits on the northern banks of the Swan River, while the suburbs of Perth stretch in all directions to the Darling Range in the east and the Indian Ocean in the west.
Murdoch University is within easy reach of Perth’s city centre and the port city of Fremantle, which is just 15 minutes away. Fremantle is bustling with music, arts and culture, festivals, markets, cafés and restaurants, making it an extremely popular destination for students.
Murdoch University is close to the city centre
Murdoch is a suburb in Perth. Murdoch University is located on South Street in Murdoch. To reach our South Street campus:
- It’s just 11 minutes from the city by train to Murdoch train station, then a quick trip by connecting bus to South Street campus or a 10 minute walk.
- Regular bus services travel past campus.
- If you have access to a car, it’s just 15 minutes drive from the city on Kwinana Freeway (exit South Street).
We have ample parking for all students and there are excellent cycle routes to campus if you chose to ride a bike.
Perth’s location in Australia and the world
If you would like to see more of Australia while you’re here to study, Perth is less than four hours by plane from Sydney and Melbourne.
As one of the closest Australian cities to South-East Asia, Perth is also a great starting point for exploring Australia’s Asian neighbours. Bali is a three-hour flight away and Bangkok, Jakarta, Hong Kong, Kuala Lumpur and Singapore are all within five to seven hours flying distance.
