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The Esplanade Reserve in Perth, Western Australia, was a heritage listed public space between Perth Water and the Perth central business district.^[1] The public space was resumed by the Western Australian state government in April 2012 as part of the Elizabeth Quay redevelopment of the Perth waterfront area.^[2]^[3]

Established in 1880 on land reclaimed from the Perth Water northern shore between the William Street and Barrack Street jetties, adjacent hotels, railway stations and other features have used the term Esplanade to show their link to the space.^[4] The road along the northern boundary of that space is still, as of May 2022^[update], called The Esplanade.

History

The Perth Water northern edge from Mount Eliza in Kings Park to The Causeway has been extensively modified by landfill along the original pre-European river shore. Many projects and constructions on the Esplanade area and adjacent areas have significantly reflected the changing identity of Perth.^[5]

The Esplanade was developed in the 1870s to provide a site of active recreation for the inhabitants of the city. The idea of a site closer to the administrative and residential heart of the city had been a matter of concern since at least 1864, when a fund for the establishment of a new recreation ground was established.^[6] A recreation ground, now Wellington Square, was included in the original town plan, but was considered too far for most people to walk to and was largely undeveloped. Around 1867–1868 stones were placed in the river to mark out the edge of the reclamation but little other work was undertaken until 1870. Between 1870 and 1878 reclamation was undertaken using mud dredged up from the river bottom (dredging was used to provide crushed oyster shell for marking out roads and pathways) and street sweepings.

It was handed to the City of Perth in 1880 as a Crown Grant in Trust "for the inhabitants of Perth for recreation purposes forever".^[7]^[8]

Since its handover to the City of Perth, it has been the site of many celebrations, protests and national commemorations.^[9]^[10]^[11]^[12]^[13]^[14]^[15]^[16]^[17]

The first major event held on the Esplanade was the 1881 Intercolonial Exhibition, organised by Richard Twopenny and Jules Joubert.^[18]^[19] Joubert, who spent several months in the city to develop and oversee the exhibition, recommended a city baths, and in 1885 the first Perth City Baths were established at the end of the Esplanade Reserve.^[20]

The Perth Bowling Club green was established directly across from the Esplanade Hotel in 1895,^[21]^[22] and the green and players appear regularly in the images created to promote the hotel in later years.

At various stages in its history, the Esplanade was a suggested site of various ideas, even a new town hall.^[23]^[24]

Looking east across The Esplanade in February 2012

Adjoining features

Historical features

Perth City Baths
Perth and Tattersalls Bowling and Recreation Club
Croquet Cub
Bazaar Terrace
1881 Intercolonial Exhibition

Extant features

References

^ "Esplanade Reserve". State Heritage Office. 22 October 2013. Archived from the original on 10 January 2014. Retrieved 10 January 2014.
^ "Perth waterfront works commence". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 26 April 2012. Retrieved 10 January 2014.
^ Courtney Trenwith (26 April 2012). "Work begins on $440 million Perth Waterfront project". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 10 January 2014.
^ The Esplanade Hotel, The New Esplanade, and (until January 2016) Esplanade railway station and the Esplanade Busport
^ http://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/opinion/post/-/blog/talkingpoint/post/36/. Retrieved 27 February 2012. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)^{[dead link‍]}
^ "The Esplanade".
^ http://register.heritage.wa.gov.au/viewplace.html?place_seq%3D32359%26offset%3D9%26view%3Dregentries. Retrieved 10 March 2012. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)^{[dead link‍]} – assessment document 17/10/2003 – page 5 – On 31 March 1880, the partially reclaimed land, officially Reserve 423 and known as the New Recreation Ground, was handed over to the Perth Municipal Council by deed of grant 'for the free recreation and enjoyment of the people forever
^ the land was set aside for the Council in 1878, as a Crown Grant in trust for the purpose of Recreation forever. (Fee Simple not received until 1880) As described in an 1880 illuminated address to the then Governor, Ord, by the Perth City Council – The piece of reclaimed cricket ground, of about 15 acres, by the river side is so centrally and pleasantly situated as certainly to be deserving of improvement by such means as planting trees etc, and we hope here long to see it an ornament to the city, as well as a suitable place for general recreation… page 2, in Lise Summers (2011)Reclamation for recreation, as part of More than grass: exploring the Esplanade, Public Forum: Thursday 10 November 2011 AT 5PM 9th Floor, The New Esplanade Hotel, 18 The Esplanade, Perth – see also http://www.historycouncilwa.org.au/events/forums-and-debates/ Archived 21 March 2012 at the Wayback Machine
^ Celebrating Federation http://henrietta.liswa.wa.gov.au/record=b2948228~S2 Archived 2 April 2015 at the Wayback Machine
^ WW1 Armistice Day celebrations http://henrietta.liswa.wa.gov.au/record=b1952043~S2 Archived 2 April 2015 at the Wayback Machine
^ Protest marches during the 1930s depression http://henrietta.liswa.wa.gov.au/record=b1909491~S2 Archived 4 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine
^ Secession meetings http://henrietta.liswa.wa.gov.au/record=b2402799~S2 Archived 2 April 2015 at the Wayback Machine
^ War time parades http://henrietta.liswa.wa.gov.au/record=b2379799~S2 Archived 2 April 2015 at the Wayback Machine
^ Parades for Royal Visits http://henrietta.liswa.wa.gov.au/record=b2105871~S2 Archived 2 April 2015 at the Wayback Machine
^ Circuses http://henrietta.liswa.wa.gov.au/record=b2424438~S2 Archived 2 April 2015 at the Wayback Machine
^ Malcolm Fraser http://henrietta.liswa.wa.gov.au/record=b1865462~S2 Archived 2 April 2015 at the Wayback Machine
^ America's Cup celebrations http://henrietta.liswa.wa.gov.au/record=b1914173~S2 Archived 2 April 2015 at the Wayback Machine
^ "The Esplanade".
^ Lise Summers, "Hidden Treasure:Exhibiting Western Australia" in Seize the day, Melbourne University Press, 2010
^ "Bathing".
^ Bartletto (1895), Opening of Perth Bowling Club, Esplanade – Sir John Forrest, President, retrieved 18 June 2012
^ "Final match for the "Wood" bowling trophy. Played on the Perth Esplanade green on Saturday afternoon". Western Mail. Perth: National Library of Australia. 12 March 1904. p. 26. Retrieved 18 June 2012.
^ "Move for New Perth town Hall:: Scandal of Overcrowded Hospital". The Daily News. Perth: National Library of Australia. 1 March 1935. p. 1 Edition: LATE CITY. Retrieved 18 June 2012. Premier Collier in 1935 suggesting a new town hall might be accommodated
^ "PERTH TOWN HALL". The West Australian. Perth: National Library of Australia. 30 December 1946. p. 16 Edition: SECOND EDITION. Retrieved 10 January 2014.