Perth’s history is littered with wonderful characters that shaped the city in a multitude of ways. In this talk, Richard Offen will take you on a fascinating journey through the history of Perth, highlighting some of the people who, in their own way, for good or bad, and even sometimes a bit of both, contributed to the way Perth is today. Ladies such as Eliza Shaw, who through her diaries and writings reveals the joys, sorrows and extreme hardships of early life in the Swan River Colony. Then there is Moondyne Joe, the infamous 19th century Houdini, who managed to escape from many of Western Australia’s jails. Were they ‘mad, bad or totally eccentric’? Come along and judge for yourself!

Richard Offen is a historian, lecturer, broadcaster and overall champion for Perth. First visiting our city in 2001, he said it was love at first site so to speak. The weather, open space and greenery within our city are no comparison to gloomy UK and its wet weather, where Offen originates from. Working with Heritage Perth, they aimed to put the expression “Perth has no history” to bed! Developing walking tours around Perth they managed to attract a lot of Perth locals who were interested in knowing more about its history. Richard continues to educate people of Perth’s Heritage through his books “Lost Perth” & “Perth Then and Now”.

Join Richard in The Heritage Collective Theatre for a 1-hour talk, with complimentary glass of wine or non-alcoholic beverage on entry, and another following the talk as you can chat ask Richard questions until 4pm.