Riverside Drive in

Perth Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia. It is the fourth most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a population of 2.1 million (80% of the state) living in Greater Perth in 2020. Perth is ...

, Western Australia, is a road on the northern side of

Perth Water Perth Water is a section of the Swan River on the southern edge of the central business district of Perth, Western Australia. It is between the Causeway to the east, and Narrows Bridge to the west – a large wide but shallow section of river, ...

. It was built on reclaimed land in the 1930s, and links

The Causeway The Causeway is an arterial traffic crossing in Perth, Western Australia, linking the inner-city suburbs of East Perth and Victoria Park. It is carried over the Swan River at the eastern end of Perth Water by two bridges on either side of He ...

to the Narrows Bridge.

Route description

Riverside Drive is part of State Route 5. It begins at the intersection of

Adelaide Terrace Adelaide Terrace is a major arterial road through the central business district of Perth, Western Australia. It runs parallel to the Swan River, linking St Georges Terrace with The Causeway. Route description Adelaide Terrace's eastern end is ...

, and Hay Street, which is a

traffic light Traffic lights, traffic signals, or stoplights – known also as robots in South Africa are signalling devices positioned at intersection (road), road intersections, pedestrian crossings, and other locations in order to control flows of traf ...

controlled raindrop roundabout. Riverside Drive heads west-north-west, parallel to the edge of Perth Water and the city's other arterial roads. It passes by Langley Park and the Supreme Court gardens before reaching

Barrack Street Barrack Street is one of two major cross-streets in the Perth central business district, central business district of Perth, Western Australia. Together with St Georges Terrace, Wellington Street, Perth, Wellington Street and William Street, Pe ...

and the

Barrack Street Jetty Barrack Street Jetty is located on the edge of Perth Water on the Swan River in Perth, Western Australia. It is no longer used on the Transperth ferry service between the Perth central business district and South Perth, having been replaced o ...

. Until 26 January 2014, it continued through to William Street alongside the former site of The Esplanade, now the location of

Elizabeth Quay Elizabeth Quay is a mixed-use development project in the Perth#cbd, Perth central business district. Focusing on an area located on the north shore of Perth Water near the landmark Swan Bells, the precinct being developed by the project was nam ...

. Ramps to the

Kwinana Freeway The Kwinana Freeway is a freeway in and beyond the southern suburbs of Perth, Western Australia, linking central Perth with Mandurah to the south. It is the central section of State Route 2, which continues north as Mitchell Freeway to Cl ...

and from the

Mitchell Freeway The Mitchell Freeway is a freeway in the northern suburbs of Perth, Western Australia, linking central Perth with the city of Joondalup. It is the northern section of State Route 2, which continues south as Kwinana Freeway and Forrest High ...

connect to the intersection with William Street, with Riverside Drive's former western section continuing as a one-way road south-westbound, following the Swan River and passing beneath the Narrows Bridge, before ending at the Point Lewis Roundabout on

Mounts Bay Road Mounts Bay Road is a major road in Perth, Western Australia, extending southwest from the central business district along the north bank of the Swan River, at the base of Kings Park. Route description Mounts Bay Road runs between William Str ...

that section now named Birdiya Drive

Noongar The Noongar (, also spelt Noongah, Nyungar , Nyoongar, Nyoongah, Nyungah, Nyugah, and Yunga ) are Aboriginal Australian peoples who live in the south-west corner of Western Australia, from Geraldton on the west coast to Esperance on the so ...

for Elders.

History

Riverside Drive which was planned in 1903, but which was not completed until the 1930s due to the need to have reclaimed land on which to build the road. Construction of the road in the 1930s was seen as a threat to the

lightering Lightering (also called lighterage) is the process of transferring cargo between vessels of different sizes, usually between a barge (lighter) and a bulker or oil tanker. Lightering is undertaken to reduce a vessel's draft so it can enter port facil ...

trade on the Swan River between Perth and

Fremantle Fremantle () () is a port city in Western Australia, located at the mouth of the Swan River in the metropolitan area of Perth, the state capital. Fremantle Harbour serves as the port of Perth. The Western Australian vernacular diminutive for ...

. In the early 20th century the name of the road carried beyond its current length; proposed river-side roads were mentioned for South Perth and the northern shore of the Swan River as far as

Peppermint Grove Peppermint (''Mentha'' × ''piperita'') is a hybrid species of mint, a cross between watermint and spearmint. Indigenous to Europe and the Middle East, the plant is now widely spread and cultivated in many regions of the world.Euro+Med Plantbas ...

Perth Australia Day 2015 crowds riverside drive

Plans to widen were proposed in 1985 and in 1986. Significant changes in the landscaping along Riverside Drive were made in 1999. At times of heavy rains and the Swan River flooding, Riverside Drive has been affected seriously, in the 1930s and 1940s as well as more recently.

Section closure

Riverside Drive was closed for the

Australia Day Australia Day is the official national day of Australia. Observed annually on 26 January, it marks the 1788 landing of the First Fleet at Sydney Cove and raising of the Union Flag by Arthur Phillip following days of exploration of Port Ja ...

celebrations and

fireworks Fireworks are a class of Explosive, low explosive Pyrotechnics, pyrotechnic devices used for aesthetic and entertainment purposes. They are most commonly used in fireworks displays (also called a fireworks show or pyrotechnics), combining a l ...

on 26 January 2014, however unlike other roads in the area, it remained closed between Barrack Street and William Street due to the construction of

. Several groups and individuals have previously raised concerns about the impact on the Perth road network resulting from the diversion of Riverside Drive traffic around the new Elizabeth Quay inlet. The mayors of seven surrounding local government areas issued a joint statement stressing the importance of completing certain roadworks prior to the diversion of Riverside Drive. The

Graham Farmer Freeway Graham Farmer Freeway is a inner-city freeway in Perth, Western Australia. It links Rivervale and Burswood with West Perth and Leederville, providing an east-west bypass of Perth's central business district. The freeway, in conjunction wi ...

has had additional lanes installed in the Northbridge Tunnel to encourage motorists to bypass the city. The

Royal Automobile Club The Royal Automobile Club is a British private social and athletic club. It has two clubhouses: one in London at 89 Pall Mall, and the other in the countryside at Woodcote Park, near Epsom in Surrey. Both provide accommodation and a range o ...

raised early concerns that loss of the emergency lanes might affect emergency response times. Although a tunnel, either under the inlet or as part of one of the suggested alternative schemes, has previously been dismissed, the suggestion that a tunnel might be built at some time in the future has not been totally dismissed. In January 2014 the Opposition again raised concerns that the closure would lead to further congestion, but the

Metropolitan Redevelopment Authority The Metropolitan Redevelopment Authority (MRA) was a statutory authority of the Government of Western Australia. It was established on 1 January 2012 pursuant to the Metropolitan Redevelopment Authority Act 2011 and reported to the Minister ...

were confident that drivers would adapt to the change. In preparation for the closure, Riverside Drive had been reduced by one lane through that section. On 4 November 2021, the western section of Riverside Drive was formally renamed Birdiya Drive to prevent confusion around which section of Riverside Drive to follow. ''Birdiya'' means " elder" or "leader" in the

Noongar language Noongar (; also Nyungar ) is an Australian Aboriginal language or dialect continuum, spoken by some members of the Noongar community and others. It is taught actively in Australia, including at schools, universities and through public broadcastin ...

and was chosen following consultation with the City of Perth Aboriginal Elders Advisory Group.

References

{{Perth CBD Streets Streets in Perth central business district, Western Australia Elizabeth Quay Streets in East Perth, Western Australia

Route description

History

Section closure

See also

References