Christmas of Yesteryear in WA with Richard Offen

When the British arrived in 1829 to colonise Western Australia, they brought with them many of the ancient customs, one of which was the celebration of the Christian festival of Christmas. However, due to the harsh conditions and lack of much infrastructure, the focus on 25th December, 1829 was on survival rather that elaborate festivities.

Slowly, as the colony grew and became established, the old traditions of a British Christmas became a major focus for the people of Perth, but on a hot summer’s day rather than a freezing cold and usually damp one, some customs, such as a hot roast dinner in the middle of the day were adapted to climatic conditions of WA.

In this talk, author Richard Offen looks at the history of how Christmas has been celebrated in Perth since those early days nearly 200 years ago.