Perth in 2029: Bicentennial Dream – 1929 Australian Futurist Cityscape
Before you stands a remarkable piece of Australian speculative illustration — a bird's-eye vision of Perth as imagined from the centenary year of 1929, projecting exactly one hundred years forward to 2029. A massive flying boat dominates the foreground, flanked by sleek monoplanes and a distant dirigible, all soaring above a densely built Perth cityscape threaded by rivers and bridges. The work captures the era's boundless optimism for aerial civilization with disciplined draftsmanship and photomechanical reproduction.
The illustration is disciplined and technically grounded rather than lurid or sensational, reflecting a journalistic futurism common to civic centenary publications. Its charm lies in its earnest civic pride rather than wild imagination — an architect's dream rather than a pulp artist's fever.
“PERTH IN 2029. A Bicentennial Dream.”
