Crown Perth: Entertainment and hospitality hub celebrates 40th anniversary as it enters new era of growth

Whether you danced to legendary rocker Mick Jagger at the very first Burswood Dome concert in 1988, spent an evening with former US President Bill Clinton at the grand ballroom in 2002, or have gleefully cashed in your beginner’s luck on the casino floor — everyone’s got a Crown Perth story. Some even go back four decades, when the multi-purpose entertainment hub we know today had just been transformed from swampland into the city’s flashy new Burswood Island Casino — then the third largest of its kind in the world. The precinct is proudly celebrating its 40th anniversary, reflecting on a history that has seen its name change several times as it’s introduced fine dining options, a theatre and hotels, and adopt new branding in 2012 under the control of Crown. Perth-raised CEO Brian Pereira recently swapped his own memories at the riverside dwelling with staff members who were present when the doors officially opened on December 30, 1985. Among them was original employee May Wong, who emigrated from Malaysia as a school teacher less than a month before launch and still works there today. “I came in December, and a week later, I saw the opening of the casino, so I straight away applied for a job, any job” she told The Sunday Times. “That’s how I started as a cashier in the buffet, in the centre of the casino.” Somewhat of an icon among her peers, Ms Wong has worked her way up to cage shift manager, responsible for overseeing operations in the casino’s money centre. Observing a host of famous international faces enjoying a flutter over the years, Paul McCartney to name just one, it was a national hero in Shane Warne who rendered her starstruck. “He liked to play on the table, nice guy,” she said coyly. “I just looked at him, in deep gaze.” Ann Joel was responsible for selling the cosmopolitan dream to Perth — and the rest of the world — sent by chief bankroller, businessman Dallas Dempster as far as London and Germany to spruik WA’s state-of-the-art development. And they bought it, with an “extraordinary” turn out in the first few days that kept their roster of 3000 staff, and CEO John Allen, on their feet for hours. “We all had blisters on our feet, we were just here 18 hours a day getting it ready,” she told The Sunday Times. “Even minutes before (opening day), there were brass railings out the front, and they were polishing those at the last second. “It was fabulous, and everybody helped. Even the CEO was down there taking plates from the tables and doing all sorts of things.” While casino guests were treated to a classy and seamless experience, the 50 chefs feeding them were cooking “out the back of an Atco shed” because there were no restaurants, or even a fixed kitchen. Gazing out to the city skyline from Crown Towers’ swanky 15th-floor Crystal Club hideout, she uttered: “I can’t believe being back here, because I’ve been away for 30 years working overseas and other places, and it is very different to come back to”. As casino wardrobe manager and stylist, Lorette Spicer has two roles — ensure employees were immaculately presented at all times, and deliver on her art deco brief under the direction of the CEO, and foreign investment group Genting. “It was the 80s, so it was bright and cheerful and all the rest of it,” she said. “But I think John’s vision and Genting was they wanted something that was very upper class, and the idea was that if it was beautiful on the floor, then the patrons would dress up. “And they did, they really did.” With an employee number that reads like a collector’s card, staff No.16, Ms Spicer took her job so seriously that she copped a regrettable nickname in “the dragon lady” — only informed of it by her daughter, who was also an employee. She said a sense of “Australiana” slowly crept into the uniforms, relaxing dress standards for both staff and patrons. Unfortunately for incumbent CEO Mr Pereira, they weren’t quite relaxed enough by the time he turned 18 and attempted to enter the casino for the first time. Told to “dress up” by his dad, Mr Pereira had bought himself new Adidas sneakers and a Puma tracksuit, claiming he was “looking good”. “I turned up at the front door, and they turned me away because I wasn’t dressed properly,” he recalled. “It was one of those moments where my dad and his friend walked in, and I was sent back to the car, and I sat in the car fuming, going, ‘I am never coming back to this place ever again’.” In May this year, Mr Pereira was promoted to the top job in Perth after serving as CFO for two years, rejecting the tongue-in-cheek notion his rise was fuelled by a muted “vendetta”. Recalling the excitement of the casino’s opening as a Year 12 student in 1985, Mr Pereira labelled it a “coming of age” for the city that had matured beyond that of a large country town. Believing the early pizzazz and charm has remained, he is proud to stand in front of a space he feels has become part of the social fabric of the city for locals and tourists; where stories are both told, and unfold. “Whether they met their first date here on the dance floor, been proposed to here, had a wedding night here, or come here to celebrate an anniversary — this is the place people remember,” he said. Mr Pereira and his executive team aspire to claim “Perth’s ultimate entertainment destination”, and has admitted there’s a family offering that’s been missing. But not for much longer, set to unveil a new Urban Food District in February — Crown Perth’s largest investment in more than a decade. Presenting a more accessible dining and meet-up alternative to the likes of Nobu and Rockpool, the group recently announced foreign favourites Side Piece Pizza, modern sushi offering Tekka Bar and Burgers by ES (Eggslut) would enjoy their first ventures to Australia as founding tenants. Add the introduction of premium wine venue Gladstones and Mr Pereira’s executive team hope their five-year plan places Crown Perth at the forefront of the city’s next era of change — an inflection point similar to that of 1985. “I think the city’s on the cusp of another growth trajectory, and we want to play our part in in the next 40 years, and reinvent what Perth could be,” he said. For those hoping to party like it’s 1985 once more, Crown Perth will be holding several celebrations around its December 30 anniversary date to relive the nostalgia.