IT’S been 150 years since Perth was promoted to a ‘bishop’s see’, which elevated it to city status. To commemorate the occasion, the City of Perth is hosting a Civic Dinner tomorrow night at the Perth Town Hall for 150 invited guests, some of whom are descended from notable figures in the early colony and city. Among the guests will be descendants of Captain James Stirling, Alexander Forrest, George Shenton, J.T. Franklin, C.Y. O’Connor and Prime Minister John Curtin. Freemen of the City and holders of ceremonial Keys to the City are also invited. Lord Mayor Dr Peter Nattrass said: “The dinner is an appropriate way of formally recognising those who have played a part in transforming Perth from a town of fewer than 5000 people in the 1850s to a metropolis of more than 1.5 million people today.” A time capsule containing items that illustrate life in Perth in 2006, along with a letter from the current Lord Mayor to the people of Perth in the year 2106, will be buried near the entrance to the Town Hall prior to the dinner.