The settlement was named Perth in honour of acting Governor-General Sir Gordon Drummond, whose ancestral home was Perthshire.

[2] The first secretary/stores-keeper (and eventually postmaster and superintendent) of the settlement was Daniel Daverne, brought up from the Quarter Masters General Department in Kingston, Ontario, to assume these positions.

The town's motto is "Pro Rege, Lege et Grege" ("For the King, the Law and the People"), which is shared with the City of Perth in Scotland[citation needed], and which was adopted in 1980 along with a new crest.

The previous motto, "Festina lente sed certo" ("Make haste slowly but surely"), and original town crest appears on the uniforms of the Perth Citizen's Band.

The town has erected a bronze life-sized statue of the horse and Ian Millar, in Stewart Park, across from the Code's Mill building.

Robert Lyon, a law student, was killed on June 13, 1833, after fighting over a woman (Elizabeth Hughes) with a former friend, John Wilson.

The Perth Citizens Band, still giving concerts on the bandstand behind Town Hall, is a tradition dating back over 150 years.

The Perth Citizens Band played "The Maple Leaf Forever" as the Mammoth Cheese departed to the Chicago World's Fair in 1893.

A town dentist, Dr. J. F. Kennedy, a friend of Alexander Graham Bell, installed a direct telephone connection between his home and office.

Erected in 1863, the Perth Town Hall stands out as one of the most impressive municipal buildings in Eastern Ontario.

The two-storey structure with cupola-shaped clock tower is constructed from white or cream-coloured freestone (Potsdam sandstone).

[19] Stewart Park, located behind Town Hall, features gardens, bridges, walking paths and treed picnic areas along the Tay River.

It houses the Perth Farmers' and Craft Markets on summer Saturdays and is filled with Christmas trees decorated by community groups and schools in November and December.

It also houses live music and children's activities during the popular Festival of the Maples held in April each year.

[24] The downtown festival features numerous shops and vendors, maple syrup producers and displays, children's entertainment, antique car show and a pancake breakfast.

[29] Both high schools in Perth also offer a variety of other sports, such as basketball, football, volleyball, hockey, cross country running, badminton, soccer, curling, golf and track and field.