Perth, Western Australia — Where to Go
Perth Sightseeing Overview
Many of Perth's tourist attractions are a fair distance from town (for instance, the beaches, the Perth Hills and Fremantle are a 20-minute drive from the center) but the city area is not without its charms.
Perth is remarkably clean and attractive for a modern, high-rise city, and boasts an array of historic buildings, museums and parks, all within a relatively compact area.
Its origins stem during the period when the Swan River area was occupied by Australian Aborigines for at least 50,000 years. Then British settlers arrived, who proclaimed the new colony in June 1829, led by Captain James Stirling.
With the help of convict labor (convict-built architecture can be seen around Perth and its port of Fremantle), the colony prevailed over harsh conditions and Perth was finally declared a city in 1871. Many of Perth's earliest buildings are still standing.
Thousands of immigrants flooded here during the 1850s Gold Rush, on their way to the rich Kalgoorlie gold fields. Post-WWII immigration further swelled Perth's population. Today it is home to 1.47 million people. Nearly 200,000 of them are migrants from the UK who continue to stream into Perth each year. There is also a considerable number of New Zealanders, Italians, Malaysians, Indians and South Africans.
Perth Tourist Information
Western Australian Visitors Center
Forrest Place, corner of Wellington Street
Tel: 1 300 361 351.
Website: www.westernaustralia.com
Opening hours: Mon-Thurs 0830-1800, Fri 0830-1900, Sat 0930-1630, Sun 1200-1630 (Sep-Apr); Mon-Thurs 0830-1730, Fri 0830-1800, Sat 0930-1630, Sun 1200-1630 (May-Aug).
There is a City of Perth Information Kiosk in the Murray Street Mall near Forrest Place where i-City Volunteer Hosts help visitors with information and answer questions about the city.
Kiosk opening hours: Mon-Thurs 0930-1630, Fri 0930-2000, Sat 0930-1630, Sun 1200-1630.
Key Attractions in Perth, Western Australia
Kings Park & Botanic Garden
Dramatically lined by towering gum trees, the magnificent Fraser Avenue entrance to Kings Park gives an indication of what lies ahead - splendid views of the city and the Swan River, impressive monuments and a tranquil escape on the edge of the city. Covering 400 hectares (990 acres) on Mount Eliza, the park is crisscrossed by walking trails and bicycle paths (bikes are available for hire).
Particularly popular is the Lotterywest Federation Walkway, which allows visitors to walk amongst the park's treetops while enjoying spectacular views of the city skyline and the park. The sombre State War Memorial commemorates Anzacs killed in WWI, with an eternal flame and engraved monument.
Of particular interest is the West Australian Botanic Garden, with its collection of native flora, including 1,700 varieties of wildflower. There is also a restaurant, cafe, Aboriginal art gallery and children's playgrounds. During summer, the park hosts open-air film screenings, plays and concerts. Free daily guided walks depart at 1000 and 1400 from the Karri Log, on Fraser Avenue.
Kings Park Road, West Perth
Tel: (08) 9480 3600.
Website: www.bgpa.wa.gov.au
Opening hours: Daily 24 hours.
Admission charge: N.
Disabled access: Y.
Perth Zoo
Perth's small but popular and conveniently located zoo boasts an Australian Bushwalk, Rainforest Retreat and African Savannah among other interesting exhibits where visitors can observe native animals in their natural habitat. Visitors should keep an eye out for the numbat, the marsupial that is the symbol of Western Australia. Daily keeper talks allow the public to get close to the animals.
20 Labouchere Road, South Perth
Tel: (08) 9474 3551.
Website: www.perthzoo.wa.gov.au
Opening hours: Daily 0900-1700.
Admission charge: Y.
Disabled access: Y.
The Bell Tower
Perth's postmodern and somewhat controversial Bell Tower is located at the foot of Barrack Street, on the Swan River Foreshore. Home to the Swan Bells, the 80m (260ft) tower houses the 18 historic bells from St Martin-in-the-Fields - a gift to Perth from the City of London for the Australian Bicentenary in 1988. For panoramic views, visitors can ascend the tower via steps. The surrounding development contains shops, restaurants, cafes, a pub, a tourist information center, cruise boat offices and docks.
Barrack Square
Tel: (08) 6210 0444.
Website: www.swanbells.com.au
Opening hours: Daily 1000-1545. (Closing times vary).
Admission charge: Y.
Art Gallery of Western Australia
Perth's major gallery has a permanent collection of Australian and international art and one of the finest collections of Aboriginal art in the world. The gallery is also the venue for major national and international touring exhibitions. Free guided tours are conducted frequently - bookings are required.
Perth Cultural Center, James Street, Northbridge
Tel: (08) 9492 6622.
Website: www.artgallery.wa.gov.au
Opening hours: Wed-Mon 1000-1700.
Admission charge: Y.
Disabled access: Y.
His Majesty's Theater
Short-sighted policies have seen the demolition of many of Australia's old theaters but His Majesty's still stands in all its Edwardian glory. One of the most beautiful theaters in Australia, its features include ornate gilded foyers, a magnificent marble staircase and a domed, three-tiered auditorium. A venue for plays, opera, musicals and dance, the theater is also home to the Museum of Performing Arts, which has a remarkable collection of performing arts memorabilia. Friends of the Theater conduct tours from Monday to Friday, departing from the foyer.
825 Hay Street
Tel: (08) 9265 0900.
Website: www.hismajestystheater.com.au
Opening hours: Mon-Fri 1000-1600 (tours).
Admission charge: N.
Disabled access: Y.
Perth Mint
A well preserved remnant of the gold rush era, Perth's Mint, which is over 100 years old, offers an entertaining public tour. Visitors can see A$225,000 pure gold bars being poured and are invited to touch them. They may also mint their own personalised medallions and witness the production of gold, silver and platinum coins.
310 Hay Street, corner of Hill Street
Tel: (08) 9421 7277 (Gold Exhibition info line).
Website: www.perthmint.com.au
Opening hours: Mon-Fri 0900-1700, Sat and Sun 0900-1300.
Admission charge: N.
Disabled access: Y.
Western Australian Museum
Housed in a complex containing some of Perth's oldest buildings, the Western Australian Museum specializes in natural history, with mammal, bird, dinosaur, marine and butterfly displays. The Aboriginal Gallery is outstanding, as is the museum's collection of meteorites, while the 25m (82ft) skeleton of a blue whale is another highlight. The Land & People exhibit, which brings to life Western Australian history, is also popular.
Perth Cultural Center, James Street
Tel: (08) 9212 3700.
Website: www.museum.wa.gov.au
Opening hours: Daily 0930-1700.
Admission charge: Y.
Disabled access: Y.
Scitech Discovery Center
Science meets showbiz at this glitzy attraction featuring over 160 hands-on exhibits covering such topics as electricity, magnetism and acoustics. Horizon - The Planetarium is a spectacular indoor theater that presents high-tech multi-media shows about stars, planets and other celestial bodies on a dome screen. New exhibits are introduced every six months.
Corner of Sutherland Street and Railway Parade, West Perth
Tel: (08) 9215 0700.
Website: www.scitech.org.au
Opening hours: Mon-Fri 0930-1600, Sat and Sun 1000-1700.
Admission charge: Y.
AQWA - The Aquarium of Western Australia
This impressive aquarium boasts a wealth of fascinating marine life. Visitors can explore 12,000km (7,456 miles) of Western Australia's coastline in just a few hundred meters and then enter the Dangerzone, where they can safely see some of the deadliest and strangest marine creatures in the world. The main aquarium's 98m (328ft) glass tunnel is the largest in Australia. Sea creatures can even be touched at the interactive Discovery Pool. Dives and snorkels are held at 1300 and 1600 daily.
Hillarys Boat Harbour, 91 Southside Drive
Tel: (08) 9447 7500.
Website: www.aqwa.com.au
Opening hours: Daily 1000-1700.
Admission charge: Y.
Disabled access: Y.
Further Distractions
Mundaring Weir
For those exploring Perth by car, this destination in the Perth Hills is both a fascinating piece of engineering history and a picturesque picnic opportunity. The weir and its pumping station were constructed in the 1890s to supply water to the Kalgoorlie and Coolgardie goldfields, 563km (350 miles) to the east. The weir and its bush-land surroundings are an impressive sight and the weir wall can be crossed on foot. A museum housed in the original pumping station honors C Y O'Connor, the visionary engineer who designed the scheme but committed suicide before its completion. Nearby are an arts and crafts shop, the Lavender Patch tea rooms, an outdoor summer cinema and the Mundaring Weir Hotel, a delightfully rustic country pub that is as old as the weir itself.
Number One Pump Station (C Y O'Connor Museum)
Mundaring Weir Road, Mundaring
Tel: (08) 9295 0202.
Website: www.ntwa.com.au/places/perthproperties/pump1.shtml
Opening hours: Wed-Sun 1000-1600.
Admission charge: Y.
