Insight Pocket Guide Australia by Insight Guides

Author:Insight Guides
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Travel, Australia
Publisher: Apa Publications
Published: 2017-07-05T04:00:00+00:00

Government House

Glyn Genin/Apa Publications

In a city as young as Perth, with its skyline of tall, modern office buildings, those historic structures that have escaped the developer’s demolition ball are proudly pointed out to visitors. Government House D [map], on St George’s Terrace, Perth’s main street, is the official residence of the Western Australia governor. Its Gothic effects date from the 1860s. Built by hard-working convicts, the house is used nowadays for state occasions and to accommodate visiting VIPs.

Heading west, St George’s Terrace leads directly to the Barracks Archway, the last vestige of a headquarters building of the 1860s; this crenellated three-storey structure has been preserved as a memorial to the early colonists. Behind the brick archway you can glimpse Parliament House, where the state legislature sits.

On the other side of the railway tracks (you can cross the unusual Horseshoe Bridge by foot or car) stands the Perth Cultural Centre E [map] (www.perthculturalcentre.com.au) which was made up of the Western Australia Museum (www.museum.wa.gov.au), which is currently closed for the construction of a new museum, scheduled to open in 2020; the still-open Art Gallery of Western Australia (www.artgallery.wa.gov.au; daily 10am–5pm; free), the State Library; and the Perth Institute of Contemporary Arts (PICA; tel: 08 9228 6300; www.pica.org.au; Tue–Sun 10am–5pm; free). Part of the Western Australian Museum is the Old Gaol, which was constructed and used by convicts in 1856. The museum offers more than penal relics – there is also an extensive collection of Aboriginal rock paintings, head-dresses and weapons, and a 10-tonne meteorite. The Art Gallery of Western Australia displays paintings from several continents.

Also north of the city centre is the Northbridge district, which is full of lively ethnic restaurants, pubs and nightclubs, especially around James and Lake streets. If you’re in the mood for gambling, head east for the Crown Perth, near the Causeway Bridge. Here, under one roof, you’ll find a casino, a nightclub, restaurants, bars, theatres and hotels.

In the centre of town is the Concert Hall, the headquarters of the state’s symphony orchestra. If you’re looking for stage plays, the most atmospheric house is His Majesty’s Theatre (825 Hay Street; tel: 8-9265 0900; www.ptt.wa.gov.au/venues/his-majesty-theatre), a plush Edwardian pile.

Well north of the centre, in the seaside suburb of Sorrento, the Aquarium of Western Australia (Hillary’s Boat Harbour; 91 Southside Drive; tel: 08-9447 7500; www.aqwa.com.au; daily 10am–5pm; charge), an underwater-tunnel aquarium with interactive displays, offers whale-watching trips in season. For action entertainment, try the thrill rides at Adventure World Theme Park (179 Progress Drive, Bibra Lake; tel: 08-9417 9666; www.adventureworld.net.au; Thur–Mon 10am–5pm, during school holidays daily 10am–5pm; charge), 15km (9 miles) south of the city.

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