Perth is the world’s most isolated capital city.It’s relative isolation means that it has a distinct history, entirely unique from the rest of Australia. If you are travelling through Perth, an exploration of the local culture and history allows for a fascinating insight into this beautiful city and Western Australia as a whole.
Perth Mint
They say money makes the world go round, and a visit to the Perth Mint is a fascinating insight into the financial history of the region. There’s a dazzling “Gold Exhibition”, where you can see the world-record breaking one-tonne gold coin adorned, of course, with a Kangaroo. They also show off traditional metallurgy skills here, including pours of molten gold, which is sure to be a crowd pleaser. Learn how much cash you would be worth if you were solid gold, and marvel at all the displays. Finish your visit with a Devonshire tea in their comfy café and walk away with the gleam of gold in your eyes.
WA Museum
Western Australia is bigger than most countries, so it’s no surprise to find that their Museum encompasses a vast array of historical artefacts and natural history displays. They are currently in the process of building a spectacular building to house of their treasures that’s due to open to the public in 2020. In the meantime, their collections are dispersed throughout their other museums, making each one particularly interesting to drop in on for the next couple of years. Our pick is the WA Maritime Museum. For the majority of WA’s history it was mostly accessible by sea (the massive desert in the middle of Australia presenting a unique challenge to overland routes), and you’ll see all sorts of amazing displays here. The treacherous seas made for plenty of shipwrecks and the work of underwater archaeologists is on display here in a fascinating array of interactive displays.
