Things to do in Perth

This distinctive Swan Bell Tower on the waterfront houses the bells of London’s St-Martin-in-the-Fields Church, presented to WA on the 1988 bicentenary. The eighteenth-century bells are rung by a team of volunteers who practice their art here in the first designated “Ringing Centre” outside of the UK. There is also a display about the history of the bells and an open-air viewing platform on the sixth floor, from which you can take in spectacular city and river views.

The redbrick, Gothic Revival St George's Cathedral is Western Australia’s main Anglican cathedral. It was consecrated in 1888. In addition, it is one of very few cathedrals worldwide to have been constructed of handmade bricks. It also features a jarrah roof, Fremantle limestone, Italian marble and a Caen stone pulpit.

The Botanic Garden opened in 1965 and is a showcase for Western Australia’s unique flora – the state has half of Australia’s 25,000 species, most of which aren’t found anywhere else on earth. The elevated Lotterywest Federation Walkway runs from the garden’s entrance for 620 metres, gradually rising in height until you are some sixteen metres up in the forest canopy looking down on marri, karri, tingle and jarrah trees.

This is the country’s largest aquarium and is well worth a visit to get an overview of WA’s fascinating marine life. The highlight is the walk-through aquarium representing the ‘Shipwreck Coast’, where sharks, loggerhead turtles and stingrays glide effortlessly over your head. There’s also a touch pool, saltwater crocodiles from the tropical north and a kaleidoscope of fish from Perth’s Coast.

The cheery Fremantle Markets include a fruit and veg market, and a more tourist focused section crammed with stalls selling souvenirs, arts and crafts and New Age paraphernalia. The buskers who play here are said to be some of the city’s best.

Built by convicts and first housing prisoners in 1852, Fremantle’s hillside prison complex was only decommissioned in 1991. For most of its life the prison held the very highest security prisoners, in surroundings that were almost constantly criticized for their bleakness – it is said that after closing it took two and a half years to get rid of the smell. You’ll see cells from various periods in the prison’s history, including that of Aboriginal prisoner Peter Irwin Cameron, who dot-painted his entire cell.

One of the city’s finest buildings is the splendid Perth Mint. Operating from its original 1899 base, Perth’s mint was responsible for producing and distributing gold sovereigns for Britain’s colonies. It still trades in precious metals in bar and coin form, as well as minting for international clients. Its fascinating exhibition includes the world’s largest gold bars and the most extensive collection of gold nuggets.

The Art Gallery of Western Australia houses one of the country’s most highly regarded collections of Aboriginal art, plus the official state art collection, which features an array of contemporary and classic works by Western Australian artists as well as some impressive modern British pieces. The collection is arranged chronologically in a series of interconnecting displays, starting with works from 1800 and finishing in the present day.

Perth’s closest beaches extend along the Sunset Coast, 30km of near-unbroken sand and coastal suburbs stretching north of the Swan River, bordered by the Indian Ocean and cooled by afternoon sea breezes. Two of the most popular are Cottesloe Beach and Scarborough.