Historic places in Perth

12 historic buildings, sites and memorials in Perth.

Ranked with the travel guide's picks and well-known places first.

SeeSwan Valley
All Saints Anglican Church
Western Australia's oldest church, set on reasonably large grounds with a historic cemetery attached. Part of the Parish of Swan, church services are still held each week. The Swan River can be accessed on foot from the church. Entry is free but donations are requested.
EatFremantle
B Shed Café
A great place to get a coffee while waiting for the ferry to Rottnest, but also a very atmospheric place to be when there is not a ferry expected (as it can get quite crowded) and watch the activity in the harbour. There are interpretive signs and photos around the walls explaining the history of the building and its role in immigration to Western Australia. The cafe is next to the Rottnest ferry operators' ticket counters.
SeeCity
Barracks Arch
Equally loved and loathed by residents this arch is all that remains of the 1866 Tudor style accommodations for soldiers of the Enrolled Pensioner Guard. The two wings were demolished in 1966 to make way for the Mitchel Freeway but public protests held back the wrecking ball from dispatching this part of Perth's history.
Free
SeeFremantle
Fremantle Prison
The convicts that were transported to Australia from the UK built it in 1851 to house themselves. Following the end of convict transportation in 1868, Fremantle Prison served as Western Australia's main maximum security prison until its closure in 1991. Today it remains as a UNESCO World Heritage Site building as part of the Australian Convict Sites and is used for several purposes including as an art gallery, museum and conference center. Basic tours run throughout the day, and a 'Torchlight tour' runs on Wednesday and Friday nights, which explores the history of prison hauntings. For the adventurous, the tunnels tour will take you through the tunnel network underneath the prison.
Open every day of the year except Good Fri and Christmas day$18.50 (basic), $59 (tunnel tour), less for students and children
EatFremantle
Gino's
Gino's Cafe and Trattoria
One of the first cafes in Fremantle and the epicentre of the Cappuccino Strip, Gino's opened on 29 November 1983 when Gino Saccone (1937–2001) decided to turn his tailoring business on the corner of South Terrace and Market Street into a cafe. The coffee has been surpassed by other cafes in Fremantle, but the history cannot be. Offers a mean breakfast and a lunch and dinner menu. Hard-pressed to find a seat, if you do get one, you would be in for a treat with the selection of cakes and strong coffee on brew. Mostly al-fresco dining, it is the place to have a Sunday get together with friends and family. You order at the bar, and for coffees (not food) should stand and wait and carry it to your table yourself (no other cafes around here do it this way).
6:30AM–late
SeeSwan Valley
Guildford
Perched on the banks of both the Swan and Helena Rivers it is described as the gateway to the Swan Valley. Guildford is one of Western Australia's oldest settlements. While it has been absorbed into the Perth metropolitan area, it still retains its distinctiveness with many historical buildings and excellent pubs, restaurants and cafes. The whole of Guildford is now a designated heritage locality, with the quaint James St shopping strip being a good example of the streetscape of the older Guildford.
DrinkNorthbridge
Metro City
It hosts a weekly R&B/hip hop night but this enormous venue also hosts concerts and large dance music events. When heading into Perth by train from the west, Metro's is clearly visible from the window as its unique, palace-like exterior stands out amongst the multi-level carparks and other bland buildings which can be seen along Roe St.
SeeThe Hills
Mundaring Weir
A scenic reservoir surrounded by hills and forests. Good for a picnic, and there are hiking trails nearby. The weir (a large dam) was completed in 1903. Visitors may walk over or around the Weir, and the surroundings have picnic areas featuring public barbecues. There is also a museum nearby which documents the history of the Weir and the Pipeline project. The Mundaring Weir Hotel is also a historic landmark and offers good food, accommodation and often live (usually classical) music.
SeeSwan Valley
Swan Valley Visitor Centre
Situated in historic Guildford, the Swan Valley Visitor Centre has lots of information about Swan Valley attractions and events and can assist with bookings, tourist maps, and souvenirs. It is attached to an interesting museum, and is amongst buildings of a former prison.
Daily 9AM-4PM
SeeFremantle
WA Maritime Museum
A wonderful collection of vessels, including the winged-keel Australia II, which won the America's Cup. You'll also find a full history of marine activity on the West Australian coast. A tour of HMAS Ovens, a retired Oberon-class submarine, is well worth the time.
Daily 9:30AM–5PMMuseum $15, museum and submarine $25
SeeFremantle
WA Shipwrecks Museum
Shipwreck Galleries
Recognised as the foremost maritime archaeology museum in the southern hemisphere. The Museum is housed in 1850s-era Commissariat building and has since been restored to its historic glory. Steeped in history, the galleries house hundreds of relics from ships wrecked along WA’s treacherous coastline, including the original timbers from the Batavia (wrecked in 1629), the de Vlamingh plate, and also countless artifacts from the Dutch shipwrecks Zuytdorp, Zeewijk and Vergulde Draeck.
Entry is free, gold coin donations appreciated
SeeNorthbridge
Western Australian Museum
The museum has an interesting collection of social and natural history from WA and beyond. The main building has an extensive display of marine creatures, minerals, butterflies and birds, as well as the shrivelled taxidermed bodies of mammals familiar to generations of Perth residents plus the revitalised Katta Djinoong Aboriginal history display. The Old Gaol building at the rear houses colonial artefacts, displays of life from the different periods and a couple of meteorites. Make sure to look into the creepy eye of the rare Megamouth shark whose preserved body floats in a subterranean tank next to the Old Gaol.
Daily 9AM-5PMFree

Listings from the Wikivoyage guide to Perth (CC BY-SA 4.0).