This year’s Heritage Perth Heritage Days are fast approaching and will be held on Saturday, 13th and Sunday 14th November.

The program features nearly 30 different venues in the centre of Perth and offers the whole family an opportunity to enjoy places and events that are not usually available to the public. There will be trails to follow, tours to take, presentations, talks, debates to attend, enticing live performances to see and special children’s activities – all of which add up to a weekend of fun that celebrates the exceptional people, remarkable places, buildings and historically fascinating events that have made Perth great.

Grab your walking shoes and see how much of the heritage Perth you can discover in two days. For example, even if you don’ have a green fingers, you are sure to enjoy a gentle meander through Stirling Gardens (WA’s oldest public garden), or Queens Gardens with its whimsical statue of Peter Pan. Go behind the scenes and discover how the gardeners at Government House manage the 3.2 hectare gardens that date back to the 1850’s.

There will also be some fantastic buildings open for the first time including; St Mary’s Cathedral which reopened last December after 3 years closure whilst extensive work was carried out to conserve and enlarge the building. You can also take a look inside the Supreme Court building, which has been the seat of West Australian justice since 1903.

A visit Mercedes College is a ‘must’. Opened in 1846 this was the first Catholic school in the Swan River colony. For those interested in military history, there will be a rare opportunity to view the incredible World War 1 archive at the RSL Club on St George’s Terrace.

Last year The Melbourne Hotel opened some of their historic rooms to the general public f and also offered guests the opportunity to purchase a ‘setters lunch’ at an historic price …it was a sell-out! Hundreds of people took the opportunity to visit the hotel, reminisce and enjoy a delicious lunch complete with locally brewed ale. If you didn’t get there last year, try this year but be early.

Another food option this year will be to buy Sunday lunch at the stunning Western Australian Club in St Georges Terrace. Founded in 1893, it is the leading business and professional persons’ Club in W.A. The Club is hosting guided tours of the historic building that will include a look inside the old gold vaults from the days when the building was the ANZ Bank. The Club is also offering a rare opportunity to experience their restaurant where quality food and service meet to bring guests an exceptional dining experience. Bookings are essential.

For families there is even more to do this year than last year. The Old Central Fire Station (opened in 1901), now the FESA Education and Heritage Centre is hosting a museum open day with rides on vintage fire engines, displays and a spectacular water pumping competition. Just up the road the RPH Museum will have story-telling and the WA State Library, Francis Burt Law Museum and the City Local Studies Library will all host activities specifically for children.

Unless specified, all Heritage Perth Heritage Days activities are FREE and offer fun for all the family.

A full program of events will be published nearer the time.

Back-stage tours of His Majesty's

Heritage Perth and the City of Perth have teamed up with the Art Deco Society of Western Australia to produce a reprint of the Society’s very popular walk leaflet which guides walkers around the fabulous Art Deco buildings in Perth city centre.

‘Art Deco’ is an architectural style that became popular between the two World Wars (1920-1940). Art Deco is characterised by clean, geometric and elegant lines that are in stark contrast to the excessively decorative styles that were in vogue prior to this period. The style’s introduction coincided with a period of great technological innovation which introduced a whole range of new materials and manufacturing techniques that allowed the mass-production of many household goods and, as such, reflects the essence of popular twentieth century design.

Perth is well endowed with examples of architecture in the art deco style that was so popular during the 1920s and 30s. Buildings such as the Gledden Building, on the corner of Hay and William Streets and the Piccadilly Cinema are excellent examples of this lavish style which was also used in the design of consumer products such as furniture, china, cars and jewelry.

To download a copy of the Art Deco Walk leaflet, click here [PDF: 1.13 MB]

Interior of the Art Deco Piccadilly Cinema, Hay Street