Cabinet of Curiosities

Cabinets of curiosities go back to the very beginnings of collecting in the Italian Renaissance some 500 years ago. The aristocracy displayed their collections of exotic and unusual objects in special cabinets or even rooms. Some of these collections became the basis of our modern museums, as collectors started to apply scientific principles of classification to their collections.

Today, many of us still have our own collections of interesting or unusual objects in our homes. On the internet, we might use Pinterest or Instagram to display the quirky or unusual or beautiful objects we have encountered on our travels.

This page is a cabinet of curiosities for the history of the Perth Town Hall. Click on a picture to begin a journey of discovery through the exhibition.

Advertising poster for a pantomime at the Town Hall in 1895. City of Perth Collection.

Programme from 1921 for a concert to raise funds for the ‘starving children of Central Europe’. City of Perth Collection.

Daily Newsboy’s cap and bag. Steve Weeks had the Town Hall corner pitch for selling the Daily News in the 1960s. He got a ha’penny for each paper sold for sixpence. Lent by Steve Weeks.

Programme for a film screening by the Amateur Cine Society in 1949. City of Perth Collection.

This shovel is said to have been used to turn the first sod on the Town Hall site. City of Perth Collection.

Advertising postcard showing the Perth Town Hall. This postcard advertised a printing company, Star Press, which operated in Perth through the 1920s and 1930s. SLWA 7197B.

W.E. Bold’s invitation to a civic luncheon for H.R.H. The Prince of Wales in 1920. This was the future Edward VIII and the visit was to thank Australians for their support during the First World War. Mr Bold was the Town Clerk at the time. City of Perth Collection.

Costume jewellery like this was worn for formal functions and dances at the Town Hall. Lent by Steve Weeks.

A collection of toy cars. Hobbies featured in many shows at the Perth Town Hall.

A civic dinner held in honour of the Lord Mayor and Lady Mayoress of Adelaide, Mr and Mrs Reginald Walker, Perth Town Hall, 1945. The floral decorations and potted palms probably came from the City of Perth’s Victoria Park Nursery, Trafalgar Road, East Perth. City of Perth Collection.

From the 1920s to the 1950s, the shops under the Town Hall included tea rooms. CC BY-SA 4.0.

Medals are often issued to commemorate events. This medal was given by Mayor George Shenton to Perth schoolchildren to commemorate the Golden Jubilee of Queen Victoria. City of Perth Collection

An extract from George Grey’s journal, where he describes Nyoongar songs. National Library of South Africa, Capetown.

A keen audience of young cricketers at a lecture by Arthur Richardson, 22 October 1927. Arthur Richardson was a well-known South Australian cricketer. He came to Perth in 1927 to play and coach for the West Australian team. SLWA 100166PD.

Lanyard and security pass from the second Perth Fringe Festival 2012. The Town Hall and the derelict Old Treasury Buildings were both venues that year, while the space between them was fenced off for the bar and festival hub.

A newspaper cutting about retired engineer and model-builder James Lang of Mt Lawley turning to clock making.