A closer look at Perth's WA Museum Boola Bardip

Exploring Fremantle’s epic landmark, WA Museum Boola Bardip.

The award-winning, $400 million project that is WA Museum Boola Bardip , is a must-see in Perth. Sitting on Whadjuk Noongar Country in Perth’s Cultural Centre, a large pedestrianised precinct that is also home to the Art Gallery of Western Australia (AGWA), the State Library of Western Australia , the Perth Institute of Contemporary Art (PICA) and the State Theatre Centre of WA , the structure is a triumphant melding of old and new, creating a space big enough – and ambitious enough – to fully represent the largest state in the country.

The vision behind the museum

With a tagline of “our people, our places and our role in the world", the museum sets the bar high when it comes to inclusion. Boola Bardip means ‘many stories’ in the local Whadjuk Noongar language, and the use of it (which was decided on in consultation with the WA Museum Aboriginal Advisory Committee and the museum’s Whadjuk Content Working Group) seems to go beyond just naming the physical structure itself. If, as the official visitor guide states, the names we give places express their significance, history and identity, using the traditional language of the First Peoples who lived here speaks volumes about the focus of the museum on addressing the cultural disparities of the past through engagement and education, and integrating the histories and stories of the First Nations peoples of Western Australia into the collective history of the state.

couple in front of indigenous art at WA Museum Boola Bardi — Hear First Nations voices throughout the museum. (Image: Tourism WA)

WA Museum Boola Bardip’s design

The building is impressive enough to be worthy of the task. Previously made up of a hotchpotch of buildings constructed in differing styles during different periods of Perth’s maturation, including the Old Perth Gaol (and its original well, which was rediscovered during the construction process for WA Museum Boola Bardip), completed in 1856, the Jubilee Building, which opened in 1899 housing the state’s art gallery, library and museum, The Beaufort Street Building and Hackett Hall, with its ornate Federation interiors of cast-iron spiral staircases, pressed-metal patterned roofs and skylights, the new structure, the joint project of design practices Hassell and OMA (fashioned as Hassell + OMA) sits beside, above and connected to these significant historic sites.

“The original design brief was large and complex," says Peter Dean, the principal in charge of the project, as well as being hugely aspirational. “It needed to be globally significant, internationally recognised, and emphasise the heritage of the site and buildings." Taking inspiration from the vastness of the WA land, sea and sky, and the myriad stories of the people of Western Australia themselves, many elements in the design were informed and influenced by the objects found in the museum’s collection.

The melding of the new and old is seamless, with entire walls removed and installed with giant windows and viewing mezzanines that look from one building to the next; a giant cantilever shrouded in metallic screens hovers above Hackett Hall; and a gold seam, informed by the gold running through a giant piece of WA quartz, one of the first historical objects in the museum’s collection, forms a unifying central theme throughout, and a stunning focal point in the inclusion of a number of giant circular staircases also rendered in gold. The project also included taking responsibility for renovating and modernising the heritage buildings, from removing asbestos to installing insulation and making them all structurally sound. Every aspect has been done to exquisite effect, a fact not lost on the woman whom I overhear telling her family that it is the best museum she has ever been to – in the world.

spiral stairacse inside WA Museum Boola Bardi — Walk dramatic golden spiral staircases. (Image: Tourism WA)

A collection of stories and ideas

According to the museum’s CEO Alec Coles in his message in the Opening Guide, in developing the WA Museum Boola Bardip a commitment was made to focus on people first and to share, not tell, the stories of the state and its inhabitants. Sharing is something Coles does enthusiastically when it comes to the museum he oversees; when I meet him within the soaring entrance hall for a run-through of the space, he is instantly animated about the building and the collection it houses.

“I’m delighted with the way they’ve incorporated the heritage buildings," he says as we head into the museum, which boasts eight permanent exhibitions that concentrate on WA’s cultural and natural heritage, and feed into the museum’s three major themes: Being Western Australian, Discovering Western Australia and Exploring the World. “But the thing I’m proudest of is the degree to which we engaged with the people of WA in creating it. We claim to have spoken to over 54,000 people in the creation of this, in terms of collecting stories, collecting ideas. We also had a principle that we wouldn’t speak for people who could speak for themselves, and that was particularly important with Aboriginal communities. You’ll find Aboriginal voices expressed throughout the whole museum."

The exhibits delve into WA’s origins (land, water and sky), wildlife, people and treasures, as well as the stories of its First Nations peoples. The museum also provides a home for the skeleton of Otto the Blue Whale, which now hangs proudly above Hackett Hall and can be viewed from Hackett Gallery.

Whale skeleton, WA Museum, Perth, WA — The iconic and much-loved skeleton of a blue whale. (Image: Michael Haluwana, Aeroture)

Seeing WA Museum Boola Bardip’s collection

“You can’t see it all in one visit," says Coles of the size and scope of the museum. “If you were trying to go from the beginning to the end, you’d be exhausted and locked in for about five nights." He encourages visitors to explore freely, starting on the ground floor at Ngalang Koort Boodja Wirn (our heart, Country, spirit) in the Wesfarmers Gallery. “It provides a welcome onto Country for everybody, but particularly for our visitors who we’ve not yet been able to entertain or those from overseas who are maybe less familiar with Australian Aboriginal cultures."

Coles leads me through the expansive space, from the Wildlife gallery, which he believes is most people’s favourite. And onto his own favourite, the Origins gallery. “When we designed [the museum], we always said, ‘We’re not going to build the old museum in a new building’, so we’re not going to have a bird gallery or a dinosaur gallery. All the galleries are kind of holistic; the world isn’t organised the way museums organise collections."

light tunnel inside WA Museum Boola Bardi — Take your time to see the entire museum. (Image: Tourism WA)

As a result, exhibits are arranged in a way that allows visitors to dive in and out of different aspects of a collection without feeling like they are being forced through it on a set path or missing out if they don’t view it in one go. Coles explains there is no traditional bird gallery, but there are now more birds on display throughout the space than ever before. There are dinosaurs, but they are fleshed out and interactive rather than being just bones housed behind glass. The stories of some of the state’s residents detail their lives before they even arrived in WA.

An hour and a half later, Coles is still sharing stories of the gallery, but time has beaten us and I leave understanding the pull to return that the museum instils in visitors, and the reason this bold, shiny building is the perfect metaphor for the next stage in Perth’s story. “From the architecture and buildings, through to the galleries, collection, public and school programs and extensive digital content, WA Museum Boola Bardip is a place to enjoy, to learn, to debate and to imagine," Coles says in the Opening Guide, which I read as I sit waiting for my plane back to the east coast. “It is about who we are, where we come from and what we can achieve together."

dinosaur exhibit inside WA Museum Boola Bardi — Share stories of the gallery. (Image: Tourism WA)

The land on which WA Museum Boola Bardip stands

The area where Boola Bardip stands has a history that stretches back thousands of years. When the ancient system of swamps, wetlands and lakes here was a prolific hunting and foraging place for the local Whadjuk Noongar people. With abundant food sources, the area was also where people gathered to participate in cultural rituals and practices. A patch of the ancient wetlands has been replicated within the Cultural Centre, at the base of a stepped amphitheatre, with thriving native flora and fauna; the stepping stones and waddling ducks will be what captures the attention of kids.

exterior shot of WA Museum Boola Bardi — Step inside Perth’s Cultural Centre. (Image: Tourism WA)

This remote corner of Australia is one of the world’s last frontiers. This is how to see it properly.

Vast, rugged and deeply spiritual, the Kimberley coast in Australia’s North West feels a world away from everyday Australia – and there are countless ways to explore it. But if you want to reach ancient rock art, hidden gorges and lonely waterfalls, it has to be by boat. Whether you’re aboard a nimble expedition vessel or a luxury yacht with all the trimmings, exploring by the water brings exclusive experiences, shows unique views and makes travel easier than any other mode. And that’s just the beginning of Australia’s North West cruises.

The True North Adventure Cruise in between sandstone cliffs. — Adventure starts where the road ends.

1. Discover Broome, and beyond

Explore your launchpad before you set sail: Broome. Here camels and their riders stride along the 22 kilometres of powdery Cable Beach at sunset. That’s just the start.

At Gantheaume Point, red pindan cliffs plunge into the turquoise sea, whose low tide uncovers fossilised dinosaur footprints. Broome’s pearling history runs deep. Japanese, Chinese, Malay and Aboriginal divers once worked these waters, and their legacy lives on in boutiques where South Sea pearls still shine.

If the moon’s right, you may catch the Staircase to the Moon over Roebuck Bay. Or simply kick back with a cold beverage and a film under the stars at Sun Pictures , screening since 1916.

Ride a camel along Cable Beach as the sun sinks into the Indian Ocean, casting golden light across the sand and sea. — Ride a camel along Cable Beach. (Image: Nick Dunn)

2. Unmatched access to The Kimberley

Once you’re onboard, expect a backstage pass to some of the most isolated places on Earth. No roads. No ports. No phone reception.

At Horizontal Falls/ Garaanngaddim, 10-metre tides surge through twin gorges like a natural waterpark ride that’ll make your palms sweat. Then there’s Montgomery Reef/ Yowjab: a giant living platform of coral and seagrass, where the sea pulls back to reveal waterfalls, sea turtles and ospreys.

Up north, King George Falls/ Oomari rage 80 metres down red cliffs. Zodiac boats often nudge in closer so you can feel the spray on your sun-warmed cheeks. You might even fly in to reach Mitchell Falls/ Punamii-unpuu, a four-tiered cascade where you can swim in freshwater pools above the drop.

Come spring, some itineraries veer west to Rowley Shoals: an atoll chain of white sand and reef walls. Then it’s up the winding Prince Regent River to King Cascade/ Maamboolbadda, tumbling over rock terraces, and into a Zodiac to view the Gwion Gwion rock art, whose slender, ochre-painted figures are older than the pyramids.

A cruise drifts beneath King George Falls, where sheer sandstone cliffs frame the thunderous plunge into turquoise waters. — Get closer to the Kimberley than ever before.

3. Taste the Kimberley with onboard hospitality

You might spend your days clambering over slippery rocks or charging past waterfalls. But when you’re back on the water, it’s a different story. Meals are chef-prepared and regionally inspired: grilled barramundi, pearl meat sashimi, mango tarts, and bush tomato chutney. One night it’s barefoot beach barbecues with your shipmates; the next, alfresco dining on the ship.

Small expedition ships each have their own personality, but many carry just 12 to 36 guests, making being out on the water a whole other experience. You might sink into a spa on the foredeck or sip coffee in a lounge while watching crocodiles cruise by. It’s choose-your-own-relaxation, Kimberley style.

4. Expert-led excursions through the Kimberley

These voyages are led by people who know the Kimberley like the back of their sunburnt hand. Attenborough-esque naturalists might gently tap your shoulder to point out rare birds or tell the story beneath a slab of rock. Historians can explain exactly how that rusted World War II relic came to rest here.

If your ship has a helipad, you might chopper straight to a waterfall-fed swimming hole. If not, you’ll still be hopping ashore for that wet landing at a secret creek.

Then come the evenings: songlines shared by Traditional Owners under the stars, or astronomy sessions that link what’s overhead with what’s underfoot and what’s within.

A small group glides through Kimberley’s rugged coastline by boat, passing ancient cliffs. — Explore with naturalists and historians by your side.

5. Relax in luxurious lodgings

Just because you’re off-grid doesn’t mean you have to rough it. These Kimberley vessels are small in size, but mighty in luxury. True North’s ships come with their own helicopters and a no-sea-days policy, so you’re always in the thick of it. Try the luxurious offerings from Ocean Dream Charters for exploration in style. Kimberley Quest offers a fast boat for easy, off-ship adventures. On the larger end of the scale, Coral Expeditions has open-deck bars and curated wine cellars. And then there’s Ponant’s luxury yachts – sleek and incredibly stylish French sailing yachts.

A helicopter soars above the sea, with a sleek cruise ship gliding in the distance. — See the Kimberley from sky to shore.

6. The adventure continues with pre- and post-cruise experiences

You’ve already come this far – so, why not go further? Broome makes it easy to ease in before you board, or wind down when your voyage ends, and there is no reason to stop there.

Head an hour and a half south to Eco Beach to stay off-grid and off the clock. Join a Yawuru guide for a mangrove walk or ocean forage. Dive even deeper into Broome’s pearling past at Willie Creek or Cygnet Bay, where divers and craftspeople still pull the seawater-slicked gems from the deep.

If you’re still craving adventure, it’s time to go further. Soar over the Buccaneer Archipelago, or detour inland with a 4WD trip along the Gibb River Road. Book a scenic flight over the Bungle Bungles. Or – because you never know when you’ll be back – do all three.

aerial of people walking on eco beach in the kimberley western australia — Stay off grid at Eco Beach. (Image: Tourism WA)

Find out more about your trip to Australia’s North West at australiasnorthwest.com .

A closer look at Perth’s new WA Museum Boola Bardip