Perth has begun to emerge as the proverbial butterfly from its mining boom cocoon.
As it has spread its wings, Perth has been finding its own unique identity, and while we’re still influenced by our eastern states cousins, there are many things that you’re only going to find in Perth.
Here are 10 of them:
State Buildings
The recently restored 140 year-old State Buildings have a number of unique features.
For a start, they’re home to the only COMO hotel in Australia – COMO the Treasury.
The 48 room luxury hotel was recently awarded Australia’s Best Hotel and Best New Hotel.
The property is also home to the only COMO Shambhala Urban Escape spa in Australia.
The spa also has a unique location – underground behind thick iron doors, which used to protect the state’s most important Land documents, and now create a surprisingly cosy, quiet, private space.
Accompanying the hotel is the Post restaurant, serving COMO cuisine in what used to be the franking room of the General Post Office.
The COMO Treasury Lounge and Bar also features a unique art collection on its walls; the original Cape Arid collection by well known WA artists Philippa and Alex Nikulinsky.
Underneath the State Buildings, there are several other unique offerings including renowned chef David Thompson’s only Australian restaurant Long Chim, a boutique by WA designer Aurelio Costarella and a shop by WA master jeweler Rohan Milne, whose designs feature rare pink diamonds from the Kimberley region.
Location: Cnr St Georges Terrace and Barrack Street, Perth
Website
Fresh WA Produce
WA produce is amazing, fresh and unique, and there are many restaurants in the city dedicated to featuring it.
The menu at Fraser’s Restaurant in Kings Park proves that its location isn’t the only thing that’s uniquely West Australian about it.
The eatery is dedicated to using local produce in its menu, including black truffles from Manjimup, chestnuts from Nannup, Blue Marron from Pemberton and yabbies from Kukerin.
The tribute to WA extends to the building itself, with a recent renovation using local materials, including recycling the Wandoo decking from the Perry Lakes stadium to create an upstairs balcony.
Contained within a glass box floating above the State Buildings, fine dining restaurant Wildflower is another shining example of an eatery dedicated to WA produce.
Wildflower’s menu revolves around the six Indigenous seasons and is produce-driven, i.e. is shaped by what’s in season.
The restaurant is so dedicated to locally sourced produce, it cultivates its own honey in hives kept on the restaurant’s roof (you can’t get more local than that).
The Greenhouse on St George’s terrace is another restaurant which grows some of its own produce on site. There’s a little garden on the rooftop where they grow chillies, citrus fruits and herbs.
True to its name, The Greenhouse is also committed to sustainability and has its own composting machine next to the upstairs bar which takes all the excess organic matter and turns it into compost (which they then give to the WA company that supplies them with fresh herbs).
The building itself also has some features that are uniquely WA, with the walls made from straw that comes from a biodynamic company in Dumbleyung (which also supplies the Greenhouse with the wheat to make its bread and pasta).
Location: (The Greenhouse) 100 St Georges Terrace, Perth
Website
Public Art by WA Artists
It’s been said that Perth’s isolation cultivates a unique perspective among its artists, and that creativity is on display in some of the city’s public artworks.
There are more than 65 public artworks in the Perth CBD, and that list is growing. And as all good art does, many of the works spark quite a lot of public debate when they’re first installed.
When it was erected in 2011, the sculpture that’s colloquially become known as The Cactus caused quite the stir.
But the $1 million dollar, 6.5 metre high bright green statue created by Perth artist James Angus has become a reference point for people meeting up in the city.
Another more recent addition to the city’s public art is ‘First Contact’ at Elizabeth Quay, a sculpture created by Nyoongar artist Laurel Nannup.
The five metre tall cast aluminium artwork depicts the arrival of European settlers to Perth. The local Nyoongar people believed the boats carrying the settlers were their past ancestors returning from the sea.
Also at the Quay is WA-born artist Christian Di Vietri’s $1.3 million, 29 metre high creation Spanda, which is designed to represent ripples and link the river, land and sky.
Another of his artworks, a collaboration with WA artist Marcus Canning, sits outside the St George’s Cathedral. Ascalon is an abstract depiction of the story of St George battling a dragon.
Exclusive Events
Perth has managed to attract some events which haven’t been seen anywhere else in Australia.
One of the most notable large scale events was The Incredible and Phenomenal Journey of the Giants, with enormous marionettes that captivated the city in 2015.
And in another Australian exclusive, Elizabeth Quay will play host to Arcadia, the giant mechanical fire-breathing spider, which will feature musicians playing from a floating booth in the spider’s belly.
Every summer, Fringe World and the Perth International Arts Festival (PIAF) feature a plethora of acts that aren’t seen anywhere else.
While other Australian cities have Fringe festivals, Perth’s is the biggest in Oz (it’s the third biggest Fringe festival in the world), and there are dozens of unique local acts showing off their WA-style creative genius only to Perth audiences.
Founded in 1953, PIAF is the longest continuous arts festival in Australia.
It’s known for featuring WA artists, including in the 2016 opening Home, which was one gigantic tribute to everything West Australian, from a Welcome to Country given by 14 clans of the Nyoongar Nation to musical sets by some of Perth’s most celebrated figures, including Tim Minchin, John Butler and Ernie Dingo.
His Majesty’s Theatre
It’s believed to be the only remaining working Edwardian theatre in Australia and is one of only two His Majesty’s theatres in the world (named after King Edward VII).
Commissioned during the gold rush boom of the early 20th century, the theatre was opened on Christmas Eve 1904 and at the time was the largest theatre in Australia, with seating for over 2,500 people.
Over the years ‘The Maj’ changed hands several times between mostly wealthy entrepreneurs, until finally being bought by the State Government in 1977 after there was a public campaign to save it from an uncertain future.
The government spent more than $10 million on yet another restoration, during which the sliding dome in the roof, which had once opened to reveal the night sky, was permanently sealed.
The iconic theatre has since been added to the State Register of Heritage Places and been named a State Heritage Icon to ensure its future is secured.
Today, The Maj is home to the WA Ballet and WA Opera, and hosts a wide variety of performances. As well as taking in a show in the beautifully restored theatre, you can also drink and dine at The Maj.
The Barre Lounge Café offers the choice of tables out on the pavement or comfortable couches inside, and West Australian produce features heavily on the menu.
The underground venue Downstairs at The Maj also offers snack food that you can order and have brought to your table while enjoying a cabaret, comedy or burlesque show.
Location: 825, Hay Street, Perth
Website
London Court
It’s believed to be the only walk outside Britain that so closely replicates that of Tudor England, and it transports you back in time as soon as you place a foot on the walkway.
At the Hay Street Mall end is a clock face which is a replica of the “Great Clock” at Rouen in France, while at the St Georges Terrace entrance, you’ll find a replica of Big Ben.
Built in 1937 as a combination of resident and commercial premises for a wealthy gold miner, London Court still houses several shops you won’t find anywhere else.
And if you hang around at the strike of 12, you’ll be treated to a very amusing display of a miniature St George doing battle with a dragon.
Location: Between Hay Street Mall and St Georges Terrace, Perth
Website
Perth Mint
There’s a long list of things that makes Perth Mint unique: it has the world’s biggest collection of investment gold bars, it’s Australia’s only precious metals refinery and it’s home to a one-tonne gold coin, the largest and most valuable coin in the world.
The mint also recently added another unique coin to its rare production list – a one million dollar gold coin featuring a red 0.54 carat Argyle diamond.
On a visit to the Mint you can see other precious coins you won’t find anywhere else, watch gold being poured into a gold bar and find out exactly what your weight is worth in gold.
Location: 320, Hay Street, East Perth
Website
The Bell Tower, Home of the Swan Bells
It may’ve had a bit of a controversial start to life, but there’s no arguing the Bell Tower is unique.
In fact, it’s believed to be one of the biggest musical instruments on earth.
Twelve of the 18 bells were originally from the English parish of St Martin-in-the-Fields, and were in danger of being melted down before being rescued and finding their new home thousands of kilometres away in Perth.
The observation deck at the Bell Tower has some of the best views in Perth, and you can see the city skyline, as well as the Swan River and over to South Perth.
Inside, there’s a fascinating display of olden day timepieces, bells and optical instruments. The ‘newest’ addition to the team is the 450 year-old Upton Grey Bell, which is the oldest bell in Australia.
And if you’d like to give bell ringing a go yourself, the St Martin’s Society of Change Ringers runs 8-week introduction courses.
Location: Barrack Square, Riverside Drive, Perth
Website
Kings Park
It’s one of the biggest inner city parks in the southern hemisphere and offers a range of unique, distinctly West Australian experiences.
Aboriginal influence is present throughout the park, with Nyoongar artworks lining the spectacular 52 metre glass tree top walkway, signs throughout the park with the Aboriginal names for some of the 300 different species of flora, an Aboriginal art gallery and the Boodja Gnarning Walk Trail featuring interpretive signage and artworks.
Another unique feature of Kings Park is the 750 year-old Boab tree, which undertook an epic 3,200 kilometre journey from the Kimberley to make its home in the heart of the park.
Black Swans
In 1697, the Dutch explorer Willem de Vlamingh spotted a colony of black swans on the banks of the river, and that’s how the Swan River got its name (he was obviously a pretty literal guy).
Despite a major city springing up around them, the black swans have retained their home in the CBD and have become WA’s bird emblem.
You’ll still find them paddling around on the Swan River, while John Oldham Park is another of their favourite hang outs.
Speaking of the park, it’s also something you’re unlikely to find anywhere else.
There can’t be too many cities in the world that have a stunning natural park complete with a lake, waterfall and wetlands located in the CBD right next to a major freeway.
So whether it’s celebrating our local artists, wildlife, Aboriginal culture, nature or food, there are so many things that you’ll find in Perth that make this city uniquely West Australian.
This is a sponsored post by City of Perth – endorsed by So Perth. We value your feedback so please contact us with any thoughts in regards to our sponsored post. Thank you for supporting So Perth and our sponsors.
