Museum of Perth facts for kids
Former entrance into Atlas Building at the Esplanade in 2018, before the museum moved
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| Location | 410 Murray Street, Perth, Western Australia |
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The Museum of Perth is a special place that tells the story of Perth, Western Australia. It's a private museum, which means it's not run by the government. Its main job is to collect and share the history of Perth. This includes how people lived, what their culture was like, and how the city's buildings changed over time.
As of 2025, the museum is located in a building on Murray Street. This building used to be a telephone exchange. Before that, in 2016, the museum was in the Atlas Building on the Esplanade. In 2024, it moved to the Bon Marché Arcade building on Barrack Street.
How the Museum Started
The Museum of Perth began in a very modern way. In October 2012, it started as a virtual museum on Twitter. A student named Dallas Robertson, who was studying museums, created it. The next year, it grew and also appeared on Facebook.
In 2013, a news story about the Twitter page was published by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. After reading this, a local council member from the City of Perth, Reece Harley, contacted Dallas. He suggested they open a real, physical museum.
In 2014, the museum, which was still only online, became well-known locally. It led a campaign to try and save an old factory from being torn down. Even though many people supported the museum, the factory was eventually demolished.
Making the Museum Real
By July 2015, a group called the Perth History Association was formed. It included Dallas Robertson, Reece Harley, and other members. This group then created the Museum of Perth. Reece Harley became the executive director.
In October 2015, the Museum of Perth officially opened its doors. Alysha Worth was hired as the project manager to help set everything up. The museum first operated from a shared space with a cafe on Grand Lane in Perth.
What You Can See There
The Museum of Perth has a main exhibition that shows the history of Perth. It also has a small cinema where you can watch films. The museum often changes its exhibitions to show different parts of Perth's social history.
The museum has also worked with other local areas. For example, it teamed up with the Town of East Fremantle to create a website called Streets of East Freo. It also worked with the University of Notre Dame Australia on Streets of Freo and with the City of Bunbury on Streets of Bunbury. These projects help tell the stories of those places online.
Special Events
The Museum of Perth has also taken part in the annual Perth Heritage Days. This event is organized by Heritage Perth and celebrates the history of the city.
