Museum of Perth facts for kids
Atlas Building entrance on the Esplanade frontage with Museum of Perth sign (June 2018)
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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 is a private museum, which means it is not run by the government. It is also a "non-profit" museum. This means it uses all its money to run the museum and teach people, instead of making a profit.
The museum helps us learn about Perth's social life, culture, politics, and important buildings. As of 2024, you can find it in a building that used to be a telephone exchange on Murray Street. The museum has moved a couple of times. In 2016, it was in the Atlas Building on the Esplanade. In 2024, it moved to the Bon Marché Arcade building on Barrack Street.
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How the Museum of Perth Started
The Museum of Perth began in a very modern way. It started as a "virtual museum" on the social media site Twitter in October 2012. A student named Dallas Robertson, who was studying museums at Edith Cowan University, created it. The next year, it grew and also appeared on Facebook.
In 2013, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (Perth) wrote an online article about the Twitter page. A Perth City councillor named Reece Harley saw this article. He then talked to Dallas Robertson about opening a real-life museum.
In 2014, the museum was still only online. It became well-known when it tried to save an old art deco factory from being knocked down. The museum led a campaign against the City of Perth to protect the building. Sadly, the factory was still demolished. A state minister supported the local government's decision.
Forming the Museum
By July 2015, a group called the Perth History Association was created. Its members included Dallas Robertson, Reece Harley, Ryan Zaknich, Ryan Mossny, Richard Offen, and Diana Warnock. This group was a "not-for-profit" organisation. This means any money it made went back into its work, not to owners or shareholders.
This organisation then started the Museum of Perth. Reece Harley became the executive director, which is like the main leader. In October 2015, the Museum of Perth officially opened. Alysha Worth was hired as the project manager to help set everything up. The museum first shared a space with a cafe called Henry Saw on Grand Lane in Perth.
What You Can See at the Museum
The Museum of Perth has a main exhibition that tells the story of Perth's history. It also has a small movie theatre where you can watch films. The museum often changes its other exhibitions. These special shows focus on different parts of Perth's social history.
The Museum of Perth has also worked with other groups. They helped the Town of East Fremantle create a website called Streets of East Freo. They also worked with the University of Notre Dame Australia on Streets of Freo. Another project was with the City of Bunbury to make Streets of Bunbury. These websites help people learn about the history of those places.
Museum Events
The museum has also taken part in the yearly "Perth Heritage Days." This event is organised by Heritage Perth. It helps people explore and learn about Perth's history and old buildings.
