Discover our State’s rich cultural and natural heritage at the WA Museum Boola Bardip. It is awesome, free and easy to get to. The Museum is a $400 million-dollar masterpiece with 8 permanent exhibitions and a huge 1,000sqm special exhibition gallery. Here’s a quick look at what you are missing out on.
Ngalang Koort Boodja Wirn
Your journey begins on the ground floor in the Wesfarmers Arts Gallery Ngalang Koort Boodja Wirn. This exhibition shares the stories of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples of Western Australia through collections, artworks, stories and language. It honours traditional knowledge systems and protocols and is an acknowledgment of the endurance, survival and strength of Aboriginal peoples.
The central area of Ngalang Koort Boodja Wirn features products and pieces created by Indigenous artists and designers. It is here that you will find a pair of Jimmy Choo shoes featuring a pattern created by an Aboriginal designer.
Wild Life
What is a natural science exhibition without dinosaurs? In the Wild Life exhibition, visitors can investigate the unique biodiversity that has evolved in Western Australia over millions of years through ancient fossils, rare specimens and live creatures.
It is here that you can meet the largest vertebrate predator to ever grace the seas, Carcharocles megalodon. This display is a result of palaeontologist Dr Mikael Siversson who led an expedition to Cape Range in 2019 looking for fossil evidence of the enormous prehistoric predators. The expedition identified 38 teeth identified as being from the extinct species of shark. One tooth measures a whopping 14 centimetres in length. Based on the size of this tooth, Dr Siversson theorised that this particular megalodon would have weighed about 25 tonnes. Head to the Wild Life exhibition to come face-to-face with the three-metre model of the megalodon’s head which has been brilliantly produced from this research.
Wild Life is a perfect exhibition for the kids. See real-life lizards, walk inside dinosaur footprints and check out the drawer of animal poo! Museum volunteers also do picture-book readings in the exhibition on Fridays and Sundays at 10:30am.
Origins
If your curiosity is sparked by meteorites and stromatolites, visit the WA Museum Boola Bardip’s Origins exhibition where you will find rare objects, artworks and multimedia presentations along with scientific research and traditional interpretations of the Universe and life on Earth. Experience a spectacular mineral display and the Instagram worthy crystal portal, plus Aboriginal stories and perspectives of landscapes such as Gawarre, the Bungle Bungles in Purnululu National Park.
Origins is where you go if you have always wanted to touch a real meteorite. In fact, if space-study is your main area of interest you will love learning about the SKA telescope on show in this exhibition. Also, be sure to check out the large sample of quartz with a gold vein running through it. This is one of the Museum’s earliest pieces in the State’s Collection.
Innovations
This exhibition in the Rio Tinto Gallery is overflowing with exciting inventions designed by Western Australians. It will surprise you to see the extent of innovative creations that have been developed in this State.
Innovations is dedicated to showcasing WA’s ingenuity, entrepreneurship and creativity. Centred around themes of thinking, doing and changing, explore hands-on multimedia and objects that showcase the varying art, music, medicine, fashion and science discoveries by Western Australians.
Stan Perron WA Treasures
The Museum may be renowned for its $400 million makeover, but what makes the redevelopment so remarkable is that the new building integrates with the existing heritage buildings, adding a historical character that reminds visitors of the rich history behind each exhibition’s collection. Housed within the heritage-listed Hacket Hall, WA Treasures features significant Western Australian objects that have been collected over time.
Towering over the exhibition is the famous skeleton of Otto the blue whale, a must-see stop on everyone’s visit to the Museum.
Reflections
Reflections is a deeply thoughtful exhibition that invites you to consider your perspective on who we are as Western Australians and our place within the wider world. The exhibition will also have you reflecting on who you are as a person, where you have come from and where you are headed in the future.
Explore the stories of Western Australians who have had a key role in shaping this State. Learn about the social and cultural qualities of WA which tie our diverse population together, and gain an understanding of the knowledge perspectives of Western Australians, ranging from First Nations people to those who have arrived in more recent years.
Changes
Changes considers how human activity has impacted the Western Australian environment by investigating the cultural, economic and social influences of our population. The exhibition begins by demonstrating the knowledge of Australia's first peoples in their management and nurturing of the land. Visitors are then led to consider how limitations and abundances of resources shape the creation of communities and how the decisions we make today impact our future.
How have we transformed our landscape to suit us and what impact will such changes have on our future?
Connections
We may be the most remote capital city in the world, however, WA has a number of significant historical, geographical, natural and cultural connections to the rest of Australia and the world. Check out objects, images and personal histories that highlight our global relationships when you visit Connections in the Tianqi Lithium Gallery. Discover engrossing stories including everything from global trade and immigration across the Indian Ocean to music, arts and interconnected technologies.
In addition to its outstanding permanent exhibitions, the WA Museum Boola Bardip has a range of other awesome and free experiences. Each night from sunset, Boola Bardip’s Old Gaol comes alive with Illuminate, an extraordinary night projection series inspired by the Museum’s collections and Western Australia’s natural beauty. Illuminate is supported by Minderoo Foundation.
On Saturday mornings at 11am visitors can experience Nyumbi, a Nyoongar dance performance featuring traditional song and dance as well as stories of culture and history. Nyumbi takes place in the Museum’s City Room.
Explore the museum today! Find out more here.