Perth Cultural Centre Precinct

Child Places

• 02025 Art Gallery Administration Building
• 19951 Alexander Library
• 01962 Art Gallery & Museum Buildings
• 02028 PICA & Arts House

Values

• A number of buildings within the area have significant aesthetic value in their own right being substantial and very fine examples of a particular type.
• Together the buildings form the finest, and possibly largest, group of public buildings in the Federation and Federation Romanesque style in the state.
• Individual buildings within the place have associations with a number of prominent WA architects including Richard Roach Jewell, George Temple Poole and Hillson Beasley.
• The place has associations with the provision of public education, law and order services, and the establishment of the first public art gallery/museum.
• The place illustrates changing attitudes and policies of cultural institutions and reflects the centralisation of such services in the Perth area as a result of the planning of the metropolitan region in the post-World War Two period.

Physical Description

The place is bounded by Francis and Roe Streets to the north and south, and Beaufort and William Streets to the east and west.
The place includes: James Street Mall, Art Gallery Administration Building (former Police Quarters), AGWA Centenary Galleries (former Police Courts), PIC (former Perth Boys School), former Perth Gaol, Hackett Hall, former Art Gallery, 1970s Museum Building, the Main Gallery Building and the Alexander Library building.

History

Construction on the block of land bounded by Francis and Roe Streets, and Beaufort and William Streets dates back to the 1850s at which time portion of the site was gazetted for use as a gaol and police quarters; former Perth Gaol – Richard Roach Jewell.
The main development of the area occurred at the turn of the twentieth century at which time the former Perth Boys School was erected to the design of Chief Architect George Temple Poole, followed by the former Art Gallery Building and Hackett Hall were constructed as was the former Perth Courts and the former Police Quarters in the early 1900s; all to the design of architect of the Public Works Department Hillson Beasley.
The next major stage of development occurred in the 1970s and 1980s. This occurred directly as a result of a concept developed in the 1955 Perth and Fremantle metropolitan plan developed by Stephenson and Hepburn for a central Perth cultural centre. The 1963 Metropolitan region Scheme later laid out the plan for the cultural centre and the plans began to be implemented in the 1970s, incorporating the retention of the historic building on the site after protests from the National Trust.

Integrity/Authenticity

Moderate

Condition

Good

Uses

Historic Themes

Creation Date

Publish place record online (inHerit):

Last Update

Disclaimer

This information is provided voluntarily as a public service. The information provided is made available in good faith and is derived from sources believed to be reliable and accurate. However, the information is provided solely on the basis that readers will be responsible for making their own assessment of the matters discussed herein and are advised to verify all relevant representations, statements and information.