Australia · State of Western Australia · Perth
Perth city centre, Perth — Area Guide & Where to Stay
Perth city centre is the Swan River core of Western Australia's capital, carrying the Western Australian Museum and the Museum of Perth.
About Perth city centre
Where to stay in Perth city centre
Where you base yourself shapes the visit — here's the character of each area.
Hotels stand thick through the centre, within a few blocks of the Western Australian Museum, the Perth Institute of Contemporary Arts and the heritage terraces of Aberdeen Street in Northbridge. The Swan River sets the edge. Anyone here for the galleries books near the Art Gallery of Western Australia and Trinity Church.
Dorrien Gardens and Robertson Park break up the built ground.
About Perth city centre
What are the main landmarks in Perth city centre?
Two state collections lead. The Western Australian Museum and the Art Gallery of Western Australia sit alongside the Perth Institute of Contemporary Arts and the Museum of Perth, and the Old Central Fire Station keeps its own heritage frontage. Wesley Church, Trinity Church and St Brigid's Church mark the older church ground.
The Cathedral of St Constantine & St Helene and St John's Lutheran Church add to it. Edith Cowan's House stands among them.
What is the history of Perth city centre?
The centre began by the river. Perth was founded in 1829, and the British settlements on the Swan River grew into the central business district that carries the Western Australian Museum and the Old Central Fire Station. Fremantle took the port role downstream, while the centre kept the museums and the older churches.
Edith Cowan's House survives among the heritage listings.
Where is Perth city centre?
The centre stands on the Swan River, out on the Swan Coastal Plain between the Indian Ocean and the Darling Scarp.
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Updated September 2026