The new WA Museum Boola Bardip has been officially opened allowing thousands of Western Australians to get their first taste of the exhibitions, experiences and stories on display.
Performing the opening ceremony, Premier, Mark McGowan said WA Museum Boola Bardip integrated five renovated and revitalised heritage buildings with a spectacular new building, creating eight new permanent exhibition galleries, 1,000 square metres of special exhibition gallery, life-long learning studios, and retail, café and public spaces.
“The new WA Museum Boola Bardip is simply spectacular,” Mr McGowan said.
“I have no doubt Western Australians will be blown away by its stunning architecture and fascinating exhibits,” he said.
“It is a world-class museum by any standard, and one that we can all be proud of.”
He said the stunning, $400 million redevelopment of the Museum precinct in the Perth Cultural Centre will have significant social and economic benefits for all Western Australians.
He said it would play a critical role in strategically positioning Perth as a centre for cultural excellence, and showcase Western Australia as an exciting and unique tourism destination.
“This has been a major infrastructure project for the WA Government at a critical time in our economic history, creating 3,300 jobs and helping keep Western Australians employed during both a global economic downturn and a pandemic,” Mr McGowan said.
Minister for Culture and the Arts, David Templeman said the name, ‘Boola Bardip’, acknowledged that the Museum sat on Whadjuk Noongar land.
“It honours the cultural heritage of Australia’s First Peoples, and it reflects the shared cultural heritage of the 2.65 million people who call WA home,” Mr Templeman said.
“From the Museum’s genesis back in 1891 as a geological museum, through to the extraordinary achievement of this opening, I am thrilled the Museum is once again delighting visitors at the same place where it has always stood.”
