The Perth Mint

The Perth Mint was officially opened on 20 June 1899 as the last of three colonial branches of Britain's Royal Mint in Australia. It was set up to refine gold from the Western Australian gold rushes and to strike gold sovereigns and half-sovereigns for the British Empire. It stands on Hay Street in East Perth, a short walk from the city centre, and today combines a shop, bullion trading room and visitor tours.

The main visitor option at present is Discover The Perth Mint, a self-guided tour that takes about an hour. Its highlight is a gold pouring demonstration in the historic Melting House, where molten gold is poured into a bar in front of the audience, and there is seating with wheelchair spaces. The Mint also displays a one-tonne gold coin; the mint produced a coin of 1,012 kilograms of pure gold in 2011, about 80 centimetres across and with a face value of one million Australian dollars. Every paid ticket includes the chance to mint your own commemorative medallion.

The guided Gold Tour and the Gold and Bells package with the Bell Tower are unavailable while restoration works are under way, so check the Mint's website before you book. Tours run every 30 minutes from 9.30am to 3.30pm daily, and children under 15 must be accompanied by an adult. Payment is by card only, as the Mint does not accept cash.

Entry to the shop, the grounds and the bullion trading room is free. The shop is open from 9am to 5pm every day, including most public holidays, but closes on Christmas Day, Boxing Day, New Year's Day, Good Friday and Anzac Day. Bullion trading runs Monday to Saturday, with last arrivals by 4pm.

The visit suits families and anyone curious about Western Australia's gold-rush history, and an hour or so is enough for most people. The shop and exhibition areas have wide passageways and ramps, and there are accessible parking bays on Hay Street. From the city centre it is a short walk east, or you can take the free Red CAT bus to stop R06 outside the Mint.