Art Gallery of Western Australia

The Art Gallery of Western Australia, usually shortened to AGWA, is the state's main public art museum. It was founded in 1895 and its main gallery building, designed by Charles Sierakowski of the state Public Works Department, opened in 1979. The gallery occupies the south-eastern corner of the Perth Cultural Centre and spreads across a precinct of three heritage buildings, one of which was formerly the Perth Police Courts; the old courthouse now houses the Centenary Galleries.

The collection focuses on art made in and about Western Australia, from the 1800s to the present, with a significant holding of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander art. The collection numbers around 18,000 works, and ongoing displays have included Indigenous art from Western Australia and the Northern Territory and Western Australian art from the colonial period to the 1960s. Temporary exhibitions change through the year, so the gallery is worth revisiting. The AGWA Design Store is on site. The rooftop was redeveloped as AGWA Elevate, opening in November 2021 as a space for sculpture, events, food and film.

General entry is free, which makes it easy to drop in for an hour between other sights in Northbridge and the city centre. A free guided tour is offered, which is a useful introduction to the collection. Some special exhibitions and events may be ticketed, so check the gallery's website for what is on during your visit.

The gallery suits most visitors. Art enthusiasts can spend a couple of hours moving through the permanent collection and current shows, while families and casual visitors can easily fit a shorter visit around lunch in Northbridge. Because entry is free, it is also an easy option to add to a day of sightseeing in the centre.

AGWA opens every day from 10am to 5pm. It sits in the Perth Cultural Centre, about 200 metres from Perth train station according to the neighbouring museum, and shares the precinct with WA Museum Boola Bardip and the State Library, so many visitors combine two or three of them. The bars and restaurants of Northbridge, including The Rechabite on William Street, are nearby if you want to make an evening of it after the gallery closes.