Art Gallery of Western Australia, Perth

The Art Gallery of Western Australia is a public gallery situated within the Perth Cultural Centre, close to the Western Australian Museum and State Library. Established in 1979, it houses the state's extensive art collection, boasting over 15,500 artworks, and attracts around 400,000 visitors annually.

The administration offices of the Art Gallery are located in the former Police Quarters, originally designed by architect Hillson Beasley, known for his work on Government House. Constructed during the economic prosperity of the 1890s Kalgoorlie gold rush, the Police Quarters became home to the administration in the 1970s amid another economic upturn, this time driven by nickel mining.

The Main Gallery Building, completed in 1977, was also a product of the mining boom. Reflecting Western Australia's growing emphasis on cultural institutions, its construction was influenced by the impending 150th anniversary of the federation in 1979. Designed by K. Sierakowski from the Public Works Department in collaboration with engineer Philip Nadebaum and architectural firm Summerhayes and Associates, the building adopts the Bauhaus method with a Brutalist exterior, a style popular in European design. Notably, its slab and shear head column system represented an innovative architectural feature in Western Australia at the time.