Perth Mint, Perth (must see)

The Perth Mint is one of the clearest reminders of Western Australia’s gold-rush era. Opened on 20 June 1899 as the Perth branch of Britain’s Royal Mint, it was established to refine gold from the state’s booming goldfields and to mint gold coinage. Designed by George Temple-Poole, the original Hay Street building became both a working institution and a statement of late colonial confidence. It remains Australia’s official bullion mint and is still closely connected with the precious-metals industry.

The Mint’s history is tied to the gold discoveries of the late 19th century, especially in places such as Coolgardie and Kalgoorlie. As gold poured into Perth, the city needed a place where miners and companies could have raw gold refined and turned into official coinage. The Mint helped support that process, linking Perth directly to the wealth, migration, ambition, and hard labor that transformed Western Australia during the gold rushes.

For visitors today, the Perth Mint offers both history and spectacle. Its exhibitions include gold nuggets, bullion displays, historic coins, and the famous Australian Kangaroo One Tonne Gold Coin, made from 99.99% pure gold. Measuring about 80 centimeters wide and 12 centimeters deep, it is described by the Mint as the biggest, heaviest, and most valuable gold bullion coin in the world. Visitors can also watch a live gold pour, one of the attraction’s most memorable demonstrations.

Inside, the Perth Mint Shop continues the theme with coins, bullion, jewelry, gold nuggets, and souvenirs. Listed on the Western Australian State Register of Heritage Places in 2000, the Perth Mint remains both a historic landmark and a working institution, making it a valuable stop for anyone exploring Perth’s city center.