WA Museum Boola Bardip: what to see and how to plan your visit

A blue whale suspended inside an old library is a striking introduction to Western Australia. At WA Museum Boola Bardip, that whale shares a building with Aboriginal artworks, meteorites, dinosaur models and the possessions people brought when they made a new life here. The collection helps make sense of the places you will encounter outside: the Swan River, the South West forests, the desert and the Indian Ocean coast.

Choose a few galleries that interest you and give them time. Trying to read every display in one visit is likely to leave you tired before you reach the things you most wanted to see.

What does Boola Bardip mean?

Boola Bardip means “many stories” in Noongar. The name acknowledges the museum's location on Whadjuk Noongar Country. It was selected with the museum's Aboriginal Advisory Committee and Whadjuk Content Working Group, with translation and approval by the Noongar Boodjar Aboriginal Language Centre. The naming announcement explains that process.

Aboriginal knowledge and perspectives appear throughout the museum, as well as in a dedicated gallery. Allow time to listen to the voices accompanying the objects.

The galleries worth making time for

Ngalang Koort Boodja Wirn: Country, culture and continuity

The ground-floor Ngalang Koort Boodja Wirn gallery, whose title means “Our heart, Country, spirit”, is a thoughtful place to begin. It presents Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures through art, knowledge, achievement and continuing connections to Country.

Look for Laurel Nannup's small model of First Contact, the sculpture that welcomes visitors at Elizabeth Quay. Seeing the model here gives a later encounter with the waterfront artwork more context. The gallery also addresses the Stolen Generations, the struggle for human rights and Aboriginal deaths in custody. These are substantial subjects, so leave room for reflection and questions, particularly when visiting with children.

Otto the whale in WA Treasures

The WA Treasures Gallery occupies heritage-listed Hackett Hall, once part of the State Library. Its centrepiece is Otto, a 24-metre blue whale skeleton hung in a feeding pose. Look along the ribs and jaw before moving to a different viewpoint: the scale is easier to grasp when you compare the skeleton with the people beneath it.

Otto is only part of this unusual collection. An American bison, turtle-shell musical instruments and a Cromwellian helmet from the Tower of London reflect earlier attempts to bring objects from around the world to Western Australian audiences. The room raises an interesting question: what should a museum collect, and whose stories should those collections tell?

Otto's Symphony adds music and lighting at advertised 10.30am, 12.30pm and 2.30pm sessions, included with general admission. Private or public events in the gallery can interrupt the programme.

Origins: meteorites, minerals and ancient landscapes

Origins brings together geology, astronomy and Aboriginal knowledge on level two. There is a meteorite visitors can touch, an illuminated arch made from microscope images of minerals, and displays explaining the distinctive forms of Gawarre, the Bungle Bungle Range.

Give the Gija stories associated with that landscape the same attention as the geological explanation. Together they show how a place can carry different kinds of knowledge. If you are planning a wider WA road trip, this gallery is particularly useful before visiting caves, gorges or the Kimberley.

Wild Life: a good family starting point

On level three, Wild Life covers the State's animals, plants and ecosystems. Children can investigate the interactive Frog Zone and the I-Spy Spinifex augmented-reality display. The gallery also includes living exhibits, a 16-metre sauropod model and displays that help visitors distinguish the South West's three black-cockatoo species.

Choose one comparison to explore together: different cockatoo calls, different habitats or different ways animals survive dry conditions. That gives younger visitors a purpose beyond moving from one screen to the next.

Connections: journeys across the ocean

Connections, also on level three, examines migration, trade, conflict and the ties linking WA with other places. Personal belongings make large historical movements easier to understand, particularly the experiences of people seeking safety or opportunity.

Among the memorable objects is a giant elephant-bird egg from Madagascar, found at Cervantes in 1992. It provides an unexpected introduction to the Indian Ocean's role in carrying much more than ships to Western Australia. The gallery also covers convict transportation and the arrival of the Second World War in Broome.

Reflections, Innovations and Changes

For social history, head to Reflections on level one. A Coolgardie safe, memories of the Mills and Ware biscuit factory, old entertainment venues and sporting objects reveal everyday life alongside larger political and social changes. Visitors with family connections to WA may find this the most personal part of the museum.

The mezzanine-level Innovations gallery connects creativity with practical problem-solving. Look for work by the Tjanpi Desert Weavers, objects associated with architect Iwan Iwanoff and the locally developed Wanneroo BMX. It is a useful reminder that innovation includes design and craft as well as laboratory science.

Changes, on level two, considers how people manage and reshape landscapes. Its themes of resources, communities and environmental decisions connect well with journeys beyond Perth.

Two manageable ways to explore

These are suggested allocations, rather than museum tour schedules. Collect a floor map on arrival and allow extra time if lifts or popular displays are busy.

For a first visit of about 90 minutes: spend roughly 20 minutes in Ngalang Koort Boodja Wirn, 20 minutes with Otto and WA Treasures, then choose either Origins or Wild Life for around 35 minutes. Keep the remaining time for moving between floors and one unexpected discovery. Three galleries enjoyed properly can be more rewarding than eight rushed ones.

For three to four hours: begin on the ground floor, continue through WA Treasures and Innovations on the mezzanine, then visit Reflections on level one. Take a break before choosing Origins and Changes on level two, or Wild Life and Connections on level three. If one subject catches your attention, drop another gallery rather than hurrying through it. A separately ticketed exhibition needs its own time allowance.

For young children, reverse the priorities: begin with Wild Life while concentration is fresh, visit Otto, then decide whether everyone has energy for anything else.

Four stories to look out for

• The museum began in a gaol. Its predecessor opened as a Geological Museum in the Old Perth Gaol in 1891, on the site the museum still occupies. Museum history in the naming announcement.
• Otto takes his name from a taxidermist. Otto Lipfert prepared the whale skeleton after it washed ashore near the Vasse River in 1897. WA Treasures.
• The whale's bones are not equally white. Long exposure in an early, partly open display bleached one side more than the other. The current pose reflects research into how blue whales roll and lunge while feeding. Otto's story.
• A school workshop helped create a bicycle invention. Wanneroo Senior High School metalwork students helped make the Wanneroo BMX, patented by Graham Hunt. Innovations.

Tickets, children and access

The published general-admission tariff has no separate WA-resident, interstate or overseas price. Concessions include students, seniors, health care card holders and Veteran Gold Card holders. Carer admission is free with a valid WA Companion Card. Special exhibitions can cost extra.

For repeat visits, a Boola Bardip Fan membership costs $15 standard or $10 concession for a year. A Super Fan membership covering both Boola Bardip and the WA Maritime Museum is $25 or $17 concession, worth comparing with buying entry to both separately.

The museum has a ground-floor parenting room, baby-changing facilities and lounge seating outside exhibitions. Epoch café faces Beaufort Street; food and drink stay outside the exhibition galleries.

For wheelchair users, the galleries are served by lifts and wheelchairs can be borrowed from the information desk. The access and inclusion page provides gallery visual stories, sensory maps and information about sensory backpacks. It identifies weekday afternoons from 3pm to 5pm during school term as generally quieter. This shorter window suits a focused visit, especially if you prefer fewer people and already know which gallery matters most to you.

Arriving and making a day of it

Perth Station is the practical rail arrival point. The Cultural Centre is undergoing rejuvenation, so use the current pedestrian-access map and the signs around the precinct. The institutions remain accessible during construction. Allow a little extra time rather than relying on an old walking route across the square.

If driving, the State Library and Cultural Centre public car parks are nearby. Afterwards, choose lunch in Northbridge or continue to the Art Gallery of Western Australia. For a family morning, finishing with lunch can be a better plan than immediately starting a second major attraction.

Official visitor information

• Opening hours, holiday exceptions and tickets.
• Current exhibitions and events.
• Access resources and sensory planning.
• Cultural Centre access during works.