Ochre Horizon
Horizontal bands of red, ochre and pale earth under a white sky

Independent guide / Western Australia

Western Australia art, read layer by layer

A visitor's guide to galleries, art centres and the long story of art in the west: where to go, what to look for and how to plan the trip.

Dig into the layersAll guides

A core sample of the state

One state, many layers of art

Western Australia covers about a third of the continent, and its art is spread just as widely. The Art Gallery of Western Australia holds the state collection in Perth. Fremantle has a long running arts centre. Far to the north, art centres in the Kimberley and Pilbara work with ochre, canvas and fibre.

This site is an independent reader's guide. It sticks to facts that can be checked, sends you to each venue's own website for hours and prices, and arranges the material like a core sample: scroll down and each layer shows another part of the scene.

Four layers of the art scene

Scroll down through the state

A bright empty gallery room with pale walls and a polished floor
Gallery room, Perth Cultural Centre styleDaylight, limestone, white wall
A pale limestone coastline meeting a turquoise sea under a clear sky
Limestone shoreLight, salt and sea
Heaps of red, yellow and white earth pigments on a flat stone
Earth pigmentsOchre, charcoal, clay
Red iron rich hills under a wide pale sky
Iron countryRed earth, pale sky

  1. Layer 01

    Perth, the first room

    The state gallery began collecting in 1895 and now fills three heritage buildings in the Perth Cultural Centre. Start there, then walk to a contemporary space next door.

    Plan the state gallery visit

  2. Layer 02

    Fremantle and the coast

    A former asylum on a hill became a centre for contemporary arts in 1973. Each March sculptures take over the Cottesloe shoreline for a free outdoor show.

    See Perth and Fremantle

  3. Layer 03

    Ochre and country

    The oldest layer is Aboriginal art: the Murujuga engravings, Kimberley painting in natural ochre and art centres that put the artist first.

    Read about Aboriginal art

  4. Layer 04

    The long north

    Regional galleries in Bunbury and Geraldton and community art centres in the Kimberley and Pilbara carry much of the state's work. Travel there takes planning.

    Find regional galleries

North to south

A horizon you can follow

Distances in the west are long. The line beside this text is a schematic of the main art stops from the Kimberley to the south west, not a map and not to scale. For route planning, read how to visit exhibitions in Western Australia.

The northern stops are best for art centres and rock art, the middle for regional galleries, and the south for the state collection, Fremantle and the coast.

KimberleyPilbaraGeraldtonPerthBunbury
Schematic, not to scaleFive regions, north to south

Six guides, hung in a row

Pick a room to enter

Scroll sideways through the guides. Each one opens a plain guide on galleries, regions, Aboriginal art, history or planning.

  • No. 01

    The state gallery in Perth

    The oldest visual arts organisation in the state, and the easiest first room to walk into.

    Read the guide

  • No. 02

    Perth and Fremantle

    From the Perth Cultural Centre to a former asylum on the Fremantle hill.

    Read the guide

  • No. 03

    Regional WA

    Bunbury, Geraldton, Kununurra, Warmun and Newman: art where the work is made.

    Read the guide

  • No. 04

    Aboriginal art

    Engravings on the Burrup, ochre in the Kimberley and one very long conversation with country.

    Read the guide

  • No. 05

    Art history

    From engraved rock to a state collection: one timeline with several beginnings.

    Read the guide

  • No. 06

    Plan a visit

    Distances, seasons, tickets and manners: the checklist before you set out.

    Read the guide

Quick answers

Questions visitors ask

Is the Art Gallery of Western Australia free?
General admission is free, while special exhibitions carry a charge. See the state gallery guide.
Where can I see Aboriginal art in Western Australia?
In Perth at the state gallery, and in regions through community art centres such as Warmun and Martumili. Start with the Aboriginal art guide.
When is the best time for an art trip?
Perth and Fremantle work all year, the north is usually visited in the dry season, and the coastal sculpture show is held in March. More in the planning guide.