The Art Gallery of Western Australia sits in the Perth Cultural Centre in Northbridge, a short walk north of the city centre through the underpass below the railway line. The permanent collection runs across Australian, European, Asian, and decorative arts, but the gallery's real strength is its Indigenous Australian art — one of the most significant collections in the country, representing artists from across WA and beyond. The works range from traditional bark paintings and ceremonial objects to contemporary canvases by artists like Julie Dowling and Rover Thomas, whose Country paintings are among the most distinctive in Australian art.
Entry to the permanent collection is free, which makes it easy to drop in without committing to a half-day museum visit. The gallery is well-lit and well-laid-out, and even an hour's visit will give you a genuine grounding in the breadth of WA's artistic culture. Temporary exhibitions covering Australian and international contemporary art cycle through regularly and usually carry an admission charge. The Cultural Centre precinct around it — shared with the WA Museum, the State Library, and the Perth Institute of Contemporary Arts — makes this part of Northbridge one of the more intellectually stimulating corners of the city.