The Jubilee Building is part of the

Western Australian Museum The Western Australian Museum is a statutory body, statutory authority within the Culture and the Arts Portfolio, established under the ''Museum Act 1969''. The museum has six main sites. The state museum, WA Museum Boola Bardip, is located i ...

Perth Perth () is the list of Australian capital cities, capital city of Western Australia. It is the list of cities in Australia by population, fourth-most-populous city in Australia, with a population of over 2.3 million within Greater Perth . The ...

, Western Australia. Designed in the Victorian Byzantine style by

George Temple-Poole George Thomas Temple-Poole (born George Thomas Temple, 29 May 1856 – 27 February 1934) was a British architect and public servant, primarily known for his work in Western Australia from 1885. As Superintendent of Public Works, and then Pri ...

and supervised by his 1895 successor John Harry Grainger, it was opened in 1899. The building was originally planned as a combined library, museum and art gallery to be sited in

St Georges Terrace St Georges Terrace (colloquially known as "The Terrace") is the main street in the city of Perth, Western Australia. It runs parallel to the Swan River and forms the major arterial thoroughfare through the central business district. Its ...

to commemorate the

Golden Jubilee of Queen Victoria The Golden Jubilee of Queen Victoria was celebrated on 20 and 21 June 1887 to mark the Golden jubilee, 50th anniversary of Queen Victoria's accession on 20 June 1837. It was celebrated with a National service of thanksgiving, Thanksgiving Serv ...

in 1887. However, by 1894, enthusiasm for the project had waned and the St Georges Terrace site had been abandoned. After several years, a site was selected near the corner of James Street and

Beaufort Street Beaufort Street is a major road in the inner north-eastern suburbs of Perth, Western Australia, connecting the Morley, Western Australia, Morley area to the Perth central business district. For most of its length, it is a single-carriageway, tw ...

to adjoin several other buildings including the old

Perth Gaol The Perth Gaol (often referred to as the Old Perth Gaol) was a gaol built in Perth, the state capital of Western Australia, between 1854 and 1856 to house convicts and other prisoners. It is located just west of Beaufort Street. It operated unt ...

which was being used for museum displays and storage. It was still termed the ''Victoria Public Library'' when it was being built in 1897. The

Hackett Hall Hackett Hall is a heritage listed building, previously housing part of the State Library of Western Australia. It is now a part of the new Western Australian Museum complex in the Perth Cultural Centre, in Western Australia. The name of the hall ...

that housed the Public Library is immediately west of the building. Construction started in 1897. The museum moved into the basement prior to the building's completion in 1899. It has been included in the redevelopment of the

, as part of the

Perth Cultural Centre The Perth Cultural Centre is an area of central Perth, Western Australia, near the James Street Mall. It is home to a number of cultural institutions including the Art Gallery of Western Australia, Western Australian Museum, State Library o ...

. The entire building has been refurbished, with the terrace and grand entrance reopened.

References

External links

Register Entry, Place No 01962
Heritage Council of Western Australia
Assessment Documentation
Heritage Council of Western Australia {{Authority control Landmarks in Perth, Western Australia Government buildings completed in 1899 Federation style architecture George Temple-Poole buildings 1899 establishments in Australia Perth Cultural Centre State Register of Heritage Places in the City of Perth Golden Jubilee of Queen Victoria Byzantine Revival architecture in Australia