The Perth Mint, proud occupant of the same historic limestone building since its opening in 1899, will take on a new 21st-century look over the next three years.
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its opening in 1899, will take on a new 21st-century look over the next
three years.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/4661389a2181.html
The heritage-listed headquarters, now one of the Western Australian
capital's premier tourist attractions, will undergo a multi-million-dollar
redevelopment with new-look exhibition and retail facilities to be phased in
between next year and 2011.
Since 1992, when the Mint was first opened to the public, well over one
million visitors have been attracted to its daily program including molten
gold pourings, guided heritage walks including a 1890s-style gold
prospectors camp, its display of $250,000 ($NZ310,000) worth of gold
bullion, its coins, medallions and jewellery - and its elegant tea gardens.
But now Mint CEO Ed Harbuz (Harbuz) says an update of its exciting
experience is overdue.
The retail and exhibitions areas have changed little since the early 1990s
and a radical overhaul is required to ensure it meets modern expectations of
interactivity, entertainment and education, he said.
A variety of concepts is being considered.
Acumen Design of Melbourne has been appointed design consultant for the
project, after a nationwide call for tenders.
Among the Melbourne company's past work has been at the Australian
Stockmen's Hall of Fame at Longreach and the Waltzing Matilda Centre at
Winton in Queensland; the Flagstaff Hill Museum and Night Experience at
Warrnambool and the Koorie Heritage Centre in Melbourne, Victoria; and
exhibits at the National Museum of Australia in Canberra.
In the Mint's front courtyard is a statue of two bewhiskered fossickers, one
clutching a small golden nugget in triumph - it's an introduction to a
review of the precious metal's rich history in Australia, as presented for
visitors to the main building.
Inside, in the original Melting House, is the most popular presentation:
hourly pourings in which a Mint employee heats pure gold to molten
temperatures then transforms it into a solid 6kg gold bar that cools with
incredible speed.
The Melting House opened in 1899 and handled a total of 2596 tonnes of gold
in the 91 years to 1990 when the main refining operations were moved to new
premises near Perth international airport.
Another feature on the heritage walk is the recreation of a prospectors camp
like those which mushroomed in gold rushes at Coolgardie in 1892 and
Kalgoorlie a year later - four decades after discoveries in New South Wales
and Victoria.
On the tour you can try and lift a gold bar worth $A250,000, discover the
value of your weight in gold, and view what the Mint says is the world's
largest collection of gold investment bars from over 30 countries, in the
original 1899 vault.
You can also engrave a gold-plated or pure-silver medallion with a
personalised message (costing $17 and $30 respectively).
From a viewing gallery, visitors watch the minting of gold, silver and
platinum commemorative coins, many for export, which has become big business
for the coining department since the program began in 1987, the output
totalling more than 250 tonnes worth well over $A2 billion.
Most recent commemoratives for the domestic market include gold, silver and
bronze coins marking the Australian Olympic teams competing at the Beijing
Olympic Games.
Others mark diverse events such as the recent World Youth Day in Sydney and
the Pope's visit, 150 years of Australian Rules football, the 90th
anniversary of the end of World War 1, Christmas Island's 50 years as an
Australian territory, Prince Charles' 60th birthday and the 2008 Chinese
Year of the Rat.
The Perth Mint Shop has a huge selection of gifts and souvenirs including
jewellery and other gold, silver and bronze pieces from gold nuggets to
engagement, wedding and anniversary rings bearing Australian gems including
diamonds, pearls and opals.
Small gold nuggets are offered from about $A390 - prices are affected by
daily changes in the international gold market.
Branches of the Royal Mint in London opened in Sydney in 1855, Melbourne in
1872 and Perth in 1899, 18 months before Australia's six colonies became a
federation.
Western Australia's premier Sir John Forrest asked the British government to
set up a Royal Mint branch in Perth to refine Australian gold and convert it
into British gold coins to be used in the colonies.
Construction of the Perth building, which opened on June 20 1899, cost
stg58,000, which the Mint says would be equivalent to about $A7,250,000
today.
The Sydney and Melbourne mints eventually closed down after gold production
in the eastern states dwindled, but their Perth equivalent remained under
British jurisdiction until July 1, 1970 when control passed to the WA state
government.
To this day, the Perth Mint refines precious metals including most of the
gold mined in WA plus other states, also gold from Indonesia, Fiji, Papua
New Guinea and Solomon Islands.
Its other role for decades was to produce millions of Australian coins from
half-pennies to florins then decimal currency from 1966, although nowadays
all Australia's circulating coins are now made at the Royal Australian Mint
in Canberra.
After the tour, it's pleasant to visit the Mint's Tea Garden for the
ultimate indulgence and old-fashioned service - a Devonshire tea with a wide
selection of teas and freshly-baked scones with Margaret River jam and
clotted cream.
IF YOU GO
The Perth Mint at 310 Hay Street is open from 9am to 5pm Mondays to Fridays
and until 1pm on Saturdays and Sundays and public holidays (except Christmas
Day, New Year's Day, Good Friday and Anzac Day, when it is closed).
It is walking distance from the CBD, or hop on the free Red Cat bus around
the rim of the city centre, which stops at the Mint's entrance.
Guided tours are held hourly at half-past the hour, with gold pourings
hourly on the hour.
Admission is A$15 for adults, A$13 concession, A$5 for children and A$38 for
a family of two adults and two children.
* The writer was a guest of the Perth Mint.