The state's museum is a six-headed beast, with branches also in Fremantle, Albany, Geraldton and Kalgoorlie. This one includes dinosaur, mammal, butterfly and bird galleries, a children's discovery centre , and excellent displays covering Indigenous and colonial history.
In the courtyard, set in its own preservative bath, is Megamouth, a curious-looking species of shark with a soft, rounded head. Only about five of these benign creatures have ever been found; this one beached itself near Mandurah, south of Perth.
The museum complex includes Perth's original gaol, built in 1856 and used until 1888 – the site of many hangings.
