Perth Mint to take on new look

EUREKA: In the Perth Mint's courtyard is a statue of two bewhiskered fossickers - an introduction to the rich history of gold in Australia. Occupying the same building since 1899, the Perth Mint will soon take on a new 21st-century look.

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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.

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.

- AAP