Behind an austere stone 1896 facade (twinkling fairy lights fail to elevate the mood), the Old Swan Barracks are repackaged army accommodation, with long timber-panelled corridors, spartan rooms, basic bathrooms and generous communal areas. The bar opens at noon: happy hours, pool comps and sausage sizzles undermine the 'Dieu et mon droit' (God and my right) coat-of-arms motto.
Old Swan Barracks
Perth
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
1.83 MILES
The 400-hectare, bush-filled expanse of Kings Park, smack in the city centre and enjoying epic views, is Perth's pride and joy. The Botanic Garden…
9.7 MILES
With its forbidding 5m-high walls, the old convict-era prison dominates Fremantle. Various daytime tours explore the jail's maximum-security past, give…
10.23 MILES
Located within an 1852 commissariat store, the Shipwrecks Museum is considered the finest display of maritime archaeology in the southern hemisphere. The…
Western Australian Museum – Maritime
10.29 MILES
Significant West Australian boats are suspended from the rafters of this sail-shaped museum building. There's the yacht that won the America's Cup race in…
Art Gallery of Western Australia
0.14 MILES
Founded in 1895, this excellent gallery houses the state's preeminent art collection as well as regular international exhibitions that, increasingly, have…
17.09 MILES
This hidden valley in Pickering Brook has sustained apple orchards since 1939. Take a one-hour tour through the trees on a tractor-pulled carriage, a 45…
19.4 MILES
The Basin is Rotto's top family swim spot – a sheltered, natural sandy-floored pool, fringed by reefs to keep the waves at bay. It's a short cycle from…
11.15 MILES
Dividing WA's vast coastline into five distinct zones (Far North, Coral Coast, Shipwreck Coast, Perth and Great Southern), AQWA features a 98m underwater…
Nearby Perth attractions
1. Western Australian Museum – Perth
0.05 MILES
The state's museum is a six-headed beast, with branches in Albany, Geraldton and Kalgoorlie as well as two in Fremantle. This main branch in Northbridge…
2. Art Gallery of Western Australia
0.14 MILES
Founded in 1895, this excellent gallery houses the state's preeminent art collection as well as regular international exhibitions that, increasingly, have…
3. Perth Institute of Contemporary Arts
0.14 MILES
PICA (pee-kah) may look traditional – it's housed in an elegant 1896 red-brick former school – but inside it's one of Australia's principal platforms for…
0.67 MILES
Dating from 1899, the compelling Mint displays a collection of coins, nuggets and gold bars. You can caress bullion worth over $700,000, mint your own…
0.67 MILES
A vital part of the city's urban redevelopment is Elizabeth Quay, at the bottom of Barrack St. Luxury hotels and apartments – including the Ritz – are…