Plans to transform part of the former East Perth Lockup into the Western Australia Police Museum have received development approval, paving the way for the heritage-focused project to create a new destination celebrating the history, people and stories of policing across the State.

Located within the WA Police Force Headquarters precinct, the proposed museum will occupy the eastern section of an existing three-storey building dating from the 1960s, which housed the former East Perth Lockup. The project, designed by Hunt Architects in collaboration with the WA Police Force, will retain and refurbish the building while adapting it for public use.

The museum will explore the history of policing across Western Australia through a collection of objects and experiences that have shaped it including vehicles, uniforms, photographs, documents and other historical artefacts.

Permanent and temporary exhibitions will provide visitors with insight into the evolution of the WA Police Force and the experiences of the people who have served, and continue to serve, communities across the State.

The facility will also incorporate teaching and learning areas, providing dedicated spaces for school groups and the wider community, and creating opportunities to engage with the State's policing history beyond the exhibition spaces.

The former East Perth Lockup will form part of the museum experience. Sections of the existing lock-up will be retained in their original condition, allowing visitors to experience a tangible connection to the history of the place.

The approach combines conservation with contemporary museum requirements, giving a significant existing building a new public-facing purpose through adaptive reuse while ensuring its stories remain visible.

For Hunt Architects, the project also represents a continuation of a long relationship with the WA Police Force. The practice has worked with the organisation on projects across Western Australia over several decades, providing an understanding of how its people, facilities and operations have evolved over time.

The new museum brings together that institutional history with the physical story of the former lock-up, creating a setting where the organisation's past can be explored through both its collections and the building itself.

With development approval now secured, the Western Australia Police Museum can progress towards its next stage, with the adaptive reuse of the East Perth site set to preserve its history while opening it to future generations.

Images sourced from https://huntarchitects.com.au/

Architecture News & Editorial Desk

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