A GUIDE TO SHOPPING IN PERTH & FREMANTLE
Shopping Hours
In addition to the normal shopping hours, 8.30am to 5.30pm Monday to Friday, and 8.30am to 5pm Saturday, late night shopping until 9pm is on Friday in the city precinct and Thursday elsewhere. Sunday trading is from noon until 5pm in Perth city precinct and 10am to 4pm in Fremantle.
Perth City Malls
The Hay Street Mall between William and Barrack Street has always been regarded as the heart of Perth city shopping. Prior to the 1970s cars and buses (and earlier trams) utilised this city street. Changes occurred in the 70s which changed this precinct into a pedestrian mall. The road was paved and umbrellas, seats and flower boxes were installed to create a mall with a distinctive shopping atmosphere. Today buskers and barrows have been included which have added even more character to the Hay Street Mall.
More recently, Murray Street between William and Barrack Streets has been converted into a shopping precinct known as the Murray Street Mall. This mall flows into Forrest Place with its terraces, kiosks and stage for entertainment. The Murray Street Mall and Forrest Place areas have been designed for spacious, traffic-free shopping.
Department Stores
The two main department stores in the city are Myer and Aherns.
Myer is situated in the Murray Street Mall/Forrest Place shopping area. This shopping store is surrounded by a wide two storey terrace which also features some speciality shops. Overhead walkways link this to arcades and the Perth railway station.
Aherns is Perth’s oldest department store and has almost everything you would need. This store is easy to find with its location being between the Murray Street and Hay Street Malls in central Perth. the time to explore the arcades which are often multi level with some connecting with other arcades. Many speciality shops can be found and very often selling the unusual and unique. An extensive array of eateries featuring local and international foods
Opals
Australia produces at least 95% of the Worlds Opals. It is one of the most precious and sought after gems. A good quality Black Opal can fetch in price as much as a good diamond per carat. Opals come in several classifications, the 3 main types of solid opal being: Black, Crystal & Boulder.
Black Opals being the rarest and most precious. Crystal Opals are light or white. They range from creamy white to almost transparent. Boulder Opals are contained in Ironstone Boulders. The boulder is split, cut & polished into freeform shapes, showing their bright vibrant colours.
There are also Opals known as doublets or triplets, which are less expensive. They are thin slices of Solid Opal joined to a backing.
It is recommended when buying an Opal to buy only from a reputable retailer such as Quilpie Opals, Opal Stike, or Fremantle Opals.
Pearls
Broome Pearls are considered to be the finest Pearls in the world. Set into beautiful jewellery, rings, earrings and necklaces. They can be purchased at Exclusive Gold.
Aboriginal Art
Aboriginal Art is a distinctive style and is one of the World’s oldest living cultures. Creative Native have a huge range of authentic Indigenous paintings, boomerangs, digeridoos, clothing, gifts and various other artifacts..
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