Before and after pictures show how Perth shopping centres, including Galleria and Karrinyup, have changed

The look and feel of Perth shopping centres have come a long way and fascinating images from the State Library of Western Australia prove it.

Pictures of Perth’s most memorable locations from bygone decades are a trip down memory lane for some, and a fresh perspective for others.

SLWA Community Awareness Coordinator Nico McLaughlan said they were revelling in the opportunity to share the pictures with a wide audience.

“We share these photographs on Instagram with the hope to inspire members of the public to discover more about Western Australia through our collections,” McLaughlan said.

“The sights we share are often familiar and nostalgic.”

In the collection we have curated for PerthNow readers, it’s a step back in time to as early as 1897 with an image of Boans Department Store in Perth City, which has since become Myer Forrest Chase.

Other pictures range from the seventies to the nineties and show the incredible changes to the 2020s.

Morley City Shopping Centre in 1975 (before it was Morley Galleria!), Mirrabooka Square in 1986 and Claremont Arcade in 1994 feature gaudy furniture and bright store signs.

At Karrinyup Shopping Centre, the impressive modern building, which has become one of Perth’s busiest shopping hubs, was once much more humble, centred around Big W.

Dive in, take a look and be pleasantly surprised at how far Perth shopping centres have come.

Claremont Arcade in the 1990s

Once a simpler affair than the more recent shopping expansion in the area, Claremont Quarter, Claremont Arcade in the 1990s was filled with a CD store (compact disc for those too young to remember), cheap food (compared to today’s prices) and some questionable fashion - that was likely trendy at the time.

Claremont Quarter now

The modern take on shopping centres is on full display at Claremont Quarter.

It has become the centre of high fashion and style for the Western Suburbs and is a go-to shopping destination for fashionistas and those who like to dress in style.

Mirrabooka Square in 1986

Mirrabooka Square was an eighties dream, complete with bright, fluorescent lights, neon charm and bold colours.

Home to the first Big W store in Western Australia and opened with a live broadcast from a local Perth radio station, it was a must-stop shop for locals.

Mirrabooka Square in early 2000s

Once it had been refurbished, it was a more modern and austere affair, keeping with the evolving design trends of the time.

Perth shopping centres have come a long way, as have trends and tastes.

If you’re keen for another hit of nostalgia, check out the below PerthNow story featuring more from the archives of the State Library of Western Australia.