Heath Ledger is to be the focus of a new exhibition.

Close family of the 'Brokeback Mountain' actor - who died in 2008 from an accidental overdose of prescription drugs in his New York apartment - are involved in creating the attraction which will celebrate his film career at the Western Australia Museum in Perth.

Much of the content of the exhibit will come from Heath's father Kim Ledger, including the posthumous Oscar he won for his portrayal of The Joker in Batman movie 'The Dark Knight' and a diary he kept while studying the character will also be on display.

Speaking about the exhibit, Australian Culture and Arts minister John Day said: "As well as the stories from his youth and early career, the exhibition will document his aspirations as a director, his talented work creating music videos and his formidable abilities as a chess player and photographer."

Kim is "extremely pleased" to be involved with the project and is hopeful it will attract more tourists to Perth, the city where Heath was born.

He said: "We are extremely pleased to work with the wonderful staff at the Western Australia Museum with a view to both preserving and providing historical personal information, objects of interest and movie paraphernalia for a display which will attract both local interest and visitors from interstate and overseas."