Indiana Teahouse
| Indiana Teahouse | |
|---|---|
 Indiana Teahouse in 2023 | |
 Interactive map of the Indiana Teahouse area | |
General information | |
Architectural style | Neotraditional |
| Location | 91 Marine Parade, Cottesloe, Western Australia |
| Coordinates | 31°59′48″S 115°45′06″E / 31.9968°S 115.7516°E |
Construction started | 1994 |
| Opened | October 1996 |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect | Laurie Scanlan |
| Type | State Registered Place |
| Designated | 8 June 2021 |
| Reference no. | 16637 |
The Indiana Teahouse is a State Heritage Listed landmark building in Cottesloe, Western Australia.[1]
It has been widely described as one of Perth's iconic landmarks,[2][3][4][5][6] and is frequently featured in tourism and promotional material as a site representative of Perth.[7][8][9]
History
[edit]The Indiana Teahouse was designed and constructed from 1994 to 1996[10] by architect Laurie Scanlan.[6] It is named after the Indiana Tea House which was located at the site from 1913 to 1970[11] and is designed in a style intended to be reminiscent of the Centenary Bathing Pavilion which was located at the site from 1929 to 1982.[5] The current structure was built to accommodate what at the time was seen as a growing need of the patrons of Cottesloe Beach. The current structure incorporates an earlier bathing pavilion built in 1983 into its lower floor.[12]
The building has been leased by the State Government to Andrew and Nicola Forrest since 2019. Andrew Forrest announced controversial plans to significantly redevelop the building that same year, fielding submissions from a design competition.[13] The plans were quickly met with community backlash and have since gone through numerous revisions.[14][15][16][17] In 2025, plans were approved by the local council to construct a sauna on the terrace level of the building. These plans are currently awaiting approval from the WA Planning Commission.[18]
In 2021, the Indiana Teahouse and surrounding Cottesloe Beach were placed on the State Register of Heritage Places citing landmark status to the community and international tourists as reasons for its significance.[6]
The Marine Parade level of the building currently contains Indigo Oscar, a Latin-American inspired restaurant.[19]
In popular culture
[edit]The building and surrounding beach were praised by Taylor Swift in a 2012 diary entry associated with the release of her album Lover. In the entry she described the Indiana Teahouse as "one of the most beautiful places [she'd] been," and mistakenly believed it to have been built in 1910. The building also appears in the TV série Foreign Exchange (2004).[20]
References
[edit]- ↑ "Cottesloe Beach Precinct". inHerit. Retrieved 12 April 2026.
- ↑ Patrides, Kirsty. "10 of the best beaches in Perth". Australian Traveller. Retrieved 12 April 2026.
- ↑ "Tattarang unveils world-class future for Perth's iconic Indiana". Tattarang. Retrieved 12 April 2026.
- ↑ Ceccato, Monique. "Perth landmarks explained". RAC Horizons. Retrieved 12 April 2026.
- 1 2 "Indiana Tea House". Scanlan Architects. Retrieved 12 April 2026.
- 1 2 3 "'Iconic' Indiana Teahouse added to WA heritage register". Architecture, Au. Retrieved 12 April 2026.
- ↑ Shaw, Kim. "Independent media outlet Perth is OK! Reaches 1,000,000 followers on social media". Campaign Brief. Retrieved 12 April 2026.
- ↑ Perth and Surrounds Holiday Planner 2024. Perth: Vanguard Publishing. 1 January 2024. Retrieved 12 April 2026.
- ↑ Schwarz, Kirrily. "Escape To… Perth: 5 top tips to know before you go". Escape. Retrieved 12 April 2026.
- ↑ "The Vision for Indiana: Development Proposal December 2021" (PDF). Town of Cottesloe. fiveight. Retrieved 12 April 2026.
- ↑ "1913: Tearooms and skating rinks". Cottesloe Past. Retrieved 12 April 2026.
- ↑ "Redevelopment of Indiana's Tea House Cottesloe Beach" (PDF). Town of Cottesloe. Retrieved 12 April 2026.
- ↑ Grahame, Evan Morgan (3 July 2019). "Grand designs for Perth's Cottesloe Beach championed by mining billionaire Andrew Forrest". ABC News. Retrieved 12 April 2026.
- ↑ "Andrew Forrest's Indiana Tea House plans in Cottesloe on ice after difference of opinion on redesign". The West Australian. 6 February 2020. Retrieved 12 April 2026.
- ↑ Piesse, Emily (7 February 2020). "Andrew Forrest forced to rethink Indiana Teahouse Cottesloe redevelopment after 'mixed' public feedback". ABC News. Retrieved 12 April 2026.
- ↑ "Forrest's overhaul plan not everyone's cup of tea". The Australian. 21 March 2022. Retrieved 12 April 2026.
- ↑ Burton, Jesinta (26 June 2024). "935 days later: Forrest's Indiana Teahouse revamp in limbo as Cottesloe council pulls rank". WA Today. Retrieved 12 April 2026.
- ↑ Flinn, Harriet (27 March 2025). "Perth billionaires Andrew and Nicola Forrest's plans for sauna at Indiana Tea House gets green light". PerthNow. Retrieved 12 April 2026.
- ↑ "Welcome to Indigo Oscar!". Indigo Oscar. Retrieved 12 April 2026.
- ↑ "Revealed: Pop titan Taylor Swift's love letter to Perth". The West Australian. 26 August 2019. Retrieved 12 April 2026.