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By: Lisa Cook
There’s something special about sipping a coffee in a historic place that once told a very different story.
From old post offices and a butter factory to maternity hospital and merchant’s warehouse, these cafes offer more than just great food, they’re a chance to connect with WA’s past.
1. The Telegraph Café, Bremer Bay
Delicious brunches and fascinating history come together at The Telegraph Cafe in Bremer Bay.
Built in 1875, the original Telegraph Station connected this remote coastal town to the rest of the world. Designed by renowned architect George Temple Poole, it played a vital role in communication across the region.
Miss Mary Wellstead, the station’s first operator, is believed to have been Australia’s first female telegraphist, marking a historic milestone.
Today, the heritage-listed site blends old and new, with subtle nods to its past woven throughout the space. Visitors can settle in for breakfast or lunch while uncovering stories of Bremer Bay’s early days.
The menu features everything from chilli scramble and plum pancakes to honey soy chicken burgers and fresh squid salad, alongside coffee, smoothies and house-made cakes.
2. Beth’s Bakery, East Victoria Park
One of Perth’s most anticipated openings of 2026, Beth’s Bakery has transformed the site of WA's first maternity hospital into a bustling bakery and café within the new Baillie Hill precinct.
On the menu, you’ll find freshly baked bread, flaky pastries, potato focaccia, toasties, danishes and donuts, alongside barista-made coffee. For something a little different, try the spicy fougasse, tiramisu bun or oat porridge loaf.
The building dates back to 1911, when Elizabeth Baillie established the Rotunda Maternity Hospital — the first of its kind in WA — at a time when Victoria Park still had a rural, isolated feel.
Designed in ‘Federation Queen Anne’ style, the building retains many original features, including a grand jarrah staircase, intricate timber brackets, pressed metal ceilings and stained glass at the entrance, offering a beautiful glimpse into the site’s past.
3. Witchy Brews Espresso Bar, Witchcliffe
Built in 1927, this historic Witchcliffe building at 3 Redgate Road has been both a town hall and general store before it became The Witch and Windmill, following an extensive restoration in 2016.
From hosting dances and picture shows in its early days, the building later became a go-to spot for locals to shop and collect their mail, operating as Darnell’s Store from the 1940s. It served Witchcliffe families for generations before falling into disrepair in the early 2000s.
Today, you’ll find Witchy Brews inside a village of local businesses, a leafy garden coffee window and café serving double-shot coffees, gourmet toasties and sweet treats, all made with locally sourced ingredients.
4. The Old Dairy Farm, Torbay
Halfway between Denmark and Albany, The Old Dairy Farm is a scenic café and events venue set on a working dairy farm, with sweeping views across rolling green pastures to the Southern Ocean.
Run by the Hortin family, the farm is home to more than 1,000 cattle, with three dairy sheds operating daily. While the café only opened in 2020, it honours its long dairy heritage, with old milk urns, rustic farm doors and original features woven throughout the space.
The menu is a relaxed fusion of flavours, with hearty favourites like beef cottage pie, pulled pork loaded fries and Thai curry puffs, alongside coffee, cakes and sweet treats.
5. Moore & Moore, Fremantle
Located in one of Fremantle’s oldest buildings, Moore & Moore Café is a quintessential ‘Freo’ spot where coffee, art and history meet in the heart of the West End.
Built by William Dalgety Moore in the 1800s, the building on Henry Street was once a busy merchant’s warehouse, a hub for importing goods, brewing and manufacturing.
The City of Fremantle restored the Victorian-era building in the 1980s, before the space was reborn as a creative hub, with Moore & Moore Café and a contemporary art gallery bringing new life to the heritage site.
Tucked down a heritage-listed laneway, the café pairs vintage charm with a leafy courtyard setting, serving quality coffee and all-day brunch with a focus on sustainable, locally sourced produce. A Moroccan-inspired high tea is also a staple offering on the menu.
Next door, Moores Building Art Space, run by Fremantle Arts Centre, showcases an ever-changing program of contemporary exhibitions. For little bookworms, Paper Bird children’s bookshop has also made its home here, complete with its own Narnia-style wardrobe.
6. Mrs Jones, The Old Butter Factory, Denmark
WA's dairy industry was booming in the early 1900s, and in 1928 the Great Southern Butter Cooperative opened in Denmark, producing more than a tonne of butter each week.
Today, the beautifully restored heritage building has become a vibrant hospitality and cultural space, home to Mrs Jones Café, Butter Factory Studios and Vasse Virgin.
Extensive renovations have carefully preserved the building’s original character, with exposed brickwork, timber features and industrial details woven throughout. During works in 2024, the team uncovered the factory’s original butter sign, now reinstated at the entrance.
The all-day dining menu at Mrs Jones champions local produce, with around 95 per cent of ingredients sourced from the Great Southern region and everything made from scratch, including their freshly baked cakes.
7. Dome, The Premier Mill, Katanning
Set within Katanning’s iconic Premier Mill, the local Dôme Café offers a chance to dine inside one of the Great Southern’s most significant heritage buildings.
Built in 1891, the Premier Roller Flour Mill was once the beating heart of the town. It was the first major industry in Katanning, an early supplier of electricity and even home to one of the town’s first electric lights. Founded by entrepreneur Frederick Piesse, the mill played a central role in the region’s growth, supporting a thriving local economy.
Over time, the site evolved beyond flour production. By the 1930s, “Mill Corner” had become a bustling hub of shops and services, from a butchery and dress stores to a barber and a much-loved tea room.
After decades of success, milling operations ceased in the 1980s and the building fell into decline, before reopening in 2018 as the Premier Mill Hotel.
The beautifully restored space is once again a centrepiece of the town, now home to a hotel, café and underground bar. At Dôme, you can sip coffee or enjoy a hearty meal surrounded by more than 130 years of history.
Downstairs, the Cordial Bar offers another nod to the past, with remnants of the mill’s machinery, salvaged materials and original timber creating a unique basement space.
8. Toodyay Bakery, Toodyay
One of WA's oldest bakeries still operating today, Toodyay Bakery is an iconic heritage building and a must-visit in the Avon Valley.
Built in 1898 by H. Davey Jnr, the double-storey building was originally Unwin’s Drapery Store, with the upper rooms used by the Toodyay Masonic Lodge and other community groups. Over the decades, it has housed a range of businesses, with the ground floor operating as a bakery on and off since the 1950s.
The building remains a standout on Toodyay’s main street, with its brick and rendered façade, decorative parapet and balcony adding to the town’s historic streetscape.
Today, it’s common to find queues out the door, and for good reason. Visitors flock for the famous Toodyay sourdough, handmade pies, vanilla slices and apple turnovers, and their morning caffeine fix.
9. Peninsula Farm Cafe, Maylands
Set within the grounds of one of the first farms in the Swan River Colony, Peninsula Farm Café is a peaceful riverside spot on the banks of the Derbal Yerrigan (Swan River).
Nestled beneath shady gum trees, the café is a popular destination for families and dog owners, with a wooden playscape for kids and treats for furry companions.
Located on National Trust-listed land, the café sits beside the historic Peninsula Farm homestead in an area known as Wu-rut Woorat, built in 1839 by Joseph and Ann Hardey. Visitors can book a tour of the house to learn about the early years of European settlement, alongside the stories of the Whadjuk Noongar people.
The all-day menu focuses on organic, seasonal and locally sourced produce, with dishes like farm-style toasties, taco boards, crumpets and house-made scones, alongside quality coffee.
10. The Coffee Tree, Dongara
Located along Dongara’s historic Moreton Terrace, The Coffee Tree is a charming stone cottage dating back to around 1915, and now a much-loved café at the heart of the community.
Originally built as a private residence for the Plester family, the heritage-listed building reflects the simple coastal architecture of the time, with solid stone walls, a corrugated iron roof and a classic bullnose verandah. From the late 1970s, it housed a hairdresser before evolving into a café in the 1980s, adapting with the town while retaining its original character.
Today, it's a cosy, community-focused cafe and one of Dongara's favourite meeting places, anchored beneath the incredible Moreton Big fig tree that sits in the heart of the space.
The menu is built around generous, feel-good food made fresh in-house, with a focus on quality ingredients and proper from-scratch cooking.
Local favourites include the chicken waffle burger, a lineup of breakfast tacos (including vegetarian options) and the Moreton Bay fig breakfast board - a hearty hero dish that brings it all together.
Banner image and Premier Mill: Tourism Western Australia
Old Butter Factory: Paris Hawken Photography
