The Florence Hummerston Kiosk is a building located at

Elizabeth Quay Elizabeth Quay is a mixed-use development project in the Perth#cbd, Perth central business district. Encompassing an area located on the north shore of Perth Water near the landmark Swan Bells, the precinct was named in honour of Elizabeth II, ...

Perth, Western Australia Perth () is the list of Australian capital cities, capital city of Western Australia. It is the list of cities in Australia by population, fourth-most-populous city in Australia, with a population of over 2.3 million within Greater Perth . The ...

. The kiosk was originally located on the Perth Esplanade, until being relocated to an islet at Elizabeth Quay. Originally constructed in 1928 as a

tearoom A teahouse or tearoom (also tea room) is an establishment which primarily serves tea and other light refreshments. A tea room may be a room set aside in a hotel, especially for serving afternoon tea, or may be an establishment that only serve ...

, the kiosk was also known as the Esplanade Kiosk in addition to other names and has hosted various tenants. In 1985 it was renamed after former

City of Perth The City of Perth is a local government areas of Western Australia, local government area and body, within the Perth metropolitan area, which is the capital of Western Australia. The local government is commonly known as Perth City Council. T ...

councillor Florence Hummerston.

History

Construction

The kiosk was originally built on reclaimed land on the northern side of the Esplanade Reserve and replaced a grandstand that had been built in 1885. It was designed by

Louis Bowser Cumpston Louis Bowser Cumpston (1865–1931) was a British architect. He mostly designed buildings in Western Australia. Early life Louis Bowser Cumpston was born on 27 November 1865 in Liverpool, England. His father, Louis Philippe Cumpston, was a b ...

in what was described by its heritage assessment as "a fine example of the Federation Arts and Crafts style, composed of interlocking octagonal forms with elliptical arched windows". The building was constructed as a tearoom and

changing room A changing room, locker room (usually in a sports, theater, or staff context), or changeroom (regional use) is a room or area designated for changing one's clothes. Changing-rooms are provided in a semi-public situation to enable people to ch ...

for the adjoining sporting facilities. The building was approved in mid-1928 and construction was completed for a December 1928 opening. It was built for a cost of

A£ The pound (Currency symbol, sign: £, £A for distinction) was the currency of Australia from 1910 until 14 February 1966, when it was replaced by the Australian dollar. Like other £sd currencies, it was subdivided into 20 Shilling (Australian ...

5,991, about AU$ today.

Later uses

The building has been altered at times by the

Perth City Council The City of Perth is a local government area and body, within the Perth metropolitan area, which is the capital of Western Australia. The local government is commonly known as Perth City Council. The City covers the Perth city centre and sur ...

and has hosted various tenants. Over time it has also been known as the Esplanade Kiosk, the Esplanade Tearooms for most of the 1940s and 1950s, the Silver Dragon Restaurant and Steak House (late 1960s), Annabella's Nightclub (1977–1980), the

Salvation Army The Salvation Army (TSA) is a Protestantism, Protestant Christian church and an international charitable organisation headquartered in London, England. It is aligned with the Wesleyan-Holiness movement. The organisation reports a worldwide m ...

youth drop-in centre The Converted Duke (1982–1985), as well as the Florence Hummerston Day Care Centre (1985–1998). Before its relocation to Elizabeth Quay, the kiosk was then-occupied by the upscale Grand Palace Chinese restaurant. With the redevelopment of Esplanade Reserve in the early 1970s, the change rooms and public toilets were redesigned internally.

Relocation

Plans for the 2012 redevelopment of the Esplanade area included dismantling the original building and moving it elsewhere. The newer additions to the building (with lesser heritage values) would be demolished. The kiosk was deconstructed in 2012 to make way for the excavation of the Elizabeth Quay site and was placed into storage. In November 2012, the Western Australian government confirmed the kiosk would be reconstructed on an island at the

project. In March 2015 the government stated the relocation had cost A$11 million. The cost included a A$7 million compensation payout to the operator of the Grand Palace Chinese restaurant who had a 44-year lease on the building. In June 2017, the government confirmed the final total cost for the relocation was A$16 million after it was revealed the compensation payout was much higher than originally stated. Elizabeth Quay was officially opened on 29 January 2016, with the kiosk reopening on 2 September 2016. As of May 2023, the kiosk houses a hospitality complex known as The Island at Elizabeth Quay, which includes a microbrewery, restaurant, kiosk, brew garden, outdoor music stage, pizzeria, and a playground for children.The Island at Elizabeth Quay
''The Island''.

References

External links

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Florence Hummerston Kiosk
1928 establishments in Australia Perth waterfront Elizabeth Quay Buildings and structures in Perth, Western Australia Federation style architecture State Register of Heritage Places in the City of Perth Relocated buildings and structures in Australia {{-