New Café Merges Past and Future to Support Perth History

By Jessica O’Donovan A new vegan-friendly café in the heart of Perth is working to promote Perth history to a younger, hipper audience. Henry Saw, named after the first known person to roast coffee in Perth in 1852, was created in collaboration with the soon-to-open Museum of Perth. The museum will be dedicated to chronicling Perth’s social, cultural, political and architectural history. The 75-metre exhibition space will adjoin Henry Saw on the ground floor of the 155-year-old Barrack Street building which has been restored from its previous run down state “We’re also really interested in the history of the coffee culture that has developed in Perth,” says Museum of Perth chairman and City of Perth councillor Reece Harley. Mr Harley hopes the café will attract a wider audience of people young and old to the historical exhibits with its trendy vibe. “We’ve identified that there is a gap in the tourism market and for Perth locals, and it’s not actually easy to find out about the history of Perth,” says Harley. Henry Saw offers a donation box for customers to support the museum and encourages visitors to provide suggestions for exhibition topics. The museum will not only boast the café but a micro cinema, digital archiving office and will house its own private collections, events and book launches. Visitors can observe the progress of the museum while enjoying Henry Saw’s freshly brewed coffee, wraps, hot pies, salads and raw sweet treats – all vegetarian and vegan-friendly. The addition of Henry Saw to Grand Lane follows fellow alternative eatery Toastface Grillah. The Museum of Perth is set to open officially on the 9th of October 2015.