Cabaret Cave


Useful Information

Location: Yanchep Beach Rd and Indian Ocean Dr, Yanchep, Perth, WA 6035.
45 minutes north of Perth.
(-31.541638, 115.690058)
Open: Only during an event.
[2022]
Fee: Depends on event.
Day Use Fee: Car AUD 15, Motorcycle AUD 8.
[2022]
Classification: SpeleologyKarst cave
Light: LightIncandescent Electric Light System
Dimension:  
Guided tours:  
Photography: allowed
Accessibility: no
Bibliography: Edyta Jasinska, Brenton Knott, Arthur McComb (1996): Root Mats in Ground Water: A Fauna-Rich Cave Habitat Journal of the North American Benthological Society. 15. 508. 10.2307/1467802. researchgate
Address: Yanchep Caves, Yanchep National Park, Indian Ocean Drive, Yanchep W.A. 6035, Tel: +61-8-9303-7759. E-mail:
Cabaret Cave, Yanchep Inn, Yanchep WA 6035, Tel: +61-8-9561-1001. E-mail:
As far as we know this information was accurate when it was published (see years in brackets), but may have changed since then.
Please check rates and details directly with the companies in question if you need more recent info.

History

1930s secret dinner and dance location for Perth’s rich and famous.

Description

Cabaret Cave is a cave which was developed as an underground venue for any kind of function. It has two connected chambers with two entrances. The main entrance from the park is a large gate built of limestone with a wrought-iron double door. This is followed by a staircase that leads down into a large hall. Slender round columns of limestone were built around the outside, which obviously have only a decorative purpose. The cave was equipped to accommodate up to 120 guests sit-down style or 200 guests cocktail style. It is often used for weddings, but is also a unique location for conferences, seminars, social functions or special theme events. The service area and kitchen are located around the corner and out of view in a second chamber.

The use as dinner and dance location is not new, it was already used for this purpose during the 1930s. The cave was a secret dinner and dance location for Perth’s rich and famous, but obviously not because of prohibition, because there was no prohibition in Australia. We are not sure why they came here, probably because less rich people could not afford cars to drive here. Or it was actually a sort of speakeasy. Between 1910 and 1960 pubs and bars in Australia closed at 6 pm. It was a (failed) attempt to reduce the effects of alcohol on society. The result was the six o'clock swill, the last-minute rush to get drunk as fast as possible before the bars closed. Probably the cave bar served alcohol through the evening.

During the war the cave became a dining and social recreation room for an army hospital.

The location is operated by the Yanchep Inn. For a venue hire you have to pay a basic fee and a per head cost. This price includes the room set up, 3-course dinner, buffet or cocktail, plus 5 1/2 hours of drinks. And of course the waiters and waitresses. With AUD 100 base fee and AUD 155 per person it is definitely a bargain.

If you actually want to visit the caves, there are unfortunately no tours. But you can book a cave yoga session and have a look around while you practise yoga in Cabernet Cave.