Rottnest Lodge redevelopment plans include ‘gathering ground’ to pay respect to Indigenous traditional owners

Plans to redevelop the Rottnest Lodge will include the creation of a “gathering ground” that pays respect to traditional owners, 90 years after Aboriginal prisoners were last sent to a forced labour camp on the island. The new civic space, to be named by a Wadjemup elders group and open to island visitors, will invite performances from Aboriginal artists, story tellers and tour guides and be available for events such as markets, outdoor movies and music concerts. An estimated 4000 Aboriginal men and boys were imprisoned on Rottnest between 1838 and 1931, but it was not until 2018 that The Quod — the island’s main prison building — finally closed as holiday accommodation. In May, the State Government announced Place Development Australia, GPA Pty Ltd and Pendulum Group would take over the Lodge site lease, which was adjusted to exclude sensitive areas such as The Quod, from the Karma Group. Under the consortium’s fully-funded $40 million proposal, the rejuvenated resort, located next to the Garden Lake in Thomson Bay, will become the “cultural and social heart” of the island and include 103 rooms, of which 47 will be new and 56 refurbished. Plans released for public comment by the Rottnest Island Authority this week shows there will also be a below-ground spa and wellness centre, a restaurant for up to 250 people, sunset lounge bar, coffee and gelato shop and two pools areas, while the existing Gov’s Sports Bar and pools will be removed. Designed by architects Spaceagency, the new buildings will be no more than two storeys and the Boys Reformatory building will be retained. There will be no impacts to The Quod or the Chapel. “We are collaborating with a carefully curated team of WA’s most talented and experienced architects and operators — each individually proven to deliver destinations of a world-class standard — to ensure an authentic, localised and active accommodation, food and beverage, wellness and cultural precinct,” Place Development Australia director Rob Bates-Smith said. “Collectively, we share a desire to deepen Rottnest’s offer and appeal with this new, iconic hospitality and cultural tourism addition to the Rottnest fold. It’s one that we are confident all Western Australians will be proud of and which will attract visitors from interstate and abroad. “The low-impact, light-touch development will be a welcoming and inclusive West Australian destination that reflects the relaxed informality of Rottnest, and pays respects to the island’s Indigenous significance. “We are thrilled to be adding this exciting and iconic development to our portfolio, and to be embarking on the project with such a strong consortium of local partners.” An ethnographic and archaeological assessment recommends the new resort be given a Whadjuk/Nyungar name to show respect for the significance of the place and for the Aboriginal heritage to be commemorated. Karma’s lease expires at the end of May next year, with construction due to start in June and completion in late-2024. Future use of The Quod has yet to be determined.