The photos and paintings of Cottesloe Beach that are either in collections or published, give tangible evidence of the importance of beach-oriented activities in the Perth community.[5] The Indiana Tea House, which overlooks Cottesloe Beach, is also an icon of the suburb, and in 2021 it was added to the Western Australia Heritage Register.Various bus routes along Stirling Highway and through the suburb's western and eastern sections link Cottesloe to Perth and Fremantle.In the parliament of Western Australia, its Legislative Assembly electoral district is Cottesloe, held consecutively by three Liberal Party leaders, currently David Honey.[14][15] John Curtin, Prime Minister of Australia for much of World War II, was local federal member of parliament from 1928 to 1931 and 1934 to 1945.[19] Claude de Bernales was a mining entrepreneur who in 1911 bought Attorney-General Richard Pennefather's 1898 Federation Queen Anne house, naming it Overton Lodge.
Kayaking competition at Cottesloe beach on a Western Australian Sunday