By Narelle Atkins
High Tea at Old Parliament House
During 2016 my husband and I are celebrating our twentieth wedding anniversary. We decided to spread out our celebrations over the year, and we’ll be flying to Hawaii and Oregon for a long awaited family holiday with our children. On a weekend in mid-January that was closest to our wedding anniversary, my husband took me out on a wonderful date to the Museum of Australian Democracy – Old Parliament House for High Tea.
High Tea menu at Old Parliament House
High Tea is a British tradition that has become popular in Australia in recent years. You can learn more about the origins of High Tea here. It’s a decadent version of morning or afternoon tea with savoury and sweet treats, and it’s really a meal in itself.
I love drinking hot black tea, and tea has always been a popular drink in Australia. We also have a lovely tea house in Canberra called Adore Tea that offers an exquisite range of tea in all the different varieties including black, green, white, Chai, herbal, and fruit teas.
Old Parliament House, Canberra, Australia
Old Parliament House in Canberra, Australia, was built in 1927 as the Provisional Parliament House and temporary home for our Parliament. For 61 years our Parliament sat in Old Parliament House, until our bicentenary in 1988 when the new Parliament House on nearby Capital Hill was officially opened.
During High Tea my husband and I sat by an open window overlooking one of the many garden courtyards within Old Parliament House. We enjoyed the ambiance of a warm summer afternoon in a location steeped with history and beauty.
Old Parliament House Rose Gardens
Afterwards we strolled through the pretty Rose Gardens. The best part of our date was the opportunity to talk and spend time together without distractions and interruptions. A chance to live in the moment and reflect on our life together over the past twenty years.
Old Parliament House Rose Gardens
Last year I also invested time in researching High Tea because my heroine, Serena, in The Bridesmaid’s Hero is a pastry chef. High Tea is one of Serena’s specialties.
Are you a tea drinker? Have you experienced High Tea? I’d love to hear your thoughts.
Our Wedding Day
A fun loving Aussie girl at heart, Narelle Atkins was born and raised on the beautiful northern beaches in Sydney, Australia. She has settled in Canberra with her husband and children. A lifelong romance reader, she found the perfect genre to write when she discovered inspirational romance. Narelle's contemporary stories of faith and romance are set in Australia and international locations.
What a beautiful place to kick off your anniversary year celebration, Narelle. Yes, I’m a big tea drinker. I enjoy Black, Green, Yerba matte, Genmaicha and Chai. As much as I love tea, I’ve never experienced High Tea. Thanks for sharing your lovely photos.
Congrats on the 20 year mark. My hubby and I will celebrate our 15the this year. High tea sounds fun, but not much of a tea drinker ?
Thanks for sharing your experience and the tradition of High Tea. While I have never experienced High Tea and being born in Germany I prefer coffee, I did have the opportunity to experience the Japanese tea ceremony tradition. Japanese tea ceremony involves grinding the green tea into a fine powder with a pestle and mortar, admiring the beautiful handless tea cup, savoring the beautiful yummy tea treats, thanking the hostess for the luscious green tea (not what we buy in tea bags in the states). All while sitting shoeless (socks are required) on tatami mats. While teaching middle and high school world culture classes, my student experienced the Japanese tea ceremony.
Congrats on your anniversary.
I drink sweetened black tea,cold with ice year around and I have never had High Tea.
We have visited Old Parliament House several times but never strolled in the rose gardens. This shall have to be rectified! It does look lovely and I have always wanted to experience a High Tea. Next time my family are in Canberra I shall have to visit the tea rooms… maybe a date with my husband! We love having a cuppa together.
I love tea! I’m not a coffee drinker, but I love tea. I got a bunch of loose tea as Christmas presents :-). I’ve never been to high tea, but it sounds like fun!
I love high tea. We take my mom to a tea house in the country (there are numerous within driving distance) for her birthday and mother’s day.
I’ve gotten fairly good at making scones and lemon curd. Clotted cream is on my list to try.
Wonderful!
What a fun idea. :) Yes, I’ve had high tea several times. I don’t care much for tea in general, but I do enjoy high tea.
Congratulations on your 20th wedding anniversary. I am a tea drinker. Have never cared for coffee. I like both black and green tea. I try to drink 2 cups of green tea every morning.
I have never been to high tea but it sounds like something that I would enjoy.
Happy Anniversary (Year)! We’ve been meaning to take in High Tea at the Empress Hotel in Victoria (Canada) sometime. Sounds delightful. Also, I enjoyed The Bridesmaid’s Hero!
I’m a tea drinker. I don’t like coffee. I’ve had high tea at the Empress Hotel in Victoria, British Columbia. I have tea parties with my granddaughters all the time. Of course, our tea is pretend. :) Happy anniversary!
I grew up drinking iced tea and drinking water. I didn’t have soft drinks until later. I enjoy hot tea in the winter, but, good, cold iced tea in the summer is delicious. :-)
Happy anniversary! Delightful post, and I got a history lesson to boot. I enjoyed high tea with my mother at a swanky London hotel (garbled) years ago, and although I can’t recall the name of the hotel, I remember the tea, scones, and other treats were absolutely delightful. Thanks for sharing!
Narelle, congratulations on your anniversary. High Tea sounds like such a special way to celebrate. This reminds me so much of the Empress Hotel in Victoria, British Columbia where they have High Tea, and the Butchart Gardens, also in Victoria. Thank you for sharing this special day with us.
Sounds like a fun experience. I love tea and start every morning with a cup.
Hi Jill, I haven’t tasted Yerba matte or Genmaicha tea. I’ll look for them when I next visit Adore Tea. I hope you’ll have an opportunity to experience High Tea :)
Hi Joelle, Congrats on your 15th Anniversary this year :)
Hi Renate, The Japanese tea ceremony sounds fascinating. I agree, tea definitely tastes better when it’s the loose leaves being brewed rather than from a bag. Thanks for sharing your experiences :)
Hi Linda, I haven’t tried sweetened black tea. I don’t add sugar to hot tea, but I do prefer iced tea to be a little more on the sweet side :)
Hi Narelle, The rose gardens are lovely and they’re located next to the tennis courts. I hope you can experience High Tea when you visit Canberra :)
Hi dlw, Loose leaf tea is a great present to receive :) I hope you’ll have a chance to experience High Tea.
Hi Elizabeth, My mother has requested High Tea for her birthday this year :) Wow, I’d love to visit when you serve your scones with clotted cream!
Thanks, Brandy :)
Hi Kimberly, I do think High Tea can be more about the food.. Adore Tea is one place that serves a number of different tea varieties in their High Tea menu to match the food selections :)
Hi Nancy, Black tea is my favourite and I occasionally drink green tea. I hope you’ll have an opportunity to experience High Tea :)
Hi Valerie, I hope you can enjoy High Tea in Victoria soon. I’m glad you enjoyed The Bridesmaid’s Hero :)
Hi Merrillee, Tea parties with your granddaughter sound like a lot of fun. I loved my tea set when I was a child :)
Hi Melissa, Iced Tea is refreshing in summer :) My favourite is Costco’s iced tea with lemon.
Hi JoAnn, High Tea in London would be amazing. On my travel wish list :)
Hi Suzie, It sounds like The Empress Hotel would be a great place to visit. Another thing I’d love to do when I have a chance to visit your part of the world :)
Hi Jessica, I always start my day with a morning cup of tea :)
Congratulations on your anniversary! I have not experienced High Tea but I do enjoy drinking it, especially various kinds of Rooibos. (I had Rooibos first in Germany. I think it is becoming more popular in the U.S. but Vanilla Rooibos is still rare here, unfortunately.) My latest tea to try is bubble tea, which is really good, but does not seem like it would be appropriate to drink at High Tea since it involves drinking tapioca bubbles through a straw. =)
Come on over ;)
I like hot cocoa and hot apple cider but I’ve not found a hot tea I like. I was raised on iced sweet tea but don’t drink it any more, I’m usually a water drinker.
Hi Katy, I haven’t tasted Rooibos or Bubble tea. Sounds interesting. Yes, I don’t think straws quite work for a posh High Tea, lol. :)
Hi Beth, I grew up drinking hot tea, and iced tea wasn’t common in Australia when I was younger. I usually prefer water to iced tea :)
I’ve never participated in high tea, but have always wondered what it is and take part! My mom lives in New Zealand (since 2001) & she takes tea in the afternoon. It’s not as fancy as the high tea though. When my husband and I took our two trips to Canada, we could have visited the Parliament and participated in it, but we had so many other things we wanted to do. Now I wished we would have taken the time, it would have been fun I bet!
Funny thing Narelle, we’re celebrating our 19th year in April. Not too far behind you :-) I see you’ll be making it to my neck of the woods (Oregon). I hope you enjoy time with your family & get to explore a lot…there’s so much to see! Happy 20th to you and your husband, many blessings!
I am a tea drinker but have never participated in high tea or even afternoon tea but it sounds wonderful. I wanted to send congratulation on twenty years. Your very blessed and I wish many more years to come. Enjoy your year if celebration.
Hi Trixi, I hope you’ll have a chance to experience High Tea. It’s more formal than afternoon tea (a cuppa and biscuits – translation: hot tea/coffee and cookies). I can’t wait to visit Oregon again. You live in a gorgeous part of the world. :)
And, congrats on your upcoming anniversary in April! :)
Hi purplemeri65, Since you’re a tea drinker, you’ll definitely love HIgh Tea :) Thanks for your congrats and good wishes.
I’m more of an iced tea kind of girl if I drink tea at all. But I do like the occasional cup of hot tea especially when I have a sore throat. I like drinking peppermint tea with a little honey for that.
I really want to experince High Tea but haven’t yet.
Hi Julie, Hot tea can be helpful with sore throats. Honey and lemon tea is my usual preference. I haven’t tried adding honey to peppermint tea – a good idea :)
Hi Daria, I hope you’ll have an opprtunity to experience High Tea :)