Federal Hotel, Heritage pub in Fremantle, Australia
The Federal Hotel is a three-storey building at 23–25 William Street, opposite the Fremantle Town Hall. Architect George Charles Inskip designed it for James Herbert Junior, and Joseph Herbert Eales added the front verandahs and western wing in 1904. It operates as a pub with guest rooms.
The three-storey hotel was designed by Melbourne architect George Charles Inskip and built by Jordine and Ruthven for James Herbert Junior, opening opposite the Fremantle Town Hall. Herbert went bankrupt in 1888 and the property passed to Alexander and John Forrest. Joseph Herbert Eales added the front verandahs and western wing in 1904; the hotel was renamed Rosie O'Grady's in 1989 and took back the Federal name in 2016.
The hotel's name changed with its owners: from 1989 to 2016 it traded as Rosie O'Grady's, an Irish-themed pub, before reverting to the Federal Hotel. It stands opposite the Fremantle Town Hall on William Street, and its upper floors have long been used as guest accommodation.
The venue sits on William Street in central Fremantle and is easily accessible on foot from nearby attractions. Guests should know that room types vary between those with private and shared bathroom facilities.
The hotel was renamed Rosie O'Grady's, an Irish-themed pub, in 1989, and carried that name until January 2016, when it closed and reopened as the Federal Hotel. The building also hosted a double murder in February 1927, when Lillian Josephine Martin and her son Daniel were found dead in an upstairs bedroom.
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