Commercial Hotel

Statement of Significance

The Commercial Hotel has social, historic and aesthetic significance.The place is historically significant as hotel representing the development of Fremantle’s Old Port City from the gold boom period of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. The place is significant because, when viewed from the street, it is a substantially intact example of a federation period commercial building which contributes to the very significant Old Port City of Fremantle. The building has landmark significance as a fine example of a hotel in the Federation Free Classical style.The place is of social significance as evidenced by its classification by the National Trust.

Physical Description

Three storey tuck point brick prominent building, with rendered banding on the columns and pilasters. The decorative parapet has the name 'Commercial Hotel' in raised stucco and central decorative pediment. The first and second floors have stucco architraves and recesses with timber and glass French timber doors and six paned transom windows, some have rounded metal balustrade balconies. The ground floor has an arcade effect veranda with stucco archways and banded columns; the awning (not original) onto the footpath has metal columns.

History

High Street was named by Surveyor General Roe - as was customary in English towns, the main street of the town was named High Street. Eastward from William Street the roadway was completed by convict labour after the Town Hall was built in 1887. High Street around the Town Hall closed to traffic in 1966. The High Street Mall was trialled in November 1973 and made a permanent pedestrian mall in 1975. The current Commercial Hotel was built on the site of an earlier hotel (Albert Hotel, owned and kept by Capt John Thomas, on Fremantle Town Trust 1849-51, 1853-54, 1863-66, 1870, Chairman of Town Council 1873-75. There is a stained glass window in St John's in his memory.) It was known as the Exchange Hotel from c1882 to 1888, then Commercial from 1888, according to rates records. (There are also references to it being called the Southern Cross Hotel c1905 in Daily News 8/12/1976.) The hotel was rebuilt in 1908 by architect John McNeece; the builders were Bradley and Rudderham. Costing £8, 000, it originally had three storey verandahs and balconies, and stables and coach houses at the rear. Castlemaine Brewery Co purchased the hotel c1920; later bought out by the Swan Brewery from c1930. Repairs and renovations were carried out in 1941 (Allen & Nicholas Architects), 1963-64, 1985 (James Christou Architect) and 1994 by MRSA, Miller & Assoc. Building Designers. Grande Development carried out these recent changes. It has been Sun Dancer Resort backpackers' accommodation, with a bar on the ground floor since c2002.

Condition

Fair

Uses

Historic Themes

Creation Date

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