Cleopatra Hotel
This two storey hotel with highly decorative façade and parapet featuring the words 'Hotel Cleopatra Hotel' was built in 1907- the second Cleopoatra to be built on the land. The façade on the centre of the ground floor and the first floor has banded piers and three stucco archways each forming a loggia. The ground floor has concave bays with pairs of glazed doors below multi-paned transom lights on the left and windows on the right of the façade. There is a pair of double hung sash windows, stucco arched keystone and decorative skirts either side of the first floor loggia.
History
Lot 44 and Lot 61 were originally owned by P H Dod ( 1829-1837), transferred to Alex Francisco (1855-1879). The Francisco family sold the property to Pearse and Owston in 1880.
1836 The first building on the site was ‘The Boarding House’, run by licensee Elizabeth Pace (1795-1879), the wife of Captain Walter Pace, a merchant seaman, often at sea for months, sailing the shipping routes between Indonesia and Fremantle on his vessel, Monkey. Elizabeth, at the age of 46, with the help of her teenage children, ran The Boarding House as a licensed inn and general store, until 1840, when she sold out to Alexander Francisco (1816-1878).
When 23-year-old Alexander Francisco took over the ‘Boarding House’ in 1840 he advertised “having succeeded to the Business of the Hotel lately occupied by Mrs. Pace”. Alexander also advertised that he had a “long experience in Hotel and Tavern business”. It was Francisco who gave the inn the name, ‘The Crown and Thistle’ in 1841.
The Franciscos hosted the Crown and Thistle until 1850, when John Wellard took the reins for a few years. During his time the hotel was often refered to as ‘Wellard’s Hotel’ and it here in August 1851 that the first meetings were held- taking steps to form the Fremantle Mechanic's’ Institute. (reference) In 1852 Philip Dixon, a prisoner in the Convict Establishment, was charged with being drunk and with drinking with a Sapper and Miner in whose charge he was at the time at Wellard's public house. He was ordered 14 days' imprisonment, and to receive bread and water diet, and the Sapper handed over to the Officer of the Military Department. (reference) A recent arrival to the colony, Mary Ann Hunt (on the Clara) was charged with stealing haberdashaery and perfume from Wellards’ Inn and store in 1854 ( reference)
The Franciscos moved next door during this time, where they operated a spirit and wine store, before buying the freehold of the pub, and returning as hosts of the Crown and Thistle in 1853. The next prominent publican of the Crown and Thistle was Joshua Harwood, a retired whaler, who at the age of 42 purchased the pub’s lease from Alexander Francisco in 1868. Harwood remained host through most of the 1870s before selling out to Malachi Reidy Meagher. (see image) (reference)
Captain Edward Henry Fothergill leased it from Pearse and Owston in May 1881, renovated it and reopened 1st July 1881, naming it Cleopatra after a schooner he owned. The hotel had an attractive garden and a sign (by Nicolay) showing the ship Cleopatra in full sail. Fothergill was licensee of the hotel from 1882 until 1896 when he died at the hotel. His son Edward Henry Fothergill (Jnr) was Mayor of Fremantle from 1909-1910 and Councillor from 1920 to 1923.
Talk in 1920: When a small boy I came in the schooner Cleopatra twice before my father decided to settle in Western Australia; these trips were in the years of 1877 and 1879, and it was in 1881 that my father brought the Cleopatra on her last trip to Western Australia with your humble servant on board. This schooner, the Cleopatra, was, in the early days practically the only regular connecting link between Melbourne, Geraldton, and Fremantle. Her trips consisted of bringing goods to Fremantle and Geraldton, and at the latter port loading lead ore for her back loading to Melbourne. (reference)
1896: The lease of the ‘Cleo’, as it is familiarly called, has been secured by Messrs Varley and Nicholl who by the terms of their agreement with the owner have to alter the building so as to make it almost a new structure. In the first place, the familiar patch of ground, bearing its Moreton Bay fig trees, which has for so long been a distinctive feature of the front of the hotel, will speedily be covered with bricks and mortar, instead of foliage. (reference)
1905 About a fortnight ago the licensed victuallers of Fremantle met in solemn conclave and decided to form a branch of the Licensed Victuallers' Association… Mr George Auburn is one of the best known licensees of the port, and is a general favorite. Until a few months ago he conducted three hotels here, trading under the name of Auburn Bros, and Owen. The firm has now only two—the Cleopatra and the Odd fellows. The subject of this photo has personally conducted the Cleopatra Hotel for over three years, and there has made hosts of friends. He is of genial nature, and takes great in-interest in sport, especially foot-ball and motoring. (reference)
Ownership was taken over by the Swan Brewery in 1906, and the building was demolished. Architect J.H. Eales was employed to design a new hotel on the site of the original. The work was completed by C.H Carter in August 1907.
The wooden verandahs were removed in the 1960s.
The ‘Cleo’ continued to be popular with sailors on shore leave for many decades. It was also noted as a place where prostitutes and gay men could meet sailors.
“There is no mention of the the heady days of the 1970’s. I believe the pub was owned by Len Buckridge and Fred Pawle was manager. The pub I think was the first pub in Perth to be granted a 12 oclock closing.” Robyn (reference)
“Cleo’s was the place to go and have fun. It was a seedy part of Fremantle. If you wanted conservative, high-class, well-established, you did the Perth scene but Fremantle was sailors, crims, knock-a-bouts, night clubs, all the good time girls… Us ‘girls’ were expert in reading the shipping guides and the timetables. We would know when ships were coming in at any given time… Envelopes would be behind the bar with our names on them and with our cab fares over to the wharves. The captains never used to worry about us. I spent two weeks on one of the merchant navy ships once. We were those ports in any storm. Or, we were those storms in any port, if you like!” Trans men, working the ports in the 1970s, quoted in The Gay Museum, exhibition, 2003, WA Museum.
In 1985 it was renovated for the America’s Cup Defence and briefly called the ‘Auld Mug Tavern’. On 4 Feb 1987 Dennis Conner and the crew of ‘Stars and Stripes’ won the America’s Cup after defeating the defender “Kookaburra 111’ skippered by Ian Murray- in a best of seven races in Gage Roads.
From 1993 to 1997 the hotel was known as the ‘West End’ and in 1997 was changed to ‘Coakley’s Hotel’, before returning to Cleopatra.
The building was bought by the Christian Brothers. From c. 2000 it has been used by Tuart Place, a not for profit organisation supporting people who are victims of institutional abuse.
Occupants
1836 - 1840 Mrs Elizabeth Pace
1840 - 1868 Alex Francisco
1852 John Wellard (reference)
1868 - 1876 Joshua Harwood
1876 - 1879 Malachi Reidy Meagher
1879 - Patrick Maloney
1880 Pearse and Owston
1881 - 1896 E H Fothergill
1897 Varley & Nicholl
1898 - 1899 Henry Higgins
1900 - 1901 Cleopatra Hotel (Archibald McKinnon)
1902 - 1906 - (George Auburn)
1906 Swan Brewery
1907- new building- C H Carter
1908 - 1909 Cleopatra Hotel (James Bolger)
1910 - 1897 Cleopatra Hotel (Albert Button 1910-1915)
1916 Cleopatra Hotel (James Morrison 1916- 1917)
1939 - 1942 Cleopatra Hotel (M E Mackay)
1942 - 1945 Cleopatra Hotel (A M Morton)
1946 - 1947 Cleopatra Hotel (Alfd Brewer)
1949 Cleopatra Hotel (H C Coughian)
1970s Cleopatra Hotel Manager- Fred and Maureen Pawle (for Len Buckridge Company?)
1985 more than $50,000 was spent on renovations and it was renamed the Auld Mug Tavern, the unofficial pub for the Amerisca’s cup challenge
1993 - 1997 name changed to the West End Hotel
1997 name changed to Coakley’s.
2001 - 2022 Bought by Christian Brothers -Ground floor used by Tuart Place
2001-2020 Notre Dame University, as the Edmund Rice Centre - leased the upstairs rooms for students. It is no longer affiliated with Notre Dame University.
