National Hotel

The National Hotel is on the corner of High and Market Streets Fremantle. Originally built as a shop in 1868, it was occupied by the National Bank in the early 1880s. When the bank relocated in 1886, the building became the National Hotel.Original buildingThe site was originally occupied by a single storey shop in 1868 which was run in 1869 by Abraham Moise Josephson . During the early 1880s the building was occupied by a branch of the National Bank of Australasia. In 1886 the branch relocated to a premises in High Street opposite Sandover's store. Later that year the building was converted into a hotel retaining the name as the National Hotel. The site and building was then owned by John J. Higham, a local merchant and businessman. William Conroy became the first landlord of the National Hotel on 6 September 1886, but ceased this occupation less than a year later when at 12.45am on 24 June 1887 he confronted Councillor John Snook in the Fremantle Town Hall. Conroy shot Snook in the jaw. Snook subsequently died three months later. Conroy was tried and hanged for his murder. In 1891 Higham sold the property to Mr. James E. Hagan. In 1895 the building underwent a major reconstruction, with F. W. Welford taking over as proprietor.New (extant) buildingThe hotel was subsequently acquired by Michael and Daniel Mulcahy who came to Western Australia to prospect for gold and enjoyed great success, going on to become prominent hotel proprietors and pastoralists. In 1902 they enlisted the architect Louis Pearce to prepare plans to rebuild a more modern and commodious hotel, worthy of its position in the centre of Fremantle.The original two storey hotel was to be replaced with a new hotel of five storeys including a basement. The hotel was to be constructed of stone and brick with stone forming the foundations and the lower portions of the walls with the brick above. The plans included a right-of-way from Market Street, and balconies totalling 450 ft in length and about 9 foot in width. The wall height was 45 foot, extending to 70 foot from the ground to the top of the dome, the flag pole being a further 21 foot high. Internally, there was to be a total of between 50 and 60 rooms with provisions of 13 foot ceilings on the ground floor to 12 foot ceilings on the other floors as well as spacious stairways and corridors. The basement contained a large kitchen, three cellars two wine store rooms, a scullery, storeroom and servants' dining room.