• Bar Orient licensee Tony Taylopr. Photo by Katherine Kraayvanger
THE legendary Bar Orient in Fremantle’s West End will be closing its doors next year after the building’s owners decided not to renew its lease.
The Tattarang Group, owned by Andrew and Nicola Forrest, bought the Orient building about four years ago.
Bar Orient licensee Tony Taylor says he’d hoped to continue trading in the 123-year-old building but the Forrests had other plans.
“I went through a kind of interview process, and made it to the top five, but they decided that they want to go down a different avenue completely,” Mr Taylor said.
“When they bought it, I was really hoping [they’d] bring it back to an old-school hotel, getting the balcony open again, and redoing the facade, because the bones are here.
“It just needs some TLC, but they decided they want to go on a different avenue, and want the bar closed so they can get a free reign which is a shame… reading between the lines, I know their plans for what they want to do here are very elaborate, so whether the council will approve it or not, I don’t know.”
Built by the Irish in 1902 and opened in 1903, the bar, which was originally a bustling hotel, played host to multiple celebrities including a pre-AC/DC Bon Scott with The Valentines.
“Prince Philip, the Queen’s husband, stayed here in 1982 while he was an admiral in the Navy and he drank in the Chesterfield Bar… that was the old gentleman’s lounge back in the day and you had to wear a tie,” Mr Taylor said.
“There was an Irish lady who ran it at the time and she wouldn’t let him in because he didn’t have a tie on, and then she realised who she was and let him in.”
The Herald has been informed that a development application is yet to submitted by the Tattarang group which is still planning what the future of the old pub’s future will look like.
The pub “isn’t everyone’s cup of tea”, according to Mr Taylor, but its beer, pool tables, and proximity to the port means there’s a “whole history” which will end when it closes.
Wakes
“There’s people who have met here, they’ve got married here, we’ve had wakes here for lots of the old regulars,” he said.
“The West End is going to lose a big part of its soul.”
Mr Taylor says Tattarang has given him notice to leave by the start of next year, but it’s not clear what the pub will be transformed into once he’s out.
“Obviously they could change their mind, and this isn’t necessarily a cry for help, but it’s just to get public support,” Mr Taylor said.
“New Year’s Eve is going to be the last hurrah… it’s going to be bittersweet, and when those doors are closed it’s going to be all over red rover, and I’ve got a month in January to clear out.”
The news comes after the beloved Leopold Hotel on Canning Highway in Bicton also announced its closure after 116 years of trading.
The Chook attempted to chat to the Leopold staff but were referred to an external management company which did not respond in time for this week’s publication.
by KATHERINE KRAAYVANGER