The Empress Hotel(formerly the Empress of India Hotel) is a
pub
A pub (short for public house) is in several countries a drinking establishment licensed to serve alcoholic drinks for consumption on the premises. The term first appeared in England in the late 17th century, to differentiate private ho ...
located at 714
Nicholson Street
Nicholson Street is a street in inner Melbourne. It is named after William Nicholson (Australian politician), William Nicholson, who is remembered as the "father of the ballot". He was also a member of the Victorian Legislative Council, Legis ...
, in the inner
Melbourne
Melbourne ( , ; Boonwurrung language, Boonwurrung/ or ) is the List of Australian capital cities, capital and List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city of the States and territories of Australia, Australian state of Victori ...
suburb of
Fitzroy North
Fitzroy North is an inner-city suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, north-east of the Melbourne central business district, located within the Cities of City of Merri-bek, Merri-bek and City of Yarra, Yarra Local government areas of Victo ...
. The Empress Hotel closed in December 2013, and reopened in its current form in early 2015.
History
The pub was opened in 1873 by John Bourke, and named in honour of
Queen Victoria
Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria; 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) was Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until Death and state funeral of Queen Victoria, her death in January 1901. Her reign of 63 year ...
, who had been proclaimed the Empress of India on 1 January 1877.
Until the late 20th century, it was frequented by employees of the nearby
North Fitzroy tram depot.
In the late 1980s, it became a live music venue, and played a part in the Melbourne
indie rock
Indie rock is a Music subgenre, subgenre of rock music that originated in the United Kingdom, United States and New Zealand in the early to mid-1980s. Although the term was originally used to describe rock music released through independent reco ...
scene through the 90s and 2000s. In its last decade as a music venue, hotel management had to deal with noise complaints from residents who had moved nearby without realising it was a music venue. In February 2015 the venue reopened with a traditional bar, a dining area and an open air beer garden.
See also
*
List of public houses in Australia
This is a list of notable pubs in Australia. An Australian pub is an establishment performing many functions. These include serving alcoholic beverages, meals, functioning as a venue for various kinds of entertainment, and, sometimes, providin ...
References
External links
*
{{Pubs in Melbourne
Hotel buildings completed in 1873
Music venues in Melbourne
Pubs in Melbourne
1873 establishments in Australia
Fitzroy, Victoria
Buildings and structures in the City of Yarra