With an illustrious past life as a trades hall, theatre venue and hub for the orange-robed Rajneesh cult in the wild 80s, few homes can lay claim to such a colourful past.
Built in 1904 as the Fremantle Trades Hall, the foundation stone of 6 Collie Street, Fremantle was laid by Western Australia’s first premier, Sir John Forrest.
6 Collie Street, Fremantle is listed for $7.5m. Picture: realestate.com.au
And now, 122 years on, the magnificent building serves as a beautifully and impeccably restored four bedroom residence, which has hit the market for a cool $7.5 million plus asking price.
“I have been selling real estate around Fremantle for close to 15 years and I haven't seen anything quite like it, where you've got a freestanding building that's been beautifully restored that has both commercial and residential use,” said sales agent Michael Harries from Ray White Dethridge Groves.
“It's just a rare opportunity - it's an asset that will continue to grow forever.
“It's probably something you'll never find in Freo again.”
The historic home offers epic proportions. Picture: realestate.com.au
Set on a 449sqm landholding in Fremantle’s west end, the heritage-listed property includes a grand jarrah staircase, sprawling office space or drawing room, a private courtyard, Juliet balconies, a commercial scale kitchen and a pool.
Hallmarks of its 1904 origins include pressed tin ceilings, a grand jarrah staircase, and the numbers ‘8 8 8’ on the front façade – which date back to the trade union at the time’s aim of eight hours each of work, leisure and sleep.
Classified by the National Trust, the building was used as the headquarters of the Fremantle Trades and Labour movement, including the 50 Port unions until the 1960s. It was sold in 1968 for just $21,000.
The building operated as a hub for the Rajneesh 'orange people' cult in the 1980s. Picture: Diti | Fremantle Arts Centre
Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh, also known as Osho, led the global cult that was known for its orange robes. Picture: Getty
Since then it has been a theatre, the Old Trades Music Hall, and a restaurant venue from the 1970s, before the orange-roped Rajneesh religious cult took out a six-year lease in 1981 and operated a restaurant known as, Zorba the Buddha.
“The Rajneesh had it - the orange people - during the ‘80s, they ran a Greek restaurant out of it called Zorba for quite a number of years, it was quite a popular restaurant,” Mr Harries said.
“But it was a situation where you didn't necessarily have to (pay), it was like a donation. If you wanted to pay a little bit of money when you came in, you could, it was quite unusual.”
The home has four bedrooms, plus a theatre that can double as a fifth bedroom. Picture: realestate.com.au
In 2002, the premises was used as a convention centre as part of the Esplanade Hotel, and it was granted City of Fremantle approval for conservation works and conversion to ground floor offices and a first floor residence in 2009.
The ground floor is set up as a commercial office space. Picture: realestate.com.au
It has a pool, plus a separate high-walled courtyard and pond. Picture: realestate.com.au
Buyer interest has been strong, with its colourful history quite well known, Mr Harries said.
“It’s a really incredible space to be and to live in,” he said.
“It might suit someone that wants to live and work in its own place, because you can easily kind of separate access, and downstairs the main hall could be a completely separate sort of space from the rest of the house.”
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