Karl and Janine Bullers have been associated with The National Hotel in the very centre of old Fremantle since they were involved in the acquisition of the hotel 10 years ago, after the hotel had earlier been ravaged by fire.
Karl’s experience in the hospitality industry goes back to his first job in Yorkshire out of school.
Eventually he found himself managing a venue in Hong Kong where he met Janine, another adventurer from Yorkshire.
The rest is history. They found themselves in Perth and soon enough in Freo completing the restoration of the burnt out remains of The National.
The heritage restoration they completed is much admired by passing visitors looking up from High Street or Market Street, but also by patrons in the pub and boutique hotel and on the rooftop bar.
If you’ll excuse the pun, the rooftop bar is perhaps the venue’s crowning glory.
Karl and Janine have since become an embedded part of the Freo business community and are the inspiration behind the now famous Long Table Dinner that annually raises significant funds to help the cause of homelessness in Freo and beyond.
Recently the Bullers embarked on a new Freo heritage bar and restaurant project, with the design and opening of The Old Courthouse on Henderson Street in what is destined to become the ‘Convict Quarter’!
Karl and Janine Bullers kindly sat down with our editor Michael Barker to discuss Freo, how they got here, The National and the Old Courthouse and, amongst other things, the tipple preferences of their patrons!
Enjoy the podcast!
