Empress Hotel, Fitzroy North

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Empress Hotel

Established	1873
Address	714 Nicholson Street, North Fitzroy, VIC 3068.

The Empress Hotel (formerly the Empress of India Hotel) is a pub and live music venue located at 714 Nicholson Street, in the inner Melbourne suburb of Fitzroy North.

[edit] History

The pub was opened in 1873 by John Bourke, and named in honour of Queen Victoria, who had been proclaimed the Empress of India on the 1 January 1877. In the late 20th century, it was frequented by employees of the North Fitzroy tram depot across the road, which has since fallen out of regular use.

In the late 1980s, it became a live music venue, and has played a part in the Melbourne indie rock scene since then, hosting shows by many local bands and some touring acts. In 2003, the gentrification of the inner suburbs took its toll on the Empress's live music business, as a noise complaint from a new resident nearby forced the discontinuation of many live performances. It still hosts regular acoustic performances, and the management have been instrumental in organising the Fair Go 4 Live Music campaign to change Victoria's licensing and zoning laws.