Frere Hall Karachi

Historical Building Built Under British Rule

Built in recollection of Sir Bartle Frere (Commissioner of Sind 1851-1859) who was renowned for encouraging financial development in Karachi, this Venetian Gothic style construction was designed by Colonel Clair Wilkins whose suggestion was chosen from 12 entries; in what was possibly the first noted architectural design competition for a public construction in Sind. Completed in 1865 at a cost of Rs.1,80,000 out of which Rs. 22,500 was collected for the memorial through public donations, the construction was formally inaugurated by Commissioner Mansfield on 10th Oct. 1865

The gardens round the construction were constructed in 1887-88 by Mr. Benjamin Flinch. Originally the statues of Queen Victoria and King Edward (both of which have now been removed), adorned the garden. The top floor of this two storied yellowish Karachi limestone construction comprises of a 70 ft x 24 ft auditorium and an orchestral gallery. In past years this construction was the center of Karachi’s socio-cultural undertakings and furthermore assisted as a Town Hall with normal public meetings, live performances and theatrical performances. The ground floor is now used by the Liaquat Municipal Library.

The Hall is located between Abdullah Haroon Road (formerly Victoria Road) and Fatima Jinnah Road (formerly Bonus Road) in the middle of two lawns which extended till the roads. It is located in Civil Lines locality of the town. In the vicinity are the Marriott Hotel, US Consul General’s house, the Japanese Consulate and the Sind Club.

It was used as a Town Hall during the Raj. During the same period it housed a number of busts including King Edward VII’s which a gift from Seth Edulji Dinshaw was. It also housed oil paintings of former Commissioners in Sind including Sir Charles Pritchard and Sir Evan James.

Mohsin H.Chinoy