There is no town in Western Australia which has a richer history and heritage than Fremantle. Established in 1829 it was where the first colonists to what was then called Swan River Colony first landed. However, the history of Fremantle cannot be told in isolation so any story about Fremantle is also a story about Western Australia and if storekeeping was the first occupation to be followed in the new colony, then hotel keeping was the next. Within six months of the colony being founded Fremantle had four hotels so this book traces the history of those early Fremantle hotels and how they, and the hotels that followed, shaped the culture and appearance of Fremantle today. To know the history of those hotels is to know the history of Fremantle.

Allen is a lifelong resident of Fremantle, having been born and raised in Beaconsfield. He was a Councillor with the City of Fremantle during the heady days of the America's Cup, serving on the council between 1985 and 1990. Allen has been researching and writing about Fremantle's history for over forty years with a particular focus on Fremantle's hotels. He has won the City of Fremantle's unpublished history award on three occasions and has had a number of essays on Fremantle's history published in Fremantle Studies, the journal of the Fremantle history society.

Allen has been a long standing member of the Fremantle History Society and has served as a committee person, Vice President, and President of the Society. Since retiring Allen has used his knowledge of Fremantle's history to conduct walking tours of Fremantle.