Federal Group
Federal Group is a privately owned Tasmanian hospitality, tourism, gaming, entertainment, retail and logistics group with origins in an Australian hotel company established in 1885.
Last updated November 4, 2026
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Overview
Federal Group is a family-owned Tasmanian business whose origins lie in the Federal Coffee Palace Company Limited, established in Melbourne in June 1885. The original company was formed to develop a major hotel and dining complex and subsequently became associated with Federal Hotels, a substantial mainland hotel operator. By the 1930s, its portfolio included prominent properties such as The Menzies, Savoy Plaza, The Windsor and Hotel Australia in Melbourne, together with Lennons Hotel in Brisbane and Hampton Court in Sydney. Following the Second World War, the business changed direction. Under the influence of Greg Farrell Senior, whose earlier career had been in transport and logistics, Federal Hotels increasingly concentrated its investment in Tasmania. Farrell had developed an interest in the state after visiting the Wrest Point Riviera Hotel and came to regard its location as an exceptional site for tourism development. In the late 1960s, the company worked with the Tasmanian Government on a proposal to establish a casino at Wrest Point as a way to stimulate tourism and reduce the seasonality of the state's visitor economy. A statewide referendum in December 1968 supported the proposal, and the Tasmanian Parliament subsequently passed legislation enabling the development. Wrest Point Hotel Casino opened on 10 February 1973 as Australia's first legal casino. The complex became the central asset in Federal Group's Tasmanian strategy and was later expanded with a convention and entertainment centre, hotel accommodation, restaurants, bars and gaming facilities. Wrest Point remains one of Tasmania's most recognisable commercial landmarks and was added to the Tasmanian Heritage Register in 2017 because of its historical, social and architectural importance. Federal Group broadened its Tasmanian activities through Country Club Casino and Resort near Launceston, hotel operations, tourism businesses, retail liquor, gaming services, premium accommodation and transport. Its tourism portfolio at various times included Strahan Village, Gordon River Cruises, the West Coast Wilderness Railway, Freycinet Lodge and Cradle Mountain Chateau. Several regional tourism properties were sold to RACT in 2014, while the group continued to develop distinctive luxury and experience-led properties, including the Henry Jones Art Hotel in Hobart, Saffire Freycinet and MACq 01. The group also established or acquired businesses outside its core hotel operations. COPE Sensitive Freight, founded in 1989, developed into an independent specialist carrier for fragile and high-value goods. Network Gaming was established in 1996 to distribute gaming machines and operate Keno services in Tasmanian hotels and clubs under the OASIS Gaming and TASkeno names. Vantage Hotel Group was created in 1999 to operate freehold hotels acquired by Federal Group. The group later purchased the 9/11 retail liquor business and expanded its gaming-services capabilities through the acquisition of Odyssey Gaming Services in 2017. Federal Group's business identity has been closely linked with Tasmanian place-making. The Pure Tasmania concept, developed in the 1990s, promoted the island as an environmentally distinctive and authentic destination. Its hotels and resorts commonly combine accommodation with food and beverage, storytelling, design, nature and regional tourism experiences. Saffire Freycinet, for example, was positioned as a high-end nature resort, while MACq 01 was designed around stories connected with Tasmanian people and history. The Farrell family gained majority ownership of the holding company by 1989 and took Federal Group private in 1990. This ownership structure enabled the group to pursue long-term investment without the reporting and performance pressures associated with a listed company. In the 2020s, Federal Group continued to invest in the renewal of Wrest Point, the redevelopment of Country Club Tasmania's golf and leisure facilities, and its existing…
History
Federal Group traces its history to the Federal Coffee Palace Company Limited, founded in Melbourne in June 1885. The company was created to build a large hotel and dining establishment and later operated under the Federal Hotels name. During the interwar period, it controlled or operated a number of important Australian hotels, including properties in Melbourne, Brisbane and Sydney. The postwar period brought a strategic shift toward Tasmania. Greg Farrell Senior, who had built experience in transport through the Interstate Parcel Express Company, became the leading figure in the group's move into Tasmanian tourism. His interest in Wrest Point led to a proposal for a casino designed to attract visitors and provide a more stable tourism economy. Tasmanian voters approved the proposal in a 1968 referendum, followed by parliamentary legislation. Wrest Point Hotel Casino opened in February 1973 and became Australia's first legal casino. The Wrest Point development was followed by further investment in accommodation, conventions, entertainment and gaming. In 1982, Federal Group opened Country Club Casino and Resort near Launceston. A convention and entertainment complex was added at Wrest Point in 1984. The Farrell family secured majority ownership of the holding company by 1989 and privatised the group in 1990, allowing it to pursue long-horizon investment in Tasmania. During the 1990s and 2000s, Federal Group diversified. It developed the Pure Tasmania concept, established Network Gaming to manage gaming-machine distribution and Keno activities, and formed Vantage Hotel Group to operate freehold hotels. The group also expanded into sensitive freight through COPE, regional tourism through assets such as Strahan Village and Gordon River Cruises, and retail liquor through the acquisition of the 9/11 business. Federal Group's tourism portfolio increasingly emphasised premium accommodation and distinctive Tasmanian narratives. The Henry Jones Art Hotel opened in Hobart in 2007, Saffire Freycinet opened in 2010, and MACq 01 opened on Hobart's waterfront in 2017. The group sold several regional tourism assets to RACT in 2014 but retained and developed important hospitality and tourism properties. The group's gaming position changed materially in 2017 when Tasmania ended the former exclusive licensing model for poker machines in pubs and clubs. In the same year, Federal Group acquired Odyssey Gaming Services, adding a Queensland gaming-monitoring operation. More recently, the group renewed Wrest Point through a staged redevelopment and began a major leisure and golf redevelopment at Country Club Tasmania. Its retail portfolio was also adjusted through the 2024 agreement for Coles Liquor to acquire the 9/11 stores.
- 2017
MACq 01 opens
[1]Federal Group opens a waterfront hotel in Hobart built around Tasmanian stories and historical characters.
- 2017
Wrest Point is heritage listed
[1]Wrest Point is added to the Tasmanian Heritage Register for its historical, social and architectural significance.
- 2010
Saffire Freycinet opens
[1]The group opens a premium nature resort at Coles Bay on Tasmania's east coast.
- 2007
Henry Jones Art Hotel opens
[1]Federal Group opens the art-focused boutique hotel in Hobart.
- 1996
Network Gaming is established
[1]The group establishes a business handling gaming-machine distribution and Keno activities in Tasmania.
- 1990
Federal Group is privatised
[1]The company is taken private to support a long-term Tasmanian investment approach.
- 1989
The Farrell family gains majority ownership
[1]The Farrell family gains majority ownership of Federal Hotels' holding company.
- 1982
Country Club Casino and Resort opens
[1]Federal Group opens its Launceston-area casino and resort.
- 1973
Wrest Point Hotel Casino opens
[1]The Hobart complex opens on 10 February as Australia's first legal casino.
- 1968
Tasmanian casino proposal receives referendum support
[1]A statewide referendum supports granting a casino licence for the proposed Wrest Point redevelopment.
Products and positioning
A privately owned Tasmanian investment group focused on hospitality, tourism, gaming, entertainment and related services, with a strong emphasis on distinctive place-based experiences and long-term regional development.
Hotel, casino and convention complex · 1973
Wrest Point Hotel Casino
Federal Group's landmark Hobart property and the central asset of its Tasmanian hospitality strategy. Wrest Point combines hotel accommodation, casino gaming, restaurants, bars, entertainment and conference facilities. It opened in 1973 as Australia's first legal casino and remains a prominent part of Hobart's waterfront skyline and tourism infrastructure.
Casino resort and leisure destination · 1982
Country Club Tasmania
A Launceston-area resort combining accommodation, casino gaming, food and beverage, golf and other leisure facilities. The property was developed in a Georgian-inspired architectural style and has been the subject of later investment in golf, mini-golf, driving-range and estate infrastructure.
Boutique hotel · 2007
Henry Jones Art Hotel
A Hobart boutique hotel created within a historic waterfront setting and organised around contemporary art, design and heritage architecture. The wider precinct includes restaurants, a bar and a cafe, extending the hotel concept into a broader premium food-and-culture experience.
Luxury nature resort · 2010
Saffire Freycinet
A high-end resort at Coles Bay near Freycinet National Park. Saffire combines suites, personalised hospitality, destination dining and guided nature experiences, and is positioned around Tasmania's coastal landscape and premium experiential travel. The property has received repeated tourism and travel-industry recognition.
Storytelling hotel · 2017
MACq 01
A Hobart waterfront hotel developed on the site of former wharf sheds. Its rooms and public spaces draw on stories associated with Tasmanian people, places and history, while the architecture incorporates industrial and maritime elements from the site's past.
Specialist logistics · 1989
COPE Sensitive Freight
A specialist freight carrier established for fragile, sensitive and high-value equipment and goods. COPE operates purpose-built transport services and has developed a national depot network, representing Federal Group's continuing connection with the transport sector.
Gaming services · 1996
Network Gaming
A gaming-services business established to manage the distribution of gaming machines and Keno operations in Tasmanian hotels and clubs. Its activities have been associated with the OASIS Gaming and TASkeno brands.
Retail liquor · 2006
9/11
A retail liquor business acquired by Federal Group in 2006 and operated through the group's hotel organization. The business grew to 20 stores before Coles Liquor agreed to acquire the stores in 2024.
Marketing campaigns
- 1990Pure Tasmania
Australia · International tourism
Federal Group developed Pure Tasmania as a place-branding and advocacy concept centred on environmental quality, authenticity and premium Tasmanian experiences. The idea was used in tourism, hospitality and business communications and contributed to a broader effort to position Tasmania as a distinctive destination.
Outcome. The concept became associated with Tasmania's contemporary tourism identity, although it was not formally adopted as a government destination brand.
Brand decisions
2023
Redevelop Country Club Tasmania's golf and leisure precinctStrategyBackground
Federal Group sought to expand the Launceston resort's recreational offer and upgrade its golf facilities.
Action taken
The group commenced work on a redesigned championship-standard golf course, a mini-golf facility, a multi-level driving range and a staged residential estate.
Aftermath
The project repositioned Country Club Tasmania as a broader golf, leisure and resort precinct.
2018
Begin the Wrest Point renewal programGeneration changeBackground
The landmark property required staged refurbishment ahead of its fiftieth anniversary.
Action taken
Federal Group progressively renewed the restaurant, accommodation, casino, reception, bar, member-lounge and circulation areas between 2018 and 2023.
Aftermath
The program modernised the hotel and casino while retaining Wrest Point's role as a major Tasmanian tourism and events property.
2017
Expand into gaming monitoring through OdysseyStrategyBackground
Federal Group sought to broaden its gaming-services activities beyond its established Tasmanian operations.
Action taken
The group acquired Odyssey Gaming Services, a licensed monitoring operator serving Queensland clubs and hotels.
Aftermath
The acquisition gave Federal Group a gaming-services presence in Queensland.
1990
Privatise the group and concentrate on TasmaniaStrategyBackground
The Farrell family had obtained majority ownership of the holding company and sought a longer-term investment model.
Action taken
Federal Group was taken private and oriented more fully toward Tasmanian tourism, hospitality and related businesses.
Aftermath
The private ownership structure supported subsequent diversification into gaming, premium accommodation, tourism attractions, retail and logistics.
1968
Pursue a casino-led tourism strategy for TasmaniaStrategyBackground
Federal Hotels and the Tasmanian Government presented a casino at Wrest Point as a mechanism for attracting visitors and reducing the seasonal dependence of the state's tourism economy.
Action taken
The proposal was put to a statewide referendum and then enabled through Tasmanian legislation after receiving majority support.
Aftermath
Wrest Point opened in 1973 as Australia's first legal casino and became the foundation of Federal Group's Tasmanian operations.
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