The 35-foot-tall Frere Temple was designed by William Tracey, an engineer of the Public Works Department who also designed the Victoria and Albert Museum (Dr. Bhau Daji Lad Museum) and the triple-arched gateway at the entrance to the Garden. The temple cost ₹ 42,000, which was raised through public subscription. The central part of the rotunda is open to the sky.
Frere Temple is made from Porbandar stone. The circular rotunda is supported by six pillars of the Corinthian order, their capitals decorated with acanthus leaves and scrolls. However, unlike Corinthian pillars that are almost always fluted, the pillars at the Frere temple are not fluted.
The Frere Temple originally housed a bust of Lady Frere, which was defaced by vandals. The damaged bust was sent to England but was beyond repair. In its place, a bronze statuary sculpted by English sculptor Herbert Hampton (1862–1929) was installed. The statue is mistakenly identified as Queen Victoria, because of its location in (former) Victoria Gardens.