The fogeys want to stop Justin Hemmes turning a CBD carpark into a ‘creative wonderland’

Members of the Melbourne Club, the city’s most conservative all-male establishment, will have taken added glee from blocking Justin Hemmes’ “creative wonderland” – but the fight is just getting started.

Sydney billionaire Justin Hemmes wants to build a hotel, nightclub and restaurant complex in Collins St. Picture: Darren Leigh Roberts

Can’t you just imagine the grog blossoms at the Melbourne Club board meeting pulsating with rage at the mere mention of change?

It’s long been known the members at the city’s most conservative all-male establishment wear the same colours as the Melbourne Football Club (which most of them barrack for).

Blue noses and red cheeks!

And nothing makes them redder than the idea of change.

The Melbourne Club members would be furious at the idea of change.

For nearly 200 years the club has been home to the city’s business leaders.

But with a not-on-my-patch mentality they have decided to use a long-dormant financial contract to block the construction of a hotel, nightclub and restaurant complex near their heritage-listed club.

No doubt the idea of knocking back the move came with added glee, since the multimillion-dollar “creative wonderland” is the brainchild of flashy Sydney billionaire Justin Hemmes.

The club is a symbol of our British heritage, established at a gathering of 23 gentlemen in 1838, just three years after John Batman declared what became Melbourne as “the place for a village”.

The Melbourne Club is a symbol of our British heritage.

Situated at the Paris end of Collins St, it has welcomed high-profile figures such as former PM Malcolm Fraser and governors-general Sir Isaac Isaacs, Baron Casey and Sir Ninian Stephen.

Not all members have been distinguished or free thinkers.

Some of the more conservative would probably have opposed the clock tower at Flinders St Station or a footy ground near the Yarra.

It was a giant leap forward for womankind in 1993 when, lo, females were welcomed to the club … just on special occasions.

But it’s not only the old fogeys knocking back the Hemmes project next door.

It’s the young fogeys, who also like things the way they are at the place they can sit under a plane tree in the garden and play at being gentlemen.

They joined an overwhelming vote to exercise a long-held lease option to stop Hemmes turning the nearby carpark into a “hospitality, entertainment and creative wonderland”.

The carpark that Justin Hemmes wants to transform. Picture: Timothy Burgess

The developer’s Merivale Group bought the eight-storey carpark from the City of Melbourne for $55m to build a multi-level hotel, bars, restaurants and “sky garden”.

The Melbourne Club may think it has beaten back the upstart Sydney invader.

But Hemmes, 52, has time and dollars on his side, and is offering clubs people actually want to get in to.

Originally published as The fogeys want to stop Justin Hemmes turning a CBD carpark into a ‘creative wonderland’