The history of Ringwood nightclubs from Jooce and Dakota to Void and Baby
For many party animals, Ringwood’s nightclubs have been a second home. Come inside venues that have shaped the scene.
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You’d be hard pressed to any gen-Y’s or early millenials in the outer east who haven’t let their hair down at a nightclub in Ringwood.
From the early days of East 93 and Jooce in the 1990s, through to current venues including Baby and Void, many have been the scene of huge nights and became part of the suburb’s fabric.
Some are still standing but with different offerings, while others have bitten the dust for a variety of reasons.
Here’s a look at the venues – past and present – which have made Ringwood a clubbing destination for those wanting a great night out close to home.
DAISEYS
This historic venue operated as a pub for more than a century, and its striking dome structure and adjoining bar was the scene of many big nights on the corner of Maroondah Highway and Mount Dandenong Rd.
In its latter years, Daiseys’ club nights focused more on the over 28s crowd, and it also hosted a handful of intimate gigs, including by Melbourne rockers Airbourne who once played the venue in 2007 before they exploded overseas.
The death knell sounded for Daiseys when New Zealand-based Ryman Healthcare bought the 2.2ha site in May 2019, which was also home to Daisey’s Garden Supplies.
The venue was abandoned after the Covid-19 pandemic hit in March 2020, and the wrecking balls moved in and knocked down the pub in early 2021.
Ryman has begun early works on a six-level retirement village on the site, estimated to cost $220m.
Daiseys’ former owners, the Castello Group, now operate The Croydon Hotel further down on Mt Dandenong Rd as part of its portfolio of venues.
JOOCE
Jooce was a popular nightspot for outer east clubbers in the 90s and was promoted as the biggest single-level club in the southern hemisphere.
Big name DJs regularly played in its Buzz Bar until it closed in the early 2000s.
Today, the site at 93-97 Maroondah Highway is home to Ringwood’s Rivers store, and the Genesis gym facing Seymour St.
A major transformation of the site is planned after it sold for more than $13.5m in late 2020.
The plans include a 12-storey complex with 330 apartments and retail, pitched in late 2021 by Doncaster-based developer Staley Properties.
It is unclear if Maroondah Council has issued a permit for the project, which also faces Market St and Seymour St.
MANHATTAN HOTEL
This longstanding pub at the entrance to Ringwood on the corner of Canterbury and Heatherdale roads used to boast a revolving dancefloor and held heaps of packed-out club nights.
There were often guest appearances from popular soap and TV stars, and its massive back room sports bar was the spot for gigs by bands including Dragon, Suzi Quatro and even Vanilla Ice.
Pre-Covid, the venue had over 28’s themed nights on the weekends with DJs and cover bands.
These days, the club nights are long gone from ‘The Hat’, and its mainly a destination for boxing and UFC fans to watch the latest big bouts on their huge big screen in the outdoor beer garden.
DAKOTA
It was the home of skittlebombs, pole dancing and plenty of big nights for decades.
Club Dakota, formerly known as Denim Lounge, was the go-to spot on Ringwood’s Maroondah Highway clubbing strip, regularly packed out with clubbers busting a move on its sticky dancefloor.
It was also linked to a tragedy in May 2009 when Kane Dadson left the venue about 4.10am before he tragically drowned at nearby Ringwood Lake.
All the memories went up in flames when the club was destroyed by a suspicious fire in May 2016.
Plans to revive the site were first announced in late 2017 by its owners, the Cossari family, and after a long wait for construction and delays in opening due to Covid-19, the new site opened in stages from early 2021.
‘BABY’ AND ‘THE BUNGALOW’
The former Dakota site was transformed with three new offerings in a $8m rebuild.
The first to open was The Bungalow beer garden on level one, and it has offered pub feeds, a range of beers and cocktails and bottomless brunches for just over two years.
The venue has also since played host to various sports club functions with big name AFL stars, and holds all day party events with DJs.
The former Dakota nightclub space was also revived under a new name, Baby, and opened a few months later in April 2021.
Along with its regular club nights on weekends, it has also staged a handful of rock gigs, and was used to film scenes for a 7mate reality show last year.
Operators Joe Cossari and Victor Smith included a tribute wall of clubber pictures from the former Dakota nightclub as part of the redesign.
A hot dog shop, Fat Franks, also operates outside the front doors of Baby for any clubbers needing a late-night feed after tearing up the dancefloor.
A third space on level two of the building, Hyde, is also used for weddings and other functions.
The entire building at 123-127 Maroondah Highway was recently put up for sale, with agents JLL hoping to attract offers around $9.5m.
ZU BAR
This venue has withstood the many changes on the Maroondah Highway clubbing strip throughout the years – and remains open one night a week on Saturdays.
Zu Bar is located next to the Eastside Ink tattoo studio, and offering a slightly more relaxed offering compared to other clubs nearby, with pool tables and a variety of drinks.
The building sold to a local family for $1.6m in May 2017, but was also set to go up for auction before the Covid-19 pandemic hit in March 2020.
ORANGE WHIP
Opening in 2007, the ‘Whip’ was a huge drawcard for many uni students and local clubbers.
It boasted two levels with a downstairs bar, a huge dancefloor and an upstairs lounge.
Some of its themed nights over the years included The Den, Rated R, Noizy Neighbours Thursdays and No Pulp Saturdays.
After a couple of management changes, things got tough for the club particularly with the impact of Covid-19 and reduced capacity limits.
It was set to call last drinks in May 2021, but its farewell party never happened due to another snap lockdown.
VOID
After Orange Whip’s demise, Daniel Lamanna and his team jumped in and gave the venue a $2m overhaul, transforming it into Void nightclub.
It opened in April 2022 and was designed to bring a Las Vegas-styled clubbing experience to the eastern suburbs.
The club boasts a huge triangular lights structure above the dancefloor, and back room booths which can be booked out for $350 per group.
A wood-fired pizza restaurant – Boujee by Zero 95 – also opened on the club’s rooftop at the end of last year.
Stacked line-ups of DJ’s perform on the weekends, with recent special guests including US YouTube star Mike Majlak and the Sydney Yungins.
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