Coppersmith Hotel: glimmer of history in Melborne pub

The Coppersmith boutique hotel’s site exudes as much history as its surrounding South Melbourne neighbourhood.

The Coppersmith bar, restaurant and hotel, Melbourne.

The coppersmith honoured in the naming of Melbourne’s Coppersmith Hotel was Ebenezer Drummond Menzies Thompson, a lifelong resident of South Melbourne and its mayor in 1913 and 1914. The slick 21st-century hotel named in his honour, however, dates back well beyond, to the years when the gold rush had people flocking to this inner Melbourne suburb, where slabs of history now mingle with the modern era.

Trams still rumble along Clarendon Street, with its Victorian-era shop fronts, a reassuring sound of Melbourne from a breezy guestroom at the remodelled pub now known as Coppersmith.

It is at the far end of Clarendon Street, not far from the old grandstand that long served the South Melbourne football club, before the team was transplanted to NSW and rebranded as the Sydney Swans.

Coppersmith’s site exudes as much history as the rest of this pretty inner-city neighbourhood.

On this corner block for close to 150 years stood the Cricket Club Hotel, serving beer to patrons over several generations.

Then in 2006, Perth-based hotelier George Bagios, on the lookout for a new hotel, made an offer on the spot, even though the building was not for sale. By the end of the day it was his. He continued to run the pub for some years before gutting it, retaining only two exterior walls from its 1830s facade, including the old signage.

In July, 2014 it was reopened as Coppersmith, a modern 15-room boutique hotel surrounded by history.

The new building spans four levels. A restaurant cum pub, with lovely flourishes of copper, takes up much of the ground level, and also serves as check-in.

Accommodation is on the two floors above, and a new rooftop terrace, with up-close views of the CBD, comprises the top level. Guestrooms, though modestly sized, are modern and light, with large flat-screen televisions comfortably watched from bed, and in-room Nespresso machines. The relaxed pastel decor is reminiscent of the Hamptons, with whitewashed timber panelling and leather cupboard handles. Bathrooms have frosted glass walls and generous showers.

The CBD is close by, and Crown Casino is a 20-minute walk away. But given the comparatively low-key vibe of the area — my room looks out over greenery, rather than skyscrapers — a stay here gives you a quieter taste of the city, without being too far from its buzzy centre.

CHECKLIST

Coppersmith, 435 Clarendon Street, South Melbourne; [phone]; coppersmithhotel.com.

TARIFF

Rack rates are $245 for a queen room and $325 for a king; check website for deals.

GETTING THERE

About 30 minutes by taxi from Melbourne airport, or take the SkyBus express service to Southern Cross Station and catch a taxi or tram.

CHECKING IN

A mix of business travellers, interstate holiday-makers, and locals on weekend breaks.

BEDTIME READING

For a local history fix, dip into James Boyce’s 1835: The Founding of Melbourne and the Conquest of Australia, based on the year in which the great southern city was founded. From its infancy, Melbourne seems to have hinted at its future hip stardom: “Despite the disease, squalor and social divisions, there is no doubt that, as Edward Curr put it, Melbourne was a ‘bustling, stirring sort of place from the very pip’.”

WHEELCHAIR ACCESS

Yes. The single elevator also takes you to the rooftop terrace.

STEPPING OUT

A tram (stops outside) can have you in the city in minutes, but why not explore gentrified South Melbourne? It offers stately architecture, cafes (try St Ali in Yarra Place), cobblestoned laneways and quirky shops. The old South Melbourne Market is under cover, making for a tasty destination on a rainy day. And Albert Park Lake, home of Melbourne’s Formula 1 Grand Prix, is an even shorter walk away.

BRICKBATS

Although the hotel has a separate entrance, you need to check in at the bar, which can be confusing. Seating in queen rooms is limited to a single Shaker-style chair and a stool.

BOUQUETS

Rather than a cumbersome full-sized ironing board taking up wardrobe space, a mini-board is stored in an under-bed drawer. The restaurant is a lovely space, especially for breakfast, and the rooftop terrace has an unexpectedly great view.

Fiona Harari was a guest of Coppersmith Hotel.