History of The Australian Club

Established in 1878, The Australian Club was the ninth club founded in Melbourne in the 19th century.  A group of Melbourne gentlemen who had offices at the western end of the city were behind its establishment because in bad weather Elizabeth Street was liable to flooding, making it difficult for them to get to the Melbourne Club.  The new Club was to be a venue for businessmen from Melbourne and regional Victoria to lodge and associate.  

Construction took place at the height of the gold boom, producing a grand and highly decorative building.  Today, it has an Australian Heritage Listing.  Its glass-domed dining room, ornate staircase and finely paneled billiard room are prized examples of late-Victorian architecture and wood carving.