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The White Hat Guide to Young & Jackson's Hotel

Young & Jackson's hotel shares an intersection with Flinders Street Station and St Paul's Cathedral.

The original block of land was bought in 1837 for £100 by John Batman, one of the founders of Melbourne. and was used as a girls' school. A hotel was later built on the site which, after several changes of ownership, was bought by two men who had been successful on the gold fields in New Zealand - Messrs Young and Jackson.

Meanwhile, in another part of town, another story was emerging. At the grand exhibition of 1880 held in the Exhibition Buildings, a nude painting, Chloe, by Chevalier Jules le Febvre had won a gold medal. When this painting was exhibited at the National Gallery in 1881, a scandal broke out. Chloe was much too brazen for the puritanical 'wowsers' of Melbourne society, and the trustees of the gallery were abused in the newspapers for allowing her to flaunt herself in the gallery - and on a Sunday afternoon!

Messrs Young & Jackson were eventually able to buy Chloe in 1908 and hung her above the bar in their hotel. Custom increased dramatically.

Young and Jackson's and Chloe have been inseparable ever since. Chloe was allowed a brief excursion recently. She was allowed out to hang in an exhibition of nudes. Where? At the National Gallery! She was removed in a rather undignified manner by a crane through the first floor window. But she has returned from that little outing, back to the bar now named after her.

For a number of years, Chloe's Bar was a place where you could feel equally comfortable in a dinner suit or a boiler suit. It was also a preferred hangout for artists and bohemians such as Vali Myers. However, such a high rent property can't make a living from such low rent customers as artists. When the building was restored, Chloe's Bar gentrified and the prices increased accordingly, the artists, composers and writers soon disappeared elsewhere and have been replaced by a more well-heeled clientele. It doesn't have the same colour or character, but at least it makes enough dollars to remain open.

Over the years, the style of patrons has changed a number of times

And Chloe still smiles down on all of them.

Because these are family Web pages, we include no picture of Chloe.