His exploits may not have led to the sort of national obsession afforded to fellow bushranger Ned Kelly, yet there was a time when Francis Melville’s life certainly captured the imagination of the young colony. The self-titled “Captain” spent much of his career as a bushranger pretending to be a gentleman before holding up coaches full on their return from the goldfields.
The year in which Melville was eventually arrested, 1853, was also the same point the first stones were laid for Mac’s Hotel on Melbourne’s Franklin Street. Much like the supposed gentleman bushranger, it’s a building that possesses its own quiet charm.
The building that Captain Melville calls home is the oldest continually licensed venue in Melbourne’s CBD and is comfortably among the city’s oldest. The back of the original coach house was even heavily fortified to safeguard the gold of those passing through – a measure likely inspired by Captain Melville and his ilk.
Today, many generations on from those horse and carriage days, the Franklin Street building has undergone many changes before being transformed into its current guise late in 2012. The modern Melville still retains much of its classical appeal, with the grand bluestone building surrounded by skyscrapers but appearing as though it’s been transported directly from a country outpost on the way to the goldfields.
Inside, its expansive interior is no less impressive: the venue’s booth-filled front bar greets all those who walk through its French doors, while towards the back, the impressive indoor courtyard is filled with beautiful greenery against a backdrop of original bluestone.
Equally grand is the venue’s approach to craft beer, with 14 taps pouring a broad swathe of beers from Australia’s craft breweries. Despite Melbourne’s long embrace of craft beer, it’s frustratingly rare to find a CBD venue that always has something new on tap, but at the Melville half of those taps change frequently. The venue is never afraid to put something big or bold on tap either, so you can expect to find a fresh new double IPA beside an imperial stout before their small keg sizes ensure they disappear forever.
Likewise, the bar maintains a strong focus on Australian spirits, while the cocktail menu is filled with creativity and flair. It’s here that craft beer plays an important role too, with myriad styles used to shape much of Melville’s cocktail list, and where unadulterated imagination and joy lead to black IPAs being reshaped into syrups or spritzers being served up with a sprightly sour base.
Speaking of joy, as the weather warms up, expect to find booths filled with friends sipping on beer slushies just as bushrangers of old surely would have. But there are plenty of delicious delights to be found at any time of the year, with Captain Melville frequently hosting beer and food dinners for events such as the winter solstice or to celebrate spring’s arrival.
Their food menu, meanwhile, is centred around top-quality pub fare with frequent specials, alongside trivia, filling the venue throughout the week. Indeed, Captain Melville’s location on the CBD’s northern boundary also means it's surrounded by offices and apartments, creating a regular stream of lunchtime and after-work crowds.
Without fail, those groups are eager to meet at the Melville in much the same way Melburnians did in the city’s early days, although we doubt the food and drinks on offer were quite comparable to what’s served today.
Better yet, if you’re looking to spot office workers as they head in for the day, you can head upstairs to Loch & Key to experience the late-night cocktail bar that’s a particular favourite among Melbourne’s hospo community.
Completing the picture is a front-facing beer garden on a plant-filled patio that was built back in 1914. In those days, Melbourne wasn’t nearly as busy, but given Franklin remains one of the CBD’s quieter and calmer streets, the location adds to the feeling of being transported to another place and time: a place where bushrangers may have roamed and the beer was all local.
The gentleman thief would be proud.
Will Ziebell
