Business » Hidden Secrets

A bar, a laneway and 25 years of city life at Hells Kitchen

May 27th, 2026 - Jenny Denton

When Melbourne pub rockers-turned-stadium band Amyl and the Sniffers had their show cancelled and famously donated their $35,000 fee to the patrons of seven local music venues, Hells Kitchen was one of them.

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Old church welcomes young crowd

April 29th, 2026 - Jenny Denton

A Neo-Gothic bluestone church nestled into a pocket of greenery overlooked by skyscrapers, St Augustine’s, consecrated in 1869, is one of the CBD’s oldest churches. Its original timber building stood on the Bourke St site from 1853.

Hidden secret of Melbourne: Athenaeum Library

March 25th, 2026 - Jenny Denton

Above the trundling trams, ever-present cars and the comings and goings of bikes and pedestrians on Collins St sits a venue that has been there since Melbourne’s beginnings.

Hidden Secrets: A historic glow returns to Swanston and Collins

February 25th, 2026 - Sean Car

Amid the rush of trams, shoppers and office workers at the corner of Swanston and Collins streets, a small but significant piece of Melbourne’s past has quietly been brought back to life.

Fire Services Museum of Victoria: Keeping watch on our fires

January 27th, 2026 - Jenny Denton

Thanks to its venerable old building and dedicated volunteers, the Fire Services Museum of Victoria offers visitors time out, a sense of perspective and some learnings about fires and fire safety.

The hidden craftsmanship of Royal Arcade: Inside Evans, Melbourne’s leather repair institution

November 26th, 2025 - Mia Cutugno

Tucked beneath the cast-iron staircase of the Royal Arcade, Evans – Quality Shoe, Handbag & Leather Repairs – is one of the CBD’s quietest but most enduring treasures.

Melbourne may have its very own “off-Broadway” with new Spiegel Haus

October 29th, 2025 - Jon Fleetwood

Melbourne has long been renowned as Australia’s cultural capital. However, serial entrepreneur and filmmaker Christopher Mitchell believes that for the city to have a truly vibrant cultural scene, it needs an “off-Broadway”.

Hidden history of Milton House

September 24th, 2025 - Sabrina Caires

The state heritage-listed building that now faces partial demolition and renovations as part of the redevelopment of the neighbouring Shell House on Flinders Lane, Milton House was first built as a private hospital in 1901.

Blackbird spreads its wings in Melbourne

August 27th, 2025 - Sean Car

Tucked into 66 Flinders Lane within the Collins Place precinct, a bold new chapter of Brisbane hospitality royalty has quietly taken flight in Melbourne.