Nicholas Building celebrates its centenary

The heritage-listed Nicholas Building on the corner of Swanston St and Flinders Lane has a long and interesting history. It recently celebrated a big birthday.

According to long-term tenant Stephen McLaughlan, “parties of every persuasion are sort of a continuity” of the Nicholas Building.

The gallerist, who has hosted regular openings in his space on the eighth floor since 1994, was the catalyst for a recent centenary celebration of the storied early 20th century skyscraper.

Knowing the history of the Harry Norris-designed building, he posted news clippings about its March 12, 1926, grand opening on social media.

Back then the 10-storey Palazzo-style edifice was hailed as a “milestone … in the progress of Melbourne towards a city of modern shopping and office buildings”.

Its height of 132 feet (40. 23m) was the maximum permitted.

Over the century the Nicholas Building has housed a diverse range of enterprises, from Coles – its “anchor tenant” for many years – to professional women’s discussion group the Austral Salon, established in 1890, and an adult cinema eventually taken over by Club X.

In more recent decades its low rents saw it evolve into an artists’ hub, probably driven by the presence of high-profile bohemian Vali Myers, who set up studio there in the 1990s.

Myers had lived in New York and around the world, making friends wherever she went.

According to McLaughlan, “whenever Bob Dylan or Donovan or Patti Smith was in town they’d visit her in her studio” there.

Following rent rises in the last few years many creative types left the building, but it has maintained an eclectic, interesting mix of tenants.

Among them is artist and gallery owner Anna Prifti, the president of the City Precinct, who was inspired to suggest a celebration.

Under the Precinct’s direction, and with its resources, work got under way on an event that would be worthy of the building’s history.

On the evening of April 10, 120 invitees, many dressed to the 1920s theme, turned up to be treated to Negroni and Bee’s Knees cocktails, canapés from Brunetti’s and a DJ and piano player doing jazz numbers.

The traders’ group had doorknocked the entire building with invitations, and the residents’ association had “sprung to life” to help, McLaughlan said.

Property managers Allard Shelton, who chipped in for the event, were well represented at the party, as was the Precinct.

The Cathedral Arcade was packed with people and the Flinders Lane Gallery had opened its doors.

Providing political punch on the night were federal MP Sarah Witty, state MP David Davis and Residents 3000 president and City of Melbourne Cr Rafael Camillo.

There were few former occupants present, though, and if any members of the consortium of owners were present, they were keeping it quiet.

For McLaughlan, the building’s informal historian, the celebration conjured up memories and imaginings of parties through the years, among them those thrown by Collected Works bookshop and the Melbourne Writers Guild, and annual open days, which used to be “chock-a-block full of people wandering through in full party mode”.

The centenary celebration was a “brilliant” one, he said, and did justice to the occasion.

“It was a vibrant, wonderful, social event that really was a microcosm of the building’s past.” •