Melbourne's Federal Coffee Palace

The Federal Coffee Palace was once a Melbourne meeting place to be. A venue that had tearooms, dining rooms, reading rooms, sitting libraries, billiard/indoor game rooms(bridge, chess, backgammon) , smoking rooms etc. spanning over 5 floors all balconies and overlooking the main foyer. The top two floors were a actual hotel.In the 1950 it became a full hotel as Coffee Place came out of fashion. It was slated to be Melbourne's First Casino but tragically some idiot in the planning commission allowed it to be be demolished in 1972 to make way for the current eyesore 1970 high rise office block. I often dream what it must have been like meeting friends here for afternoon tea in your best finery of the time and its loss from Melbourne and as something I can never experience firsthand for myself.

Imagine stepping into its lavish furnished foyer. Maroon red carpet that is so thick and lush you sink into it like a fur rug. Discreet and elegant marble top tables, Louis VIII chairs of such refined and elegant tapestry scattered against the walls. And the hushed cacophony of sounds and scents evading one's senses filtering from the overlooking floors. The sound of a Victrola playing the sweeping classics of Mendelssohn. Lulled chatter, newspapers being turned and adjusted crumpling, sounds of bone china resting on it's mate and silver spoons caressing them both so, the tickle of ice against glasses. Sumptuous scents from fine dining from the kitchen, brewed freshly ground coffee and lilt of smoky Lapsang Souchong.

I feel myself tearing up....such a lamentable loss.