The Menzies Hotel (1867 -1969)

Built in 1867 in time for the visit of the Duke of Edinburgh in the unusual electic style of the Second Empire ornamental style.The commissioned architects were Reed & Barnes who made the Classic State Library of Victoria and the historic Rippon Lea Estate in Elsternwick. In fact, they used the Second Empire style on the Melbourne Town Hall & Exhibition Building also. The Menzie's Hotel operated as a hotel and on the most lavish-style Coffee Palace and was considered a Melbourne landmark (but even this could not save it from the dreaded skyscraper influx taking over the CBD.

It stood at 140 William Street, it was only only 5 stories in height and built in 6 months, the facade was evenly spaced windows alternating between arched and square to give it a ornate style and deviate from the french mansions in the Second Empire Style and crowned by individually gabled windows on the topmost floor.It has a central shingled tower and the simple mansard roof.

The interior was in the standard style to compliment the exterior. The roofs were low and deep segmentation that were simplistic and even spaced with geometric details.

It was considered one of the worlds suavest & grandest hotels and had a bevy of famous names signed it register including Alexander Graham Bell, Herbert Hoover, Dame Nellie Melba and warhorse, General Douglas Macarthur.The Menzies was demolished in 1969 to make way for the BHP tower.