Order of Melbourne

The Order Of Melbourne:

(03) 9663 6707 or www.theorder.com.au

‘Established in 1890’ could be tacked alongside The Order of Melbourne’s Latin inscribed motto ‘Omnes Bibimus Nostris Sodalitas’, so accurate are the antique touches. Patrons often give mistaken kudos to part owner and designer of The Order, Margo Orr, ‘A lot of people walk in and think that wallpaper’s always been here, which makes me laugh. ‘Yep, yep,’ she goads, ‘it was always here, same with the hanging Japanese walls’. Quite a feat for the 15-month-old club. The Order is adorned with 1950s Italian lights, Japanese warehouse doors hanging from the walls, Japanese temple lights modified with glass and vinyl wallpaper from South America. Margo even sourced a piece of original flock wallpaper off eBay as a backdrop for the featured taxidermy.Nothing is brand new.Previously a student squat, Orr and associates had quite a job getting their occupancy up to scratch. The essentially blank canvas lacked standard amenities, which actually assisted the terrace design, with gas outlets peppering the platform for simple outdoor heating hook-ups. The terrace was premeditated three years out to coincide with the Victorian smoking laws. Tearing down half the pitched roof, they built the platform and constructed weathered parapets along the outer edges from a mix of red brick and partly rendered concrete, adding to the established 1890s aesthetic. Alighting on the deck, RMIT’s Storey Hall gleams magnificent across the road, a colourful contrast to the nostalgic aura of The Order.(For those left hanging, the motto means: ‘All Drink to Our Secret Society’.)