Victoria’s historic pubs are under threat from developers.

On Friday 7th November 2014 it was confirmed that  the Mentone Hotel would close.

The Mentone Hotel, formerly the Edgewater Hotel, is one of Victoria’s great historic hotels. The pub was erected in 1887 at the height of Melbourne’s land boom. The hotel has had a colourful history, being associated with SP bookmakers, as a rehabilitation centre during World War II and to accommodate visiting nuns.

The hotel is the last of the historic pubs on the Bayside strip. In the last weeks the historic Beaumaris Hotel, originally opened as the Great Southern Hotel, was knocked down to make way for apartments. Only a fragment of the facade of what was one of Victoria’s great historic pubs now remains.

We have got to the stage where development is out of control when icons such as the Mentone Hotel are put up for the highest bidder. As population increases it is more and more important that we maintain our social infrastructure such as our great historic pubs.

We call upon the Victorian Premier to introduce into the Victorian Parliament an Act of Parliament to protect Victoria’s historic pubs.

The Protection of Victoria’s Historic Hotels Act would place restrictions on development and ensure that they remained opened for business as pubs.

Victoria is fortunate to have a legacy of great pubs as a result of the Gold Rush in the 1850’s and development boom in the 1880’s. Generation after generation have socialised at the Mentone Hotel. We must ensure that generations to come can do the same thing.

Clarke Martin

Independent Community Candidate for Electorate of Sandringham

Make Bayside Better - www.makebaysidebetter.com.au

Authorised by Katrina Leason, 16 Churchill Avenue, Cheltenham, Vic, 3192