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Young and Jackson
IMG 6338 Young and Jackson, Melbourne, Australia.jpg
General information
Address Corner of Flinders and Swanston Streets, Melbourne
Country Australia
Coordinates 37°49′02″S 144°58′00″E / 37.817196°S 144.966702°E / -37.817196; 144.966702
Opened 1 July 1861 (The Princes Bridge Hotel)
1875-Present (Young and Jackson Hotel)
Other information
Number of rooms 5
Number of restaurants 2
Number of bars 4
Official name Young and Jackson's Princess Bridge Hotel
Type State Registered Place
Designated May 31, 1989
Reference no. H0708
Heritage Overlay number HO744

Young and Jackson is a famous hotel in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. You can find it right at the corner of Flinders Street and Swanston Street. This historic building first opened its doors in 1861 and is now officially listed on the Victorian Heritage Register, which means it's an important part of the state's history.

What is the History of Young and Jackson?

The land where Young and Jackson stands today has a long and interesting past.

Early Days of the Site

In 1837, John Batman, one of the people who helped start Melbourne, bought this piece of land. It was part of the very first land sale in the new settlement. Batman built a home for his children on the site, which later became a school in 1839.

In 1853, the old schoolhouse was taken down, and new buildings called warehouses were built there.

How the Hotel Started

On July 1, 1861, a hotel called The Princes Bridge Hotel opened on this spot. It was started by John P. Toohey and his brother, who later became famous for creating the Tooheys Beer brand.

The hotel got its current name, Young and Jackson, in 1875. This happened after two cousins from Ireland, Henry Figsby Young and Thomas Joshua Jackson, took over the business. They were known as "diggers," a term for people who searched for gold.

Changes to the Building Over Time

The hotel building is actually a mix of five different buildings, some with two floors and some with three. The oldest part, built in 1853, was originally a three-story house with a butcher's shop on the ground floor.

Over the years, the hotel was made bigger. By the 1920s, all the different parts were covered and painted to look like one big building. Since then, large advertising signs have been a big part of the hotel's look, even today. The hotel is currently owned by a company called the Endeavour Group.

What is the Chloé Painting?

One of the most famous things about the Young and Jackson hotel is a painting called Chloé.

About the Painting

Chloé was painted by a French artist named Jules Joseph Lefebvre in 1875. It's a large oil painting on canvas, showing a life-sized person.

Chloé's Journey to Melbourne

The painting was bought for a lot of money, 850 guineas, by Dr Thomas Fitzgerald of Lonsdale Street in Melbourne.

In 1883, Chloé was displayed at the National Gallery of Victoria. However, it caused a big stir, especially with the Presbyterian Assembly, because of its content. After just three weeks, it was taken down from the exhibition.

In 1908, the Young and Jackson Hotel bought the painting for 800 pounds. It has been a part of the hotel ever since, becoming a well-known landmark. In 1943, the painting was slightly damaged when an American serviceman threw a glass of beer at it.

See also

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