The Corner Hotel in the Melbourne suburb of Richmond, Victoria, Australia, is a remodelled 19th-century pub which has been a live music venue since the 1940s and, since 1995, a popular rock music venue and rooftop bar. History 1871-1983 In 1871, the premises was licensed to David and Jane McCormick. Business thrived because of the close proximity to the Richmond railway station. In 1881 it was renovated by William Malone, who improved both the accommodation and the liquor quality. Malone was the licensee until 1895. Between 1895 and 1929 the hotel changed hands seven times. From 1929 to 1935 it was operated by Nelly O'Connor and her husband. The pub is thought to have begun presenting live music during the 1940s jazz era. During the 1950s it was owned by the Melbourne Cooperative Brewing Company, an offshoot of Carlton and United Breweries. They rebuilt the hotel in 1954, obtaining permits to serve alcohol during the reconstruction. This was the peak time of an Australian custom known as the six o'clock swill, where venues were required to stop serving alcohol at 6 p.m. This law was a relic of World War I and operated from 1915 until its abolition in the mid-1960s (1966 in Victoria). It meant that workers would rush to pubs after finishing work and consume as much alcohol as possible before the bar closed. In 1966 the pub was demolished and rebuilt in a slightly shifted location, to make space for the widening of the railway lines. 1984-1995 Brian Hartung from Carlton United Breweries approached Wayne Gale in 1984 and asked if he could start music at The Corner Hotel. At that time Gale was running venues at The John Barleycorn Hotel in Collingwood, The Tiger Lounge (Royal Oak in Richmond) and The Prospect Hill Hotel in Kew. The first bands to play the venue were The Adventure and Big Music Works on Friday 28 February 1983 with Big Pig following on the Saturday night. At first live music was played only on Friday and Saturday nights. During the period that Wayne Gale was the owner, the cream of Australia's music industry played there and at one point he achieved 15 full houses in 16 days. This was an outstanding achievement considering the strength and fierce competition in the Melbourne music industry at the time. Bands such as Johnny Diesel & The Injectors, Spy vs Spy and Baby