Main Point (Building)

The Main Point hotel was once a prominent feature in South Melbourne. The current building was built in 1903 but replaced an earlier structure on the same site. Although it is still relatively well-preserved it is obscured by the King's Way overpass.HistoryOriginal StructureIn 1869 George William Hall applied for a publican’s licence for a house built of wood and plaster and situated at corner of Moray-street and Sandridge-road . He was granted a licence and named this establishment the Main Point Hotel.Ownership of the hotel transferred to Alexander Marks in 1870 and towards the end of 1871 the hotel was renovated. Unfortunately Marks’ original application appears to have been issued improperly. Magistrate Mr. C. Mollison PM refused to renew the license in 1872 meaning Main Point could not legally operate for several months until the issue was resolved. Marks died in November 1873 age 36.At some point the hotel passed to J.F. Kennedy. On his death in 1899 his executrix ordered the property to be sold. Main Point was advertised as a going concern, having already been leased to a good tenant for five years at £150 per year. Emily and James Rubira are likely to have purchased the hotel at this time.Current StructureIt is not clear why Emily and James Rubira decided to rebuild the hotel, but in 1903 they demolished the former structure and started work on the new hotel. Mr. Rubira was already operating a successful cafe and hotel at 305 Bourke Street. Rubira sold the Bourke Street cafe in 1927 for a £50,000 and was therefore a man of some wealth.The area around the Main Point hotel developed a somewhat sordid reputation. Numerous bashings and robberies are reported in this area, and hotels frequently pushed the boundaries of their licensing regulations.