FEATURE / Basement Bar
Miss Gunn’s is the new basement bar at Clocks at Flinders Street Station.
Unearthing a hidden gem A long-forgotten basement, a nod to Melbourne’s past, and Doxa Community Club’s fresh take on a bar – Miss Gunn’s is the newest underground spot beneath Flinders Street Stationw. Images supplied: Doxa Community Club
WHEN DOXA COMMUNITY Club’s Clocks at Flinders Street Station in Melbourne underwent renovations in 2017, the vision included a basement bar – a strategic addition to the club’s food and beverage
offering. However, sourcing power to the underground level proved more complicated than anticipated, and the idea was shelved.
Instead, the space sat idle for years as a storage area for archived documents and beverage stock.
That all changed just over six months ago when the club revisited
its long-held plan, deciding the time was finally right to bring its
intimate basement bar to life. On 13 February, the group officially opened its doors to Miss Gunn’s.
The name pays homage to Ada May Gunn – better known as
Miss Gunn or Dolly – who ran The Loungers’ Club beneath Flinders Street Station in the early 1900s. As one of the building’s original occupants, Miss Gunn was known for her deep connection to the
space and her reputation for generosity and hospitality. Her legacy is now woven into the very fabric of the bar.
Rumoured to have once also served as a morgue, the 50-person
space has been designed by Studio Nine Architects and built by Basis Group. It blends old-world charm with modern elegance,
featuring dim lighting, exposed brickwork, and rich timber accents. “As you enter, you are surrounded by the original foundations
of the 1909 Flinders Street build. The space tells the story of Miss Gunn, transporting you back in time with exposed bluestone and bricks from the original structure,” said Anthony Simioni, chief operating officer of Doxa Community Club.
Simioni added that the decision to launch a basement space
wasn’t just about creating a new venue within the club; it was also influenced by Melbourne’s broader hospitality scene.
“[A basement bar] is absolutely a Melbourne thing. Over the last
10 years, basement bars have just taken off in Melbourne, so we jumped on that,” he said. 76 / Club Management