Historic Melbourne News Corp site, Lindrum Hotel gets upgrade

Hotel Lindrum on Flinders St was once a boutique hotel honouring snooker great Walter Lindrum and a former home of News Corp’s print operations for the Herald & Weekly Times and later The Australian.

A $200m tower is rising on the former Hotel Lindrum site, once home to the press room of evening paper The Herald as well as a legendary billiards hall.

The five-level brick structure at 26-30 Flinders St, was originally built in 1900 for Griffiths Brothers Tea Merchants, designed in the Romanesque Revival style.

By the 1940s, it was occupied by Verona Press, and from the 1960s it was used by the Herald and Weekly Times, becoming known as Gravure House and serving as the printing and publishing base for titles including Home Beautiful and New Idea.

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In the 1970s, the building was leased to Dolly Lindrum, niece of world champion billiards player Walter Lindrum, who operated a billiards hall from the premises.

It ran until 1988, when News Corp Australia reclaimed the site for use by The Australian until it was converted into a boutique hotel in 1999 and operated as Hotel Lindrum, named in honour of the billiards great.

Gravure House, once housed the Australian and print press for the Herald and Weekly times, now the Hotel Lindrum. Photo: NewsCorp Australia Archives

Hotel Lindrum closed in 2022 and is set to return to its corporate roots with a swanky new office tower.

The lobby featured a restored billiard table and photographs celebrating Lindrum’s sporting legacy.

The hotel ceased trading in 2022 following the sale of the building to developer Time & Place.

Now, the historic building, is being redeveloped into a $200m, 27-storey office tower, with construction officially underway this week.

Developer Time & Place held a groundbreaking ceremony on-site, attended by Lord Mayor Nicholas Reece, builder Kapitol, architects fjcstudio and project consultants.

Australian billiards player Walter Lindrum sights the balls for his famous “machinegun” shot. The cue ball kicks the balls away from the cushion and runs through to pot the black. Photo: NewsCorp Australia Archives

Kapitol Group breaks ground on the $200m Lindrum Tower, marking a new era for the historic News Corp site on Melbourne’s Flinders St.

The redevelopment will retain the heritage-protected facade fronting Flinders Street, while delivering new premium office space behind and above the original structure.

Time & Place director Tim Price said the site was a landmark Melbourne site “in every sense”.

“We’ve carefully planned, designed and procured every component,” Mr Price said.

“This eastern pocket of the Melbourne CBD stands head and shoulders above the balance of the city’s office market, it’s characterised by the best breed of new and historical buildings, elite tenants, and strong food and hospitality offerings.”

Australian billiards champion Walter Lindrum with wife Alicia. The Lindrum name lives on in the iconic Melbourne site where he ran a billiards hall. Photo: NewsCorp Australia archives

Jay Nikolin and “Bush Barbie” Nikki Osborne at Hotel Lindrum during the 2018 Melbourne Food and Wine Festival, captured for The Herald Sun. Picture: Nicki Connolly.

The new tower will include full-floor strata office suites with views across the Yarra River, the Botanic Gardens, and the MCG, along with end-of-trip facilities, a ground-floor event space, and a new laneway connection into the Flinders Lane dining precinct.

According to Time & Place, about one third of the floors have already been secured by family offices and businesses via private deals.

The remaining space will be released to the market in late 2025.

Felt Restaurant was a centrepiece of Hotel Lindrum, blending fine dining with heritage charm in a building steeped in Melbourne and News Corp history.

New render reveals the $200m Lindrum Tower, a striking office development rising behind the heritage facade of the former News Corp Australia press site.

Kapitol Group was appointed builder following a competitive tender process.

Co-founder Andrew Deveson said significant planning had gone into minimising risk and disruption on the site.

“Every detail of Lindrum’s build has been digitally mapped out,” Mr Deveson said.

“Elements like neighbouring tram lines, power lines, and crane movements have all been accounted for in advance.

“That’s critical on a complex project like this, where preserving a heritage facade and integrating with a modern build leaves no room for error.”

The project is expected to be completed in the second quarter of 2027.

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david.bonaddio@news.com.au