'I like the way the city is dynamic and always changing. Things open and close. Different streets change their identity as businesses open and create a new vibe.'

'Melbourne is friendly, easy-going - and there is good coffee everywhere.'

Vernon Chalker’s apartment perches like an eyrie above one of Melbourne’s most famous intersections. The tops of trams are visible as they shuttle beneath his open window. On one wall of the apartment is a gilt-framed photograph of Vernon dressed in dinner suit and cravat camping it up on a lounge in front of a bar. The frame carries the title, ‘Monsieur Bon Vivant’. On the opposite wall are the words, ‘I LIKE MELBOURNE’. Fun times in the heart of the city: this is Vernon Chalker territory.

As the inspiration behind iconic bar Gin Palace and co-owner of newer venues Madame Brussels and The Order of Melbourne, Vernon is responsible for some of the city’s finest nightspots.

‘Melbourne has become a much more interesting place to go at night,’ Vernon says. ‘I like the way the city is dynamic and always changing. Things open and close, different streets change their identity as businesses open and create a new vibe. It is great being involved in an industry where you help provide exciting options for people who come in search of a lifestyle experience.’