While the compact Kings Cross club
Beach Haus celebrated the opening of their
Moet & Chandon bar (above) Australia's most successful night club entrepreneur
Justin Hemmes has come under sustained attacks that bear all the hall marks of the infamous Australian "
tall poppy syndrome".
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| Justin Hemmes |
No-one has invested as much money as the young mogul in providing chic and luxurious premises for Sydney-siders to party in. To date an estimated $200M. Hemmes employs around 2000 staff and is regarded by those who work for him as a firm but fair and generous boss. There is a waiting list of hundreds of young hopefuls wishing to be employed by Justin's
Merivale Group.
Starting with 2 hotels in the city, Hemmes bucked the trend and turned old style pubs into stylish and modern bars aided by his sister Bettina who is responsible for decorating all his premises.
Tom Cruise and
Nicole Kidman partied at his
Slip Inn while the
Crown Prince of Denmark, Frederick met his future bride
Mary Donaldson there during the 2000 Olympics.
When he opened the elegant
Establishment in lower George Street in a beautiful colonial Georgian building he introduced the city to a style not seen before.
Huge marbled floored bars that become packed after office hours, an award winning restaurant
Est run by top chef
Peter Doyle (picking up '3 Hats' again last week at the S
ydney Morning Herald Good Food Guide launch) and a series of function rooms constantly in use with a nightclub
Hemmesphere that became
the place to relax for visiting international stars from
Beyonce to
Bono to actor
Simon Callow.
In any other world class city Hemmes would probably be given a gold key to the city having almost solely revived central Sydney' dormant nightlife.
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| A party at the Ivy pool |
Instead he has faced a raft of opposition from local police over exaggerated incidents that pale into insignificance when one considers he hosts tens of thousands of patrons every week.
Hemmes also came under the gaze of Lord Mayor
Clover Moore who donned a new hat as the head of the Anti-Fun Police and attempted to enforce strict drinking hours reminiscent of the dreaded 1950s "six o'clock swill" when pubs slammed their doors shut at 6pm each evening. Fortunately the outcry was deafening particularly as Hemmes had invested his family fortune in his city nightclubs
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| Hemmisphere |
Three months ago Hemmes was held up at gunpoint in his recently purchased Surry Hill's pub . Outside a police car with 2 officers calmly watched as the armed raiders made their get away in a stolen BMW crashing into another car in the process.
A fortnight ago it is alleged his doormen bashed a patron in the cellar at Hemme's
Ivy complex and mis-lead police whilst cleaners washed away bloodstains.
A few nights ago Hemmes distinctive black Rolls Royce Phantom was pulled over in Redfern and the driver was charged with drug possession. Yesterday a man claimed he had been assaulted by Hemmes at Ivy. Hemmes denies the charge and says CCTV footage backs him up.
Sydney once had the most corrupt police in the Southern hemisphere, routed out at great personal sacrifice by an imported British police commander who, for his efforts and success was forced from the country by a series of cowardly and false attacks from shock jocks and politicians.
It comes as no surprise Justin Hemmes has been spotted in New York City in recent months checking out premises. His talents would be snapped up in the USA. They would roll out the welcome mat.
It would serve the good burghers of Sydney right if they forced the man who has done more to brighten Sydney life to flee abroad to a city that would appreciate his talents.
