The Archives holds a small group of archival material relating to significant Melbourne entrepreneur Jan Hillier, who was recently featured in Rafaella McDonald’s Prahran Mural [dead link] (more information here).

Our archival holdings include scrapbooks, flyers, photographs and documents. Two of Jan’s scrapbooks, documenting the Belle-Boys revue, Jan’s Bar, Pokey’s etc, have been digitised and are available online.

Scrapbook no. 1 (1974–1979) documents Hillier’s various bars, in particular Jan’s Bar at Annabel’s Hotel, later at the Prince of Wales Hotel, and Pokey’s, also at the Prince of Wales Hotel. Other bars featured in the scrapbook include: The Keller Bar in Savoy Plaza; Blades at Annabel’s; the production of Cocktails of ’77 at Cyril’s Theatre Restaurant; Union Hotel; Cassidy’s Nitespot; Chevron Hotel; Bernhardt’s; Piggy’s; The Organizers’ Queen’s Birthday Picnic etc. Individuals featured include: Doug Lucas; Elsa Davis; and Geoffrey Cross. Newspaper clippings feature scene articles and advertisements, largely from Campaign magazine.

Scrapbook no. 2 (1979) largely documents Hillier’s ‘Belle-Boys’ revue, and their performances at the Prince of Wales Hotel Showroom (or Charlie’s Showroom) in St Kilda, the Carlton Theatre Restaurant, and the Stamford Hotel in Rowville. Performers featured include: Michael Michaels, Sasha Morell, Gene Denis, Terri Sinclair, Michelle Tozer, Graham Pengilly, Doug Lucas, and Wanda. Other people featured include: Ian (Molly) Meldrum, John-Michael Howson, Gwenda McBean, John and Beryl Butler, and Ross McVeal. Also featured are a series of telegrams wishing Hillier good luck for the opening of ‘Belle-Boys’, an article on Pokey’s, and an article on Julien Tomay and Les Boys. Newspaper clippings feature scene articles and advertisements, largely from Toorak Times, The Echo and The Sun.