Cast your mind back to 1947. Ben Chifley is prime minister of a country still reeling from the second world war; in Europe, a young Princess Elizabeth announces her engagement to Lieutenant Philip Mountbatten, and Christian Dior launches the New Look in Paris. In Sydney, the chances of finding a decent place to have dinner are slim.
So it was that a small group of Sydney’s cosmopolitan elite banded together to form The American Club.
They bought a lease on a building at 131 Macquarie Street, and set about creating a place where people of good taste from around the world could meet for business and pleasure, in a relaxed but exclusive environment, and enjoy good food and drink.
By the early 60's, The American Club owned three terrace houses, which were exchanged for the upper three levels of a new 16 storey development. It was at this time that The American Club secured what is arguably one of the finest views of any Club in Australia.
The club has continued to act as an informal sphere of influence between the two nations. Since its earliest days it has partnered with the American Consulate, the American Society, the Australian-American Association and the American Chamber of Commerce in Australia, to host important speakers, distinguished visitors, and to commemorate the anniversary of the Battle of the Coral Sea during the annual Australian-American week.