The Continental Cafe was a cornerstone of Melbourne's live music scene between 1993 and 2001.

Nestled in a boutique strip of Prahran, its unique blend of elegance and purpose-designed functionality raised the bar for the city's venues, creating a space of rare artistic ambience to host a stunning array of local and global talent.

Archive photography by Rennie and Josh Ellis

The State Library have archived the entire 900-strong collection of Continental posters! Click here to see the collection

From blues master Taj Mahal to new wave touchstone Jonathan Richman...

...Melbourne jazzer Vince Jones to master songsmith Jimmy Webb, the Conti would become a world class gig. Its dining area, tiered floor, flawless sightlines and impeccable production standards set a classic atmosphere that ensured hushed communion from curtained stage to screened back bar.

As manager of Melbourne jazz/funk band the Bachelors From Prague, Mario Maccarone had spent years noting the shortcomings of Australian music venues.

Soon after the runaway success of Marios Cafe, he and Mario De Pasquale began to envisage a café/bar/concert room that would treat artists and discerning music fans with equal respect, enhanced by their trademark flair for food, wine and hospitality.

In 1991, the double-storey venue began to take shape under a specialised team that would retain complete in-house control.

Kitchen and wait staff seconded from Marios, a computer graphic artist for branded posters and advertising, dedicated publicist and booking agent and lighting consultancy from legendary international stage veteran, Chip Monck.

Drawing on the expertise and reputation of Marios, the shopfront cafe was an instant success...

...and soon became an award-winning addition to Melbourne's restaurant scene. Evolving art exhibitions and a vibrant cocktail bar at the foot of the stairs set a style that suited an artistically inclined clientele.

In June '93, the upstairs concert venue opened with a sold-out six-night residency by local jazz-pop sensation, Kate Ceberano.

The back bar offered a second, more specialised gallery space and the Continental band room quickly established itself as a hub of Melbourne's music and art community.

From generous backstage facilities to the rare floated stage...

...to an intimate floor plan with soft furnishings by Noel Crombie (Split Enz) and Sally Mill, the Conti was a venue where musicians loved to play and no fan had to miss a beat, whether dining in style or on a standing-room ticket.

Harry Connick Jr. Melissa Etheridge. World Party. Henry Rollins. The Go-Betweens. Jimmy Smith. Dan Penn & Spooner Oldham. Rolf Harris. Fairport Convention. Cat Power. Lydia Lunch. Julian Lennon.

While maintaining a reputation as an acoustically excellent space for the musician's musician, the Conti's musical parameters were as broad as its audience.

In early 2001, an impasse with the building's owners made the negotiation of an ongoing lease impossible.

At the final gig in May, more than 60 performers took the stage to farewell a venue which is fondly remembered and unequalled in Melbourne to this day.

The legacy of the Conti is evident not just in the elevated standards of the venues that survived it...

...but in a long catalogue of live recordings by Chris Wilson, Bert Jansch, the Blackeyed Susans, Hunters & Collectors, Kieran Kane & Kevin Welch, Paul Kelly, Colin Hay and many more, each stamped with the distinction "Recorded Live at the Continental".

The State Library have archived the entire 900-strong collection of Continental posters! Click here to see the collection