Little wonder it’s been here at Handsome Steve’s House of Refreshment that legions of long-suffering Geelong supporters have gathered for weekly solace for the past 12 months, awaiting the rolling back of the stone in 2009. Last September Geelong lost and so did Gary Ablett Jnr.
But now the headline has changed. “At Last Ablett Wins Medal” says the newspaper banner outside the local milk bar. Gary Junior has finally won his Brownlow. (''It'll be fantastic to be able to go home and tell Dad I've done something he hasn't done'', is the quotable quote. ) And Geelong are in the AFL Grand Final…. again.
A kiosk with a twist, Handsome Steve’s House of Refreshment perches unobtrusively within the grounds of The Convent in Abbotsford. No signs, just a very unassuming entrance hall and an old, wide, wooden staircase. Hard to find, unless you know what you’re looking for. But, once you’re there, you’ll love it.
Combining the great loves of his life, the Geelong Football Club, pop culture and art into what he call his “retirement”, “Handsome” Steve Miller(a guitar player in his own right, but no relation to his namesake, the more famous American one) has created something very special.
Tucked deep within the bowels of the 100-year-old building, situated near the banks of the famous Yarra, old-fashionedness reigns supreme. “You won't find eggs, 'cooked to your liking', skinny lattes, wraps, low fat muffins or light beer,” boasts mine host, on his website. “It's S for Salt, F for Fat, S for Sugar, C for Caffeine and A for Alcohol.”
Some tables and chairs, high stools and a free-standing, T-shaped bar at which to sit. An autographed photograph of former Prime Minister, Paul Keating, an unsigned one of Sir Les Patterson, Elvis and Muhammad Ali (boxing under water) all hang on the walls inside the small, atmospheric first-floor room with a view. Of course, there’s also the sun-deck outside.
In the 1980s, Steve was a member of cult Melbourne band, the Moodists, along with Dave Graney and Claire Moore. They went to London for a while, hung out in Brixton and Vauxhall and..(well too many to mention), recorded the album “Thirsty’s Calling”, the one with the black and white cover, and returned to Australia about as famous as when they left. A poster image of the cover now sits high above Steve and his reproduction 1961 Faema coffee machine. The Go-Betweens and the Triffids also have their place.
Originally, The Convent belonged to the nuns of the Order of Good Shepherd, providing shelter and spiritual support for vulnerable girls and women. Over the past decade the building and grounds have been turned into a lively arts, cultural and educational precinct.
“I am sure the vulnerable girls and women would have preferred art, culture and education to the grinding routine of the Laundry”, says Steve. And it’s his oddball collection of visual art, sculpture, painting, drawing, all related in subject matter to the football club for which he has barracked since childhood, which makes The House of Refreshment truly special. Wall space is running out.
A copper bust of Gary Ablett (God) by Stuart James sits in pride of place on the bar where 2008 just doesn’t exist. Glen Morgan’s quirky portrait of the 2007 Premiership Team hangs on the feature wall (photograph courtesy the artist and Ray Hughes Gallery, Sydney), a newspaper banner announcing Jimmy Bartel’s 2007 Brownlow is pinned close by. Opposite are Sunday newspaper banners heralding Geelong’s record-breaking Premiership win. “I got a DVD copy of the ’07 win on the Wednesday after the game, and played it all day every day right through til Christmas”, says Steve with pride.
“Footy fever, can’t eat, cant sleep”, he says following Gary Jnr.’s win. Steve already has the Herald-Sun banner of Gary’s win ready for the wall. Last week he added a Geelong Cats mirror to the collection, and a few weeks ago a donated Steve Hocking Memorial Sherrin plus a small painted replica of the MCG Scoreboard from Grand Final Day 1963. The Cats beat Hawthorn that year, remember. On Grand Final Day this year, Steve will be in the House, TV on. Promises to be great. That's Steve and me gettin ready.
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