In 1871, the premises were licensed to David and Jane McCormick. Business thrived because of the close proximity to the Richmond railway station. In 1881 it was renovated by William Malone, who improved both the accommodation and the liquor quality. Malone was the licensee until 1895. Between 1895 and 1929 the hotel changed hands seven times. From 1929 to 1935 it was operated by Nelly O'Connor and her husband. The pub is thought to have begun presenting live music during the 1940s jazz era. During the 1950s it was owned by the Melbourne Cooperative Brewing Company, an offshoot of Carlton and United Breweries. They rebuilt the hotel in 1954, obtaining permits to serve alcohol during the reconstruction. This was the peak time of an Australian custom known as the six o'clock swill, where venues were required to stop serving alcohol at 6 p.m. This law was a relic of World War I and operated from 1915 until its abolition in the mid-1960s. It meant that workers would rush to pubs after finishing work and consume as much alcohol as possible before the bar closed. In 1966 the pub was demolished and rebuilt in a slightly shifted location, to make space for the widening of the railway lines.
1984-1995
Brian Hartung from Carlton United Breweries approached Wayne Gale in 1984 and asked if he could start music at The Corner Hotel. At that time Gale was running venues at The John Barleycorn Hotel in Collingwood, The Tiger Lounge and The Prospect Hill Hotel in Kew. The first bands to play the venue were The Adventure and Big Music Works on Friday 28 February 1983 with Big Pig following on the Saturday night. At first live music was played only on Friday and Saturday nights. During the period that Wayne Gale was the owner, the cream of Australia's music industry played there and at one point he achieved 15 full houses in 16 days. This was an outstanding achievement considering the strength and fierce competition in the Melbourne music industry at the time. Bands such as, Spy vs Spy and Baby Animals all used the venue to build their profile in Melbourne. Both Mick Jagger and David Gilmour performed separate, unannounced, shows during 1988. Other bands such as The Saints, The Stems and Ups & Downs also played the venue during this time.
1996-present
Owners Tim Northeast & Mathew Everett took the reins of the Corner in the mid 1990s. The Corner has also played host to a number of significant moments in music history. The White Stripes created the riff to Seven Nation Army during their soundcheck in 2003. In 2006 U2 filmed a video for their single Window in the Skies in the band room and rooftop garden of the hotel. Crowded House chose the venue for their final Melbourne show in 1996, though they later reformed. The Living End used footage from their 1997 Corner show for the film clip to Second Solution. The venue was one of the first in 2005 to make all shows smoke-free and has also been stamping out sexual assault and harassment, and unspecified environmental initiatives. The Corner Hotel launched the Corner Award in 2016, an annual award for local artists. Previous recipients of the Award include Sampa The Great, Cable Ties and Baker Boy. The Corner has received a number of accolades over the years including Music Victoria Best Venue 2013-2018,NLMAs Victoria Venue of the Year 2016, and AHA National Awards for Excellence - Best Entertainment Venue 2019, AHA VIC State Awards for Excellence - Best Live Entertainment Venue 2017 & 2018. It has also held its place as the top Australian venue in the Pollstar Top 100 Global Club Venues since 2013, the highest placement being #13. Artists that have played the Corner include:
