The Pillars marks first year with 300-member growth

The Pillars has passed its first year of operations in Sydney, with more than 300 people joining in its first eight months.

Located in a heritage-listed building at 11 Barrack Street in the city centre, the private members' club says member introductions have led to investment discussions, partnerships, new clients and new ventures. It has also built a growing waitlist, with referrals driving much of its membership growth across Sydney's business, investment and creative circles.

The club launched as a private members' venue for founders, investors, operators, creatives and executives. Over its first year, it expanded programming across business, culture, wellness and sport, while adding a private dining room, an aperitivo bar and reconfigured workspaces.

Repeated interaction between members has become a central part of how the club is used. Lunches, events and day-to-day use of shared spaces have helped turn introductions into commercial conversations.

"We are seeing founders meet investors, partnerships form and commercial relationships develop naturally through the club," said Steve Grace, Co-founder of The Pillars.

Grace said the model depends on trust built over time rather than one-off networking.

"When people spend time together consistently in the right environment, trust develops more quickly and conversations become more meaningful.

"One of the most rewarding parts of the first year has been seeing members create opportunities for each other without that being forced or transactional.

"There is a strong sense of momentum building inside the community," he said.

Co-founder Jonathan Lui said the breadth of the membership base has shaped the club's activity. Members come from different industries and stages of business, creating links that would not usually emerge in standard networking formats.

"The membership brings together founders, operators, investors, creatives and executives across very different industries and stages of business," Lui said.

"That mix creates opportunities for conversations and relationships that would not normally happen in a traditional networking environment.

"The space and programming have evolved around how members actually use the club, whether that is smaller dinners, wellness sessions, private meetings or larger member events.

"A lot of the value comes from repeated interaction and the relationships that develop over time."

Club expansion

The Pillars occupies four levels of an 1849 Victorian Classical building. Its spaces include The Library, The Parlour, The Great Room, work areas, and a wellness floor with sauna and recovery facilities, yoga rooms and private member areas.

In early 2026, the club appointed Kieron Hunt as general manager. Hunt has worked with hotel groups and properties including The Peninsula Hotels, The Murray Hong Kong, Shangri-La Group, InterContinental Hotels Group, Hilton, Ovolo Hotels and assets in the Walker Group portfolio.

His appointment comes as The Pillars places more emphasis on member experience and hospitality operations. The club also hired Chris Lees as executive chef. Lees previously worked at Printhie Dining at Printhie Wines, where the venue earned a Chef Hat in the Good Food Guide.

Hunt said the club's identity depends on more than hospitality service alone.

"Private members' clubs are defined not simply by service, but by community, culture and trust," Hunt said.

"My focus is to deepen that experience, ensuring every interaction reflects the care and discretion of the world's leading private institutions."

On food, Hunt said dining plays an important social role inside the venue.

"Dining is one of the most powerful ways we bring members together," he said.

"Chris' produce-driven philosophy perfectly reflects the environment we are creating."

Member activity

During its first year, the club ran speaker sessions featuring Michael Cheika, Mark Philippoussis and Dane Rampe. It also held cultural and wellness activities ranging from discussions on innovation, science and national security to Pilates, yoga, breathwork and recovery sessions.

Commercial tie-ups also formed part of the first year. The Pillars cited partnerships with brands including Hublot, Bollinger, Moët Hennessy, Diageo, Penfolds and IWC Schaffhausen, while dining has been supported through a partnership with Eleven Barrack from The Bentley Group.

Member experiences have included visits to Victoria Barracks' historic wine cellar, Australian Open-related access, Harbour Bridge Pylon events, Formula One and The Everest. These activities sit alongside smaller dinners, private meetings and informal use of the premises during the working day.

The combination of curated membership, central location and hospitality-led programming reflects a broader market for private clubs that blend workplace, social venue and dealmaking network. In Sydney, where access and introductions remain important in business circles, The Pillars is positioning itself as a place where those introductions can develop into business relationships.

Recent changes to the site, including the conversion of the original wine room into a private dining room and upgrades to workspace areas, were based on how members were already using the building.