High-profile barrister and Greens candidate Julian Burnside has been forced to terminate his 40-year membership of an exclusive men's club under the pressure of an imminent election.

On Friday Mr Burnside revealed during a Sky News interview that he belonged to the Savage Club, an invitation-only gentlemen's club in Melbourne where "literary men" can bond over fine wines and a shared penchant for "the bohemian spirit".

Julian Burnside said establishments such as the Savage Club were now a "relic of the past". Credit:Jason South

By Saturday, following an online backlash, the refugee advocate and now Greens candidate for Kooyong promised to resign the membership, arguing same-sex only clubs were "an anachronism" and "should be made a thing of the past".

"I joined the Savage Club 40 years ago as a very different person to the one I am today," Mr Burnside said in a statement.