The Geelong Club

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The Geelong Club is a private social club originally established in 1859 originally as the Western Club, since most of its members were from outside Geelong in the Western District. After a period of inactivity the club reformed in 1874, and then again in 1881, when a group of gentlemen committed to an ongoing organisation. The present organisation dates is foundation from this year. [1] The club is a symbol of Australia's British heritage and Western District pastoralists.

Contents

Foundation and history

The Club was formed by a group of Geelong wool merchants and Western District pastoralists with a foundation membership of about 70. It initially met in local hotel rooms, and in May 1860 a two-storey building at 58 Yarra Street was rented. financial difficulties and low membership caused the club to move its meetings to Mack’s Hotel in Brougham Street, in April 1864, selling its furniture, fittings, bedding, cutlery, etc. in the process. Activities petered out in the 1860s, but the Club revived in 1874, moving to Fassert’s Patisserie at 109 Ryrie Street but disbanded a year later when Fassert’s café closed due to financial difficulties. Graham Berry MLA, was inaugural President of this second Geelong Club. [1]

Western District (Victoria) Region in Victoria, Australia

The Western District comprises western regions of the Australian state of Victoria. It is said to be an ill–defined district, sometimes incorrectly referred to as an economic region,. The district is located within parts of the Barwon South West and the Grampians regions; extending from the south-west corner of the state to Ballarat in the east and as far north as Ararat. The district is bounded by the Wimmera district in the north, by the Goldfields district in the east, by Bass Strait and the Southern Ocean in the south, and by the South Australian border in the west. The district is well known for the production of wool. The most populated city in the Western District is the Ballarat region, with 96,940 inhabitants.

Graham Berry Australian politician

Sir Graham Berry,, Australian colonial politician, was the 11th Premier of Victoria. He was one of the most radical and colourful figures in the politics of colonial Victoria, and made the most determined efforts to break the power of the Victorian Legislative Council, the stronghold of the landowning class.

Re-establishment

On 3 August 1881 a public meeting was called to re-establish the Geelong Club. Woolbroker, Edward Lascelles was prominent in this and is now considered the founder of the Club. Prominent politician and grazier William Robertson was inaugural Club President. The Club purchased Mack’s Hotel, occupying half of the building for its rooms comprising dining room, bar, billiard room, card room, smoking room, reading room, and accommodation. as well as a second new billiard room at the rear. The other half of the building remained a working hotel. [1]

William Robertson was a barrister and politician in colonial Victoria.

In 1888-1889 the Club erected its present building at 74 Brougham Street, Geelong, Victoria, to provide improved facilities including a foyer, reading, dining, billiard, smoking and sleeping rooms committee room and steward’s bedroom. [2] It was first occupied on 19 October 1889. [1]

The building was in a Classical Boom period style sometimes referred to as "Transitional Queen Anne". It was built by local contractor, J. C. Taylor to designs by noted Ballarat and Melbourne architect, Charles Douglas Figgis. [1] It is a two storey brick structure on an asymmetrical plan with a highly decorative facade featuring a monumental verandah and broken pediment gable. It is included on the Victorian Heritage Register. [3] A small set of iron gates were installed at the top of the front steps in 1895 to keep out the wandering dogs, which were a local nuisance at the time. [1]

Charles Douglas Figgis

Charles Douglas Figgis (1849–1895) was an architect active in Melbourne and Ballarat in the late nineteenth century who was a partner in the firm Caselli and Figgis. He was a Fellow of the Royal Victorian Institute of Architects.

Victorian Heritage Register heritage register of Victoria, Australia

The Victorian Heritage Register (VHR) lists places deemed to be of cultural heritage significance to the State of Victoria, Australia. It has statutory weight under the Heritage Act 1995 which established Heritage Victoria as the State Government listing and permit authority. Listing on the Victorian Heritage Register is separate from listing by a local Council or Shire, known as a Heritage Overlay. Heritage Victoria is currently part of the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning of the Government of Victoria, Australia. Heritage Victoria reports to the Heritage Council who approve recommendations to the Register and hear appeals when a registration is disputed. The Council also hears appeals by an owner to a permit issued by Heritage Victoria. The Minister for Planning is the responsible Minister for Heritage Victoria and the Heritage Act 1995. As of 2013, there were over 2,200 places and objects listed on the VHR.

Notable members

Membership has included many prominent Victorian citizens, in particular some key figures of the nineteenth century Geelong and Western District wool industry including merchant, woolbroker and politician, James Ford Strachan, three-time Victoria premier Graham Berry, woolbrokers C J Dennys, EH Lascelles, and A C Ibbotsen, pastoralists AA Austin of Barwon Park, FF Armytage, Robert and Andrew Chirnside of Werribee Park, and Sir WJ Clarke of Rupertswood, Francis Ormond, principal of The Geelong College George Morrison, TP Manifold of Purrumbeete, and WR Wilson of St Albans. [4] Sir Charles Sladen, Victorian Premier Sir Henry Bolte, and Australian Governor-General Lord Casey were all members in the 20th century. [1]

Werribee Park is the estate of a historical building in Werribee, Victoria, Australia.

Sir William Clarke, 1st Baronet Australian politician

Sir William John Clarke, 1st Baronet, was an Australian businessman and philanthropist in the Colony of Victoria. He was raised to the baronetage in 1882, the first Victorian to be granted a hereditary honour.

Rupertswood historic mansion in Victoria, Australia

Rupertswood is a mansion and country estate located in Sunbury on the outskirts of Melbourne in Victoria, Australia. It is well known as the birthplace of The Ashes urn which was humorously presented to English cricket captain Ivo Bligh to mark his team's victory in an 1882-83 Test match series between Australia and England. Rupertswood is one of the largest houses constructed in Victoria and, although now subdivided, has significant farm land. The estate also had its own private railway station, and artillery battery. It is listed on the Victorian Heritage Register.

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References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 'The Geelong Club: A brief history of its early days' By Norman Houghton, LaTrobeana Journal of the C. J. La Trobe Society Inc. Vol 12, No 1, March 2013 ISSN   1447-4026
  2. The Geelong Club homepage 'about'
  3. "The Geelong Club (H1133)". Victorian Heritage Register . Heritage Victoria . Retrieved 8 July 2014.
  4. On My doorstep The Geelong Club, Heritage Listed Location

Coordinates: 38°08′45″S144°21′50″E / 38.14596°S 144.36389°E / -38.14596; 144.36389