ACT Heritage Library Manuscript Collections
HMSS 0372 CANBERRA CLUB LIMITED RECORDS
Scope and Content Notes
| Call Number | HMSS 0372 |
|---|---|
| Collection | Canberra Club Limited Records |
| Date Range | 1930-2001 |
| Quantity | 3.48m (15 manuscript boxes, 2 oversized boxes) |
| Access Conditions | open |
| Copying Conditions | with attribution |
| Related Collections | HMSS 0172 Claude Ambrose Burns Papers |
The Canberra Club was originally the Canberra Returned Soldiers Club, which was formed on 3 December 1930. Its first item of business was to apply for a liquor licence, newly available following the 1928 referendum which found in favour of allowing the sale of liquor in licensed premises. Although the Club was the first applicant, lack of premises prevented the immediate granting of a licence which was to take effect from 1 January 1931. Ken Oliphant, a prominent local architect, was appointed to design premises, and on 6 February the club opened in a room above Cliff Williams’ bicycle shop in the Melbourne Building, Northbourne Avenue, Civic. It was the second licence holder to begin trading.
The returned soldiers were unable to finance the club on their own, so non-soldiers were invited to join, although the administration remained firmly with the returned soldiers. In January 1933 equal voting rights were granted to non-soldiers but ex-servicemen stayed in control of the policy making committee. Later, a change to the constitution provided for a minimum number of returned soldiers on the committee with the other positions unrestricted.
On 4 February 1938 the club was incorporated as the Canberra Returned Soldiers Club Limited. However, dispute with the Returned Soldiers’, Sailors’ and Airmen’s Imperial League of Australia, or RSS&AILA (later the Returned Services League, or RSL) continued for many years. The argument was over civilian membership, which prevented affiliation with the RSL, and the continuing use of the words ‘Returned Soldiers’ in the name. Several attempts to drop the disputed words were made, but the name was not changed to the Canberra Club Limited until 1 December 1948.
In September 1937 the club was granted land in West Row, Civic and Ken Oliphant was again commissioned to design the building. The Governor-General, Lord Gowrie, opened the building on 7 February 1939. It was extended in 1953-4 and again, after acquiring some adjacent land, in 1960. Harry Seidler designed the 1960 extension which fronted Alinga Street. In 1974 the Club replaced its single storey premises with Canberra House, a multi-storey building and adjacent 12-storey tower block, returning the main entrance to West Row. The Club sold its interest in Canberra House in 2013.
The 1960s saw the establishment of a number of internal clubs, including Racing (Tatts), Cricket, Fishing, Lawn Bowls, Indoor Bowls, Golf and Billiards. After the Club moved into the new premises in 1974, a Wine and Dine Club began.
Women were welcome as guests, on specific days of the week, from the 1960s, but the Club maintained its exclusively male membership until 1990. Moves to admit women began in the 1970s, escalated in the 1980s when many Canberra clubs either admitted women members or closed, until in December 1989 the motion was finally passed by the AGM. The first woman elected to the Board of Directors in 1996, Margaret Jamieson, became the Club’s first woman vice-president in 1999.
The Canberra Club: A Portrait was published in 2000 (ACT Heritage Library H 367.99471 CANB).
A fire in 1958 destroyed many club records and memorabilia. The auction of many more items from the old club building in 1974 further dispersed the Club’s material history. This collection consists of records of the Canberra Club repatriated to the secretary from various holders, notably the family of Claude Burns. The family had previously donated his collection to the ACT Heritage Library, including the Canberra Club Visitors Book 1953-1955m which has been transferred from the Burns papers to the Canberra Club records.
Box List
|
BOX |
DESCRIPTION |
QUANTITY |
DATE RANGE |
|
1-12 |
MINUTES Incomplete |
|
1930 –1937; 1943 – 1958; June 1969 – June 2000 |
|
1 |
Canberra Returned Soldiers Club Minutes of general, annual general and committee meetings. A handwritten summary of the meetings from March to October 1931 is included in the front of the minute book for 1930-1932. Also a pad of notes extracted from minutes 1930-1937 |
4 minute books |
3 December 1930 – 18 August 1937 |
|
2 |
Canberra Returned Soldiers Club Limited (to February 1949) and Canberra Club Limited (March 1949 – November 1958) Minutes of annual general, general, special, board and committee meetings. Includes, loose in the front of the second book, correspondence 1954, newscuttings, brochures, draft constitution and rules |
2 minute books, 2 files |
16 August 1943 – 17 November 1958 |
|
3-12 |
Canberra Club Limited Minutes of annual general, general, special, board and committee meetings · Box 3: 17 June 1969 – 7 May 1975 · Box 4: January 1975 – 28 February 1980 · Box 5: 30 January 1980 – 4 May 1981; 27 January 1982 – 20 September 1983 · Box 6: 25 September 1985 – 28 July 1988 · Box 7: August 1988 – April 1990 · Box 8: 16 May 1990 – 25 September 1992 · Box 9: October 1991 – April 1993 · Box 10: June 1994 – January 1996 · Box 11: January 1996 – August 1998 · Box 12: September 1998 – June 2000 |
3 files, 18 minute books |
17 June 1969 – June 2000 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
12 |
CONSTITUTION and ARTICLES OF ASSOCIATION |
1 folder |
Ca 1931 – 1949, 1974, 1990 |
|
|
Canberra Returned Soldiers Club · Constitution, Rules and Standing Orders, ca 1931 · Constitution as amended, 1935 Canberra Returned Soldiers Club Limited – Memorandum and Articles of Association, 1938 (2 copies) Canberra Club Limited – Memorandum and Articles of Association, ca 1949, 1974, 1990 reprint. There are two versions of the 1974 typescript. One is a consolidated copy annotated clause by clause with the dates of all amendments from December 1948 to February 1973, with a covering letter to Davies, Bailey and Cater, lawyers. The second is further annotated with proposals for change presumably at the next annual general or special general meeting |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
12 |
ANNUAL REPORTS |
1 folder |
1937 – 1976 |
|
|
Canberra Returned Soldiers Club – 7th annual report; includes notices of Annual General Meeting, followed by a Special General Meeting to dissolve the Club, followed by the first Annual General Meeting of the newly incorporated club under the name Canberra Returned Soldiers Club Limited |
|
1937 |
|
|
Canberra Returned Soldiers Club Limited |
|
1938 – 1945 |
|
|
Canberra Club Limited |
|
1949, 1951, 1953, 1958, 1960, 1964 – 2002 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
13-14 |
REDEVELOPMENT Relates to the rebuilding of the club house in 1974, the lease agreements at that time and the subsequent renegotiation of the lease in 1986-1988 |
|
1973 – 1988 |
|
13 |
Canberra Club Feasibility Study. Edwards Madigan Torzillo and Briggs Pty Ltd |
1 book |
Ca 1970 |
|
13 |
Jones Lang Wootton. Canberra Club Redevelopment: · Report and Proposal 1972 · Third Report 1974 · Fourth Report 1974 · Analysis of Determination of Original Total Assessed Income Value from Canberra Arcade and Canberra House for Jugail No. 4 Pty Ltd 1976 |
4 books |
1972 - 1976 |
|
13 |
Planning papers – includes correspondence, minutes of the Redevelopment Subcommittee, financial papers, design ideas and costings |
1 folder, 1 bundle |
1973 – 1974 |
|
13 |
British Land agreement – includes correspondence, draft legal documents relating to the Canberra Club, British Land and Jugail No. 4 Pty Ltd |
1 folder |
1974 |
|
16 over size |
Canberra House. Prospectus by British Land Pty Ltd |
1 booklet |
1974 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
13 |
STAFF AND SERVICES FOLLOWING REDEVELOPMENT · Tenders for bar supply and service · Job applications for positions arising from the redevelopment of the building |
2 folders |
1974 – 1975 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
14 |
RENEGOTIATION OF LEASE |
|
1976 – 2001 |
|
14 |
Postland Pty Ltd (formerly British Land) and Canberra Club renegotiation of lease – includes copies of documents from 1975 agreement, reports from the Club to Postland under the original lease agreement, correspondence, financial papers, draft legal documents |
1 folder |
1976 – 1988 |
|
14 |
Canberra Club Limited: Crown Lease, Sub-lease, Under-lease; duplicates the early documents in the October Nominees minute book |
1 book |
1989 |
|
14 |
October Nominees: documents relating to the sub-lease to Postland Pty Ltd, and minutes of meetings with October Nominees |
1 minute book |
1989 – 2001 |
|
14 |
Companies Office returns and related papers |
1 folder |
1988 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
14, 16 |
CANBERRA CLUB CRICKET CLUB This is believed to be the oldest of the internal clubs. An album and a collection of oversize photographs are in Box 16 |
|
1960s |
|
14 |
Minutes of annual general and general meetings, and match committee meetings, including season draws and some correspondence |
1 minute book |
10 July 1963 – 5 August 1965 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
14 |
CANBERRA CLUB SKI CLUB Proposals to acquire a ski lodge / holiday lodge at Jindabyne – includes evaluations of properties, Down the Slopes April 1980 (newsletter of the Ski Club), correspondence, minutes, discussion papers |
1 folder |
1980 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
14 |
CANBERRA CLUB PUBLICATIONS · Canberra Club Journal volume 2 number 2, May 1958; 1965 · Members’ guide, 1967 · Canberra Club Newsletter, undated but probably 1971 and 1976 |
1 folder |
1958 – 1976 |
|
14 |
Manuscript notes relating to the Club’s history |
1 sleeve |
Ca 1978 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
14, 16 |
MEMBERSHIP |
|
1977 – 1993 |
|
14 |
Lists of special memberships, including absent, affiliate, honorary |
1 book |
1977 – 1993 |
|
16 over size |
Membership certificate |
1 folder |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
15 |
VISITORS BOOK |
1 book |
12 March 1953 – 7 March 1955 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
15 |
MEMORABILIA Social event programs and menus, leaflet on the significance of the Canberra arms and floral emblem |
1 sleeve |
1 November 1967 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
15 |
ANNIVERSARY DINNER Correspondence, planning papers, menu |
1 folder |
1981 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
15, 16 |
PHOTOGRAPHS |
|
1931 – 1980s |
|
15, 16 |
Loose photographs: these are black and white except for a story sequence of colour photographs of the last session in the old club house in 1974. Very few are identified although some have been reproduced and people identified in the club’s history and in the Cricket Club album. · Sports – cricket and bowls are well represented, with a few each of fishing, golf, baseball, billiards or snooker, dominoes and darts, and a variety of presentation nights · Club building and administration – buildings and fittings, official openings, committee members · Social events – generally Ladies’ Nights, Christmas dinners, fancy dress events, some professional theatrical evenings, and one debutante ball at the Albert Hall |
3 files, 1 album |
1939 – 1980s |
|
16 over size |
Album of 6 B&W photographs of a cricket match, undated but participants are identified; loose items include 2 photographs (described below), some correspondence, 1954, and a Club brochure ca 1981 |
1 album |
1950s |
|
16 over size |
· Composite photograph of Canberra Returned Soldiers Club foundation committee, by A. Collingridge: J.H. Honeysett, A. J. Gaskin, J. Brack, A. E. D’Arcy, P. F. Douglas, L. Lyng, R. A. Long, C. J. Graham, P. F. Dolan, C. E. Percival · Portrait of two men, probably committee members, in an office, possibly 1950s · aerial photograph of the Canberra Club undated but possibly ca 1950 |
2 sleeves |
1931, 1950s |
|
16 over size |
Group photograph by A. Collingridge, possibly a committee |
In tissue |
1930s |
|
16 over size |
Album pages of photographs taken at social and sporting events, undated |
1 album |
1960s |
|
|
|
|
|
|
17 over size |
Photographic record of construction of Canberra House |
1 album |
July 1973 – June 1975 |