Next Year our club attains 50 years of age. In the lead up to the celebrations, each club newsletter will include an article on the history of the club and these articles will also be posted on this page. Any members or friends who have information or memorabilia of interest, are urged to contact Kerry Scarlett.

Go to PART 2
PART 1:

In the 1950’s and early 1960’s, this area was largely farmland, predominantly market gardeners, a few small businesses and a sprinkling of private residences. The local watering hole, the Wheelers Hill Hotel, was where the hard working locals rewarded themselves with a cold drink at the end of a long hard day. The publican of the Wheelers, Mr George Dixon, was liberal in his interpretation of the rules regarding 6 o’clock closing until a new licensing inspector caused a change of attitude.

Being unable to acquire drinks after 6 o’clock was considered to be most unsatisfactory and it was suggested that the group establish a club and thus more liberal drinking arrangements. A meeting, attended by 18 hardworking and thirsty gentlemen, was held on the 14th December 1960 where Les Allen was appointed Acting President and John Boucher appointed Acting Secretary/Treasurer.

The meeting proposed the formation of a non-profit club for social and recreation entertainment and the purchase of approximately 5 acres of land, on which a clubhouse and ‘say’ bowling greens, tennis courts etc. could be erected. Finance would come from subscriptions and debentures. The club was to be called the Mulgrave Country Club, an unincorporated body, with a view to arranging for a non-profit company with limited liability, to take over the affairs of the unincorporated body in due course.

During the following three months, meetings were held and it was agreed that an entrance fee of 10/- per member would be levied. A land committee was formed to explore the avenues of obtaining a suitable site for the club establishment. A large number of sites were examined, including the land in Jells Road near Columbia Park where remnants of the original house can still be seen. The choice was narrowed down to two properties and these were to be submitted to the members for a decision. A rules committee was also formed and with legal assistance, a memo and articles of the proposed company was drawn up to be submitted for adoption.

It should be noted that a number of the original 18 members wanted the club to be a “men’s only” club (Names available but not included here!). A finance committee authorized the secretary to submit budget and cash flow particulars, regarding property purchase, building costs, members contributions etc. to a meeting to be held in April 1961.

On the 6th April 1961, a letter was circulated inviting members and prospective members to a meeting to be held in Dunscombe Hall, Glen Waverley on Tuesday 18th April 1961. Matters to be considered included purchase of property, club rules (memo and articles/by laws), members contributions, clubhouse building, facilities, finance etc. The letter of invitation included a paragraph which reflects the foresight of our founders and we think it’s worthy of being reproduced in full here:-

“After all, there is no reason why our proposed Club cannot enjoy the financial success other similar clubs do. At this early stage we have amongst our members capably, solid citizens of the community in rural and other pursuits and on the administration side we have members from the legal fraternity, an architect, a public accountant, men in high executive positions, a banker and those versed in Municipal affairs, to single out but a few, and in years to come we feel our decision to proceed on the broad lines of the foregoing, will earn we foundation members gratitude of those following in our footsteps in years to come.” At the meeting on the 18th April 1961, decisions were made which formed the basis of the club we have today.

PART 2:

The Meeting was duly held on 18th April 1961 and the following matters were resolved:

1. The Memorandum & Articles or rules were adopted and a Company was to be Incorporated to take over the temporary body established in December 1960.
   The subscribers to the New Club documents were fifty four (54) innumber and their names are listed on the wall adjacent to the bistro.
2. The first Club President was Mr. Les Allen.
3. Club finance was to be provided by way of Member Subscriptions and compulsory debentures of £50 each, additional finance would come from voluntary debentures as well as Annual subscriptions paid in advance.
   It was hoped no monies would need to be borrowed from banks or other institutions.
   Interest was payable on the Debentures and these would all be redeemed in due course.
4. The property to be purchased was our current site and the vendor, Mr Doug Belcher agreed to sell it to the Club for £10,000. The terms were 10% deposit and the balance in 5yrs (interest @ 6½% p.a.).

Such generous terms would enable the building of the clubhouse a soon as permits were issued. Les Allen said of the property: “The land was a bit flat for vegetables but the largest trees were apple box, a sign of good soil”. Thus the Club, as an entity, was off and running. We had Members, Money, Property and Club Rules (same as today).

Mr Morduant Mitchell, a local home builder and member was appointed to build the Clubhouse and would be assisted, where appropriate, by voluntary labour from various members & donations of materials (Percy Childs supplied the steel).
Mr Jim Gardner was appointed to lead a group of members to attend to clearing and fencing of the property in preparation for the new Clubhouse.

As previously stated, one of the main reasons for establishing the club was for the members to avail themselves of more liberal drinking hours. With this in mind the liquor control commission was approached to establish what needed to be done to obtain a liquor licence. We are told by a couple of foundation members that the discussion went something like this:
“We’ve formed a club and are going to build a clubhouse and we would like to be granted a liquor licence”.
“Why do you want a liquor licence?”
“Because we’d like to have a drink after normal trading hours”.
“You can’t be granted a licence just because you like a drink. You need to be a sporting body or the like. What do you members do for a living?”.
“Many of them are farmers or market gardeners”
“Well, they should be able to grow grass then. Put in a bowling green and then make your submission as a sporting club!”

A preliminary sketch was prepared showing the proposed clubhouse with two tennis courts and a putting green in front on the clubhouse (on the Wellington Road side) and a bowling green on the north side of the clubhouse. This sketch was not proceeded with, but, permits having been issued, work commenced on the clubhouse and sports facilities would be established by members’ voluntary labour and, where possible, donated materials.

Working bees were well attended, trees were gel ignited (one large limb nearly destroyed a member’s Humber Super Snipe), fencing erected and Jim Gardner supervised the levelling and drainage for the new bowling green (all by hand). The removal of trees and undergrowth disturbed a family of foxes (not the ones currently in Saturn Court) and the non-farmers proposed the implementation of a relocation programme (must have been a politician amongst them). The farmers had a more immediate and permanent solution and all the non-farmers had to do was dig a deep hole.

We are told twenty to thirty men attended each working bee and free beer and sandwiches was provided for the workers in Doug Belcher’s shed behind his house (which became Perc Burdeau’s property and then the club’s property) after the day’s work was completed.

Apparently a few members suggested that the club was becoming short of funds because of the “free grog” and interest on debentures could be affected. “Free grog” and working bees attracted three or four members and progress almost came to a standstill. BYO drinks and sandwiches prepared by the ladies revived the social aspect of the working bees and the enthusiasm returned when the workers could see the significant progress being made.

As with all projects, there was the occasional hiccup. For example, we are told that one of the members “borrowed” a large impact roller (used in road making) to level the site for the bowling green. Jim Gardner had men working in front on the roller shifting soil and the result was a level area so compacted that water couldn’t penetrate it and grass wouldn’t grown on it. Of course the site was simply “dug up and redone”.

And so the clubhouse was constructed, fences erected, bowling green established and landscaping commenced.
Let the games begin! To be continued….

To be continued ... PETER MANNIX, Director