Turning the page on social club change

A NEW book charting the Ballaarat Club’s one-hundred-and-fifty-year history is now available.

Initially slated for November, the launch event took place on Friday last week at the club’s Dana Street building.

Historian, Phil Roberts, was commissioned last year to bring together the 144-page hardcover, and he said it was rewarding to compile the group’s development.

“There’s always a feeling of achievement, relief and elation to get a book like this completed and to showcase it for everyone,” he said.

“The club’s certainly changed a lot from when it started back in 1872. It was fairly exclusive in the sense that it was quite hard for people to be nominated.

“They were very guarded about their memberships, so you mainly had solicitors, bankers, the local military hierarchy, landowners and doctors.

“During the 1900s it really opened up to a wider series of occupations and then in 1997 women were admitted. It’s really opened up these days to people who want a good social scene.”

More than 80 people attended the launch which included presentations from Roberts alongside club associate Trudie Dickinson and City of Ballarat deputy mayor Cr Amy Johnson.

The event took place upstairs in the recently-repurposed Pryor Room which was decorated with archival memorabilia including original building plans and imported sheet music for the club’s social balls.

Club president Peter Ridsdale was MC for the night and said it was a great opportunity to look back on the club’s legacy.

“The club has provided, chapter by chapter while adapting to social needs, a great social environment,” he said.

“When you think about it historically, if you were invited to the Ballarat Ball back in the day, you’d made it in Ballarat.

“Today of course, it’s an opportunity for guests and members to come into a private bar with like-minded people and various activities.”