The Geelong Club to open for first-ever tours

ONE of Geelong’s most exclusive institutions will open to tours for the first and very limited time only as part of this year’s Geelong Seniors Festival.

The Geelong Club was formed in 1959 by a group of Western District squatters and their Geelong-based professional associates, and has been operating out of its existing premises in Brougham Street since 1888.

Describing itself as the “leading social club for Geelong and District”, the Geelong Club’s membership has included three Victorian premiers (Sir Charles Sladen, Graham Berry and Sir Henry Bolte), one Governor General (Sir Richard Casey), 13 Knights of the Realm, several Order of Australia recipients, a Victoria Cross winner, several members of Parliament and cabinet ministers, and many municipal councillors and mayors.

The club’s website states it was founded as “a men-only, exclusive social group, which took its ease over fine dining, billiards, cards, cigars and conversation” but “wealth was not ever and has never been a criterion for admission”.

Membership of the Geelong Club is by nomination and must be approved by the committee, and requires “entering into the spirit of the club, upholding its values and traditions and being comfortable in being there”.

The first moves towards female participation were made in the 1950s by grazier members who wished to bring their wives to the club on their visits to Geelong, but it took until 1989 until women could become associate members, and until 1993 until women could join as full members.Since then, the club has elected two female presidents.

The 16 tours will be led by historian Colin Mockett and will be limited to a group size of no more than 25.

Tours will begin in The Geelong Club’s reading room, where Mr Mockett will explain the history of both the club and the building.

He will then lead the group via the grand staircase to the former smoking and card rooms, then down again through the bar area, to the garden, the billiards room and finishing in the dining room, where complimentary coffee and biscuits will be available in the morning, and tea and slice in the afternoon.

Both tours will be accompanied by background music from the grand piano.

The guided tours of The Geelong Club will be held twice daily at 10.30am and 2pm on

Tuesdays and Wednesdays throughout October.

Tickets are $17 and can be booked online at trybooking.com/CCFFC