Nelson Club
| File:Nelson Club 866.JPG | |
| Formation | 1874 |
|---|---|
| Purpose | Gentlemen's club |
| Location |
|
| Website | The Nelson Club |
The Nelson Club is a gentlemen's club founded in 1874 and situated at 61–65 Selwyn Place, Nelson, New Zealand. The Nelson Club offers a place where gentlemen can relax and enjoy each other’s company, meet new people, and be involved in a number of Club organised activities and endeavours. Club membership is open to gentlemen and is by invitation only (however many functions and social activities are open to Members' guests, including ladies).
History
The Nelson Club was formed in 1874 and in December 1903 it moved into its new premises on leasehold Māori land, built by building firm Leaper Bros at a cost of £1432.[1]
Three years after the Club entered its new building, the Marlborough, Nelson and West Coast Section of the New Zealand Cyclopedia wrote of it:
| “ | The Club House, a handsome two storeyed wooden building was erected in the year 1903 and was opened on 19th December of that year. The ground floor contains the smoking rooms, visitors’ rooms, billiards room fitted with Alcock and Co’s table, dining room, kitchen and lavatory. The second storey includes two card rooms, reading room and a periodical room. The bathrooms and lavatories are situated outside the building. The Club House is well appointed and a popular resort with its members, who number 113. | ” |
The Club’s first bar was built in 1908. Before that, liquor was kept in, and served from, the Steward’s pantry.
The advent of motor cars raised parking problems as early as 1910, not that it was really anything new because in the 90s members were asked “not to put their bicycles in the passageway.” Now, more than 100 years later, lawns and trees have been sacrificed for this purpose and even the dog kennels had to be re-sited.
At the AGM in January 1909, it was decided that it was time that the 119 members had a second billiards table. No action was taken until 1913 when the billiards room was enlarged, and a second billiards table was added. At the same time the lavatory was brought into the building and joined to the city sewer.
In 1920, a £700 contract was signed for the installation of electric light. Prior to that the building was lit by gas. In 1925 a steward’s quarters were added and three years later a third billiards table was added, and the room extended to its present size.
Around 1930 the dining room was extended, and this made it possible to enlarge the lounge. Major internal reconstruction was undertaken in 1950 when the stairway, which originally faced the front door, was re-sited. The bar was then enlarged, as was the lounge. In 1969 it became possible to freehold Māori land and the committee, at a cost of Government Valuation plus 10 percent, freeholded their lease for $13,475. In 1973 they paid off the mortgage against this transaction and left the Club property freehold and debt-free.
More recently, following the Christchurch and Kaikoura earthquakes, the club has removed its brick chimneys for safety reasons. At the same time, bifolding doors were installed that opened the bar lounge to the dining room area to accommodate larger gatherings.
The Club offers car parking, business and function facilities, bar facilities and a snooker room. The Club is also available for Members to use for private events such as weddings, special celebrations, charity fund raisers and conferencing.
The Club has a busy calendar of formal and informal social events and activities for Members throughout the year. These include speaker series events, cocktail receptions, charity fund raising events, golf, mountain biking, wine, beer and whisky appreciation events among others.
The Club is available for Members and their guests as well as members from other reciprocal Clubs.
Club house
The Club premises is a Victorian Gothic purpose-built clubhouse, built in approximately 1903. Situated at 61–65 Selwyn Place, Nelson, within the central business district, close in proximity to many boutique shops and Nelson’s highly regarded cafe and restaurant scene.
Notable members
This is an incomplete list of the notable members of the Club:[2]
- William Acton Blakeway Adams JP
- William Adams
- John Chapman Andrew
- Sir William Appleton KStJ
- Arthur Samuel Atkinson
- Henry Baigent
- John Wallis Barnicoat
- Denis Barrett MBE
- Melvyn Francis Courtney
- Oswald Curtis
- Henry Dodson
- Joseph Reid Dodson JP
- Sir Thomas Hill Easterfield KBE
- Charles Yates Fell
- Thomas Andrew Hemming Field
- Sir Alexander Gillies
- Sir Patrick Ledger Goodman GNZM CBE
- Alfred Augustus Grace
- John Gully
- Charles John Harley
- Joseph Auty Harley OBE
- Adrian Goodenough Hayter MBE MC
- Kerry Leigh Francis Marshall MBE JP
- Roy Alexander McLennan MBE
- Aldo Miccio
- Charles John Monro
- Sir David Monro
- Charles Oliver Mules
- Edgar Rollo Neale OBE JP
- Sir Jack Newman CBE
- Arthur Robert Oliver
- Lieutenant-Colonel Albert Pitt
- James Crowe Richmond
- Major Mathew Richmond CB
- Sir Wallace Edward Rowling KCMG PC
- William Charles Sadlier
- John Sharp
- Joseph Shephard
- William Wallace Snodgrass MBE
- Wallace Frankham "Frank" Snodgrass
- Douglas Gordon Spencer
- Andrew Burn Suter
- Peter Eves Sutton CBE OStJ
- Richard Joshua Thorpe
- John Tinline
References
- ↑ "The Nelson Club".
- ↑ Grabham, Robert Harold Auld (1975). 100Years: The Nelson Club (Inc.) 1874-1974. Nelson: The Nelson Club
Bibliography
- Grabham, Robert Harold Auld (1975). 100Years: The Nelson Club (Inc.) 1874-1974. Nelson: The Nelson Club. Search this book on
- The Nelson Club (1986). Rules of the Nelson Club Incorporated. Nelson: The Nelson Club. Search this book on
External links
- The Nelson Club Official website
- The Nelson Club [1]
- Nelson Club members gagged after 'racism' allegations [2]
- Nelson Club member who made racist comments keeps his membership [3]
- 'Entrenched views' of male-only Nelson Club leads to resignations [4]
This article "Nelson Club" is from Wikipedia. The list of its authors can be seen in its historical and/or the page Edithistory:Nelson Club. Articles copied from Draft Namespace on Wikipedia could be seen on the Draft Namespace of Wikipedia and not main one.
