THE CLUB...

“Don't brood on what's past, but never forget it either.” - Thomas H. Raddall

This day was no less busy than yesterday, but a pleasant interlude was lunch in one of Melbourne’s oldest and greatest institutions, the Athenaeum Club. The “club” is an essentially English institution, based on an exclusive and rather protective coterie, whose membership was originally reserved for gentlemen. Clubs were created with ideas of common law, private property, independence of the subject and the social position of gentlemen, in mind. Being a social club and its values decidedly conservative, these institutes cultivate among its members a mutual understanding of what it means to be a gentleman - code of honour, dress, conduct, speech and good taste. In order to preserve the exclusive nature of the club, membership admission is contingent on an invitation from an already established member.

The first gentlemen’s clubs were established in the 18th century London, where friends gathered to read newspapers, gossip, discuss politics and play board games. Amidst rich comfort, these clubs offered their members an intimate venue where friendships could be formed and maintained in comfortable café like surroundings. From officers to politicians to merchants, the next generation of clubs attracted members from a wide spectrum of social standing. This progress reflected a broader social change; a widening of the middle classes in England. In Australia, clubs were established in all states, with Sydney (1838) and Melbourne (1839) leading the way.

Clubs are still alive and well in Britain and its once upon a time colonies and remain to this day a stalwart tradition, a conservative and rather nostalgic dinosaurian preserved under glass, but nevertheless an oasis of quietude and stability to all generations; almost like a second home to their members.

The Athenaeum Club of Collins Street was established in 1868, and remains one of Australia’s oldest and finest clubs. The Club is housed in a magnificent Victorian building, beautifully renovated and decorated, a perfect showpiece for its heritage and traditions. There are reading rooms, games rooms with billiards and snooker, a gym and luxurious accommodation. One of the worthiest offerings of the establishment is the feature of several distinctive bars and restaurants where one may enjoy a leisurely drink or fine food. The Club has a diverse programme of social, sporting and cultural functions for the entertainment and edification of its Members. The Athenaeum’s location, service, facilities and first-class dining support its well-deserved international reputation.

We entered the club (and of course there is a strict dress code with gentlemen needing to be attired in jackets and ties) and we were directed upstairs by the reception staff. The surroundings were elegant and restrained, the paintings beautifully displayed, the furniture and decoration opulent yet tasteful. Open fireplaces with cheery fires burning were most welcoming on this Melbourne winter’s day. We had a drink at the bar and then went down to lunch.

The dining room was resplendent in it s elegant simplicity and the staff courteous and discreet. We were pleased with the menu that offered a beautiful selection of food classic in its aspirations and yet not pretentious in its extent or its scope. At our table we chose King George whiting fillets battered and fried served with salad, blue eye fillet grilled and served with a salad, roast chicken on a bed of roast vegetables, black pudding with vegetables. It was accompanied by two bottles of excellent wine. The purpose of the lunch was of course a business discussion, convivial enough but also quite purposeful and which achieved much. All gentlemen present comported themselves with great aplomb and enjoyed a most civilised way to conduct what could otherwise have been a rather ordinary and rushed discussion.

Clubs may be a vestige of a vanishing species. One may accuse them of snobbery and an old-wordliness quite out of place in the fast moving and technologically challenging 21st century (did I mention that mobile phone use is barred from the public spaces of the Club?). One may view these institutions in Australia as a peculiarly outmoded remnant of British colonialism, however, I think that they represent a wonderfully rich heritage and tradition, and they are a rich, living, historical establishment.