The Full Story
The Legacy of Service
How a small group of returned soldiers in a frontier capital built a club that would become a Canberra institution.
Early Canberra
In the 1920s the national capital was little more than a small township with great expectations, the fulfilment of which lay in the distant future. In 1922 it had a population of only 2000. While permanent buildings were being constructed, the earliest residents of Canberra had to put up with harsh conditions. Some were even living in tents. Those who had been transferred there unwillingly from their former places of employment in Sydney or Melbourne had reason to feel that they had become isolated in an uncivilised outpost.
Permanent residences were scattered in small suburban areas with workmen's camps at other sites. There was a bus service that ran at infrequent intervals, apart from the early morning and late afternoon 'rush hours'. Most of the roads and streets were unsealed and when the summer winds came howling in from the west across the wide open spaces they carried with them clouds of brown dust. There were bush-flies by the millions. In winter the icy winds were the lazy kind. They did not blow around the pioneers of the capital, they knifed straight through them. Most of the shopping had to be done in Queanbeyan and night-life in Canberra was non existent. It was early to bed most nights. The birth rate was high.
From such a 'frontier' society with few social amenities, prohibition in the Federal Capital Territory was an additional hardship prompting many a journey over rough roads across the border to the pubs of Queanbeyan ten miles away. On any Saturday afternoon the emigration to Queanbeyan was made in T model Fords, early model trucks, horse drawn vehicles of all descriptions and bicycles. Some of the cyclists boasted of being able to wobble home again carrying up to three dozen bottles of beer, hopefully sufficient to last them through the drought of their working week.
During hot summer evenings, Canberra's thirstier citizens returning with 'supplies' along the dirt track past the airport, or taking the one slightly better gravel road to the west, often stopped along the way to revive their flagging spirits. Soon both routes were lined with empties. The authorities were embarrassed and decreed that Canberra's landscape had to be tidied up for the official opening of Parliament House by the Duke and Duchess of York in May 1927. It supervised the collection of 60,000 empty beer bottles which were sent to Sydney.
Liquor trading on Sundays in NSW was illegal but a Sunday in Canberra was a 'social day' when good mates and neighbours got together, consumption of beer from kegs and 'quart' bottles in Canberra peaked on the Christian Sabbath. The late Claude Burns recorded in his reminiscences of that era that every Sunday morning come rain, hail or shine, convivial groups gathered in dozens of backyard sheds and garages.
On 1 September, 1928, a referendum of the residents of the ACT voted to allow the sale of liquor in licenced premises, opening the way for the establishment of licenced hotels and clubs. Understandably, the publicans of Queanbeyan were less than overjoyed. Things were looking up for Canberra as the year also saw the formation of the first Rotary Club, the Canberra Musical Society and the opening of the Albert Hall.
A group of returned soldiers, who had served in the South African War and in the Great War of 1914-18 and who had been imbibing in their garages in Canberra regularly, if not religiously on Sunday mornings, resolved in November 1930 to form a Canberra Returned Soldiers' Club. It was agreed, however, that to be economically viable it would have to extend membership to 'any other male person of good repute'.
Canberra Returned Soldiers' Club
The thirty foundation members of the Canberra Returned Soldiers' Club met in the Ainslie Public School on 3 December, 1930 to elect office bearers and a committee. The first President, Percy Douglas, had standing in the community. He was in charge of Canberra's Fire Brigade and Ambulance Services, as well as being prominent in many sporting and community volunteer activities and was the popular choice. The Club's first Vice President was a light-horseman of the First World War, Major A.E. D'Arcy, whose picture, wearing uniform and sword and astride his horse, hangs on the wall of the Canberra Services Club's premises at Barton, ACT. Others elected members were: A.J. Gaskin, as Secretary, J.S. Lyng as Treasurer, and committee members: Messrs Honeysett, Graham, Percival, Brack, Dolan and Long.
The following brief paragraph appeared in the Canberra Times on 30 January, 1931:
The Returned Soldiers' Club, Melbourne Buildings, City, is to be opened next month. All approved persons, whether returned soldiers or not, are eligible to join. Of the four clubs recently granted liquor licences this will be the second to make use of their licence.
Actually the Canberra Returned Soldiers' Club had the distinction of being the first applicant in Canberra for a liquor licence.
The RSL Dispute
Although returned soldiers had formed the club, they found themselves out of step with the Returned Soldiers', Sailors' Imperial League of Australia which had become powerful nationally. The League complained that ex-servicemen visiting Canberra were often offended when they were refused entry to the Club unless as the guests of members. Because its membership included non ex-servicemen, the club could not affiliate with the League and its national executive objected to the club's un-endorsed name, the Canberra Returned Soldiers' Club. It was a thorny predicament. At a Special meeting of the club, a motion to drop 'Returned Soldiers' from its name was soundly defeated, chiefly by the foundation members and other former servicemen who had joined. Most of these members had joined the League individually and because of the vote they risked being labelled League rebels. The controversy divided the small Canberra community which now included newly arrived war veterans caught up in the Great Depression and who were in Canberra seeking jobs.
There were years of dispute between the League and the Canberra Returned Soldiers' Club because of its name and the fact so many of the members were not ex-servicemen. On 4 February 1938 the club was incorporated as the Canberra Club Limited to resolve the dispute with the RSL.
The Governor-General, Lord Gowrie, performed the official opening of a dedicated club premises on 7 February 1939. Lord Gowrie, a Gallipoli veteran, also became a member of the club and insisted that while on club premises he was to be addressed by his first name and was to be treated like any other member. Long after his death in 1955, the club continued to honour Lord Gowrie's memory.
The Canberra Volunteers Association
In October 1939, following the outbreak of the Second World War, the Canberra Volunteers' (later Services Welfare Foundation) was formed to provide support to local services personnel. (The provisions of comforts and hospitality to service men and women were a feature of the home front during both world wars).
In July 1940 the Association proposed that a rest hut be constructed in Canberra for the use of people in the forces at a cost of approximately 1000 pounds. Lady Gowrie, wife of the then Governor General Lord Gowrie, supported the project and played a major role in raising funds for the hut to be built, particularly at a garden fete in the grounds of Government House. Construction proceeded on the Manuka site next to Manuka Oval.
The Lady Gowrie Services Club
On 13 March, 1941 the building, known as the Lady Gowrie Services Club (colloquially as 'The Hut'), was opened by Her Excellency, Lady Gowrie. The club provided hospitality to service personnel providing a place where they could relax, have meals, enjoy billiards, dances (twice weekly), concerts and other social functions. This was the club's role for the rest of the war years and it has been estimated that over one million meals were served at the club during that period. The club was staffed by volunteers from the Canberra community and over 500 women, in total, from Canberra and the region assisted.
Her Excellency, Lady Gowrie was the first President of the club and was President until 1944, being succeeded by Her Royal Highness, the Duchess of Gloucester, who was President until 1946.
At war's end there was uncertainty about the building's future as it had been built as a temporary structure and in fact had been sited on part of a gazetted public road. However the need for a permanent club was recognised as social opportunities for ex-service personnel were limited in Canberra at the time. The foundation Committee commenced the legal process of establishing a licensed social club.
In 1946 the Lady Gowrie Services Club Council was formed as lessee of the building and in 1947 it commenced sub-leasing most of the structure to the Canberra Services Club (CSC) which was established as a licensed social club in October of that year. Alterations and minor extensions, designed by Ken Oliphant, were carried out on the building.
The Canberra Services Club
On 29 April 1948 the Canberra Services Club was officially opened by the Governor-General, Mr W.J. McKell.
In November 1947 a liquor license was granted to the CSC and gaming machines were installed from 1978. From the late 1950s through to 1985 the Club underwent a series of additions and internal modifications to provide comfortable accommodation for the members, including the roof repairs, improvements made to the bar area, new liquor storerooms and ceiling insulation and wall heaters installed. The front porch was enclosed during the early 1960s. In the 1970s further improvements were made to the Lounge and bar area, probably due to the introduction of Poker Machines.
Three additions were made to the Club grounds in the 1980s.
- In 1981 a Bofors 40mm Anti-Aircraft Gun obtained from the then Department of Administration Services was installed, donated by RMC Duntroon;
- In 1983 the Kingston Narrabundah RSL Sub-branch donated a sculpture titled 'Kokoda Memorial'. The sculpture depicts a 'Fuzzy Wuzzy Angel' helping an Australian soldier and was designed by Helena Anderson in 1981.
- In 2009 the Australian Government donated a decommissioned Leopard Main battle tank which is on loan to the Canberra Services Club.
In April 2011 the Canberra Services Club building was totally destroyed by fire.
Unification of Two Historic Clubs
Since the 2011 fire the Canberra Services Club has absorbed the members of the Canberra Club into its membership. The original Canberra Returned Soldiers' Club and the Canberra Services Club are now one, recognising all those who serve our Community and Country.
The Canberra Services Club moved to 51 Blackall Street Barton, in the former RUC club premises. Unfortunately, on 8 August 2025 it also suffered severe fire damage due to a kitchen fire. The loss of our temporary club site, although devastating, has not altered the Club's plans. The Barton site has always been intended as a temporary measure with the aim of returning to a redeveloped club at the Canberra Avenue site.
To redevelop the Manuka site and the Barton site the Club needs to de-concessionalise the current Leases. This process is currently underway with the intention of opening the Manuka site to a mixed development to enable a viable community club business model not based predominately on gambling revenue. It is an exciting time for our Club.
