Tattersall’s Club left to boys: Women ‘may not want to join elite institution’

THE Tattersall’s Club may have missed the boat on granting women full membership, says an academic who suggests Queensland women may be reluctant to join one of the state’s most exclusive clubs.

“I really would question whether, if the ban were overturned, intelligent women would be hurrying to join anyway,’’ says academic. Picture: Mark Cranitch

THE Tattersall’s Club may have missed the boat on granting women full membership, says an academic who suggests Queensland women may be reluctant to join one of the state’s most exclusive clubs.

“I really would question whether, if the ban were overturned, intelligent women would be hurrying to join anyway,’’ said Sarah Casey, who studies contemporary Australian feminism and lectures at the University of the Sunshine Coast.

Tattersall’s members have been advised by management that the club, in Brisbane’s CBD, will be looking at a range of new directions, and one of them is granting women full membership.

“We want to discuss our membership model, including whether this should be broadened to invite women to join as full members,’’ they were told in an email on Thursday night.

The club, founded in 1865 by “gentlemen prominent in both business and in the thoroughbred horseracing industry’’, last voted down a motion to accept women in 2006.

The club has demonstrated progressive membership policies in the past regarding race and religion.

But it has kept women at bay, even as the positions of Queensland Premier, Deputy Premier and Opposition Leader are all filled by women.

Dr Casey, who works with the university’s School of Communications and Creative Industries, said it was doubtful the old gentlemen’s club still wielded the power it once did, even if it remained a centre of “privilege, conservatism, and elitism’’.

“It’s up to the members if they want to vote in favour of women being able to join as full members,’’ she said.

“Yes, there are some ‘women’s only’ clubs, as well as ‘men’s only’ clubs, but increasingly, the idea of excluding people on the basis of gender is fast becoming outdated.”

IS THIS THE END OF BRISBANE’S MEN’S-ONLY CLUB?

OVERNIGHT: The extraordinary rise of women in Queensland politics may be about to sink more than a century of tradition as Brisbane’s historic Tatts Club puts the prospect of female members back on the table.

Tattersalls members have been advised by management that the exclusive club founded in 1865 will be looking at a range of new directions, and one of them is allowing women full membership.

“We want to discuss our membership model including whether this should be broadened to invite women to join as full members,’’ members have been told in an email which went out Thursday night, with hard copy letters also expected to be received on Friday.

It was just over a decade ago that Tatts hosted a boisterous debate on whether or not to allow women into a club created in 1865 by “gentlemen prominent in both business and in the thoroughbred horseracing industry.’’

Despite a push by seven of the ten-man committee to allow women, the vote in 2006 went down by 106 votes with 1683 for, 1577 against.

The pro-women faction came under heavy fire from some quarters for supporting the yes case.

Tatts, as the memo points out, has had progressive membership policies since the early 20th Century when race and religion caused huge divides across the state.

However, the club has also has traditionally offered membership to the Queensland Premier and senior MPs _ a custom which in recent years has proven somewhat awkward.

Both the Queensland Premier and Deputy Premier are female, along with 50 per cent of the Cabinet while four of the five assistant ministries are also occupied by women.

The club will clearly not be rushing the decision, holding two information nights, an online survey and a feedback facility to allow members “inform and affect the new direction of the Club.’’

Exclusive men’s clubs are slowly fading away from cities across the developed world but, oddly enough, women’s clubs appear to be doing a brisk trade.

The Lyceum club in Melbourne, the Grace Belgravia in London and the Moreton Club in Brisbane’s own New Farm are all exclusively for women members.