Bitter split in Tasmanian gentlemen’s club over allowing women in the bar

A Tasmanian gentleman’s club is facing a split over allowing women into the bar. Here’s what the club’s president said about the situation.

Tasmanian Club in Hobart will continue to not allow females in the bar area of the club. Picture: Nikki Davis-Jones

The committee of a private Tasmanian gentlemen’s club has been so shocked at the “outrage’” to an overwhelming vote to allow women into the bar it has abandoned plans to change a by-law.

In an email to members on Friday afternoon, obtained by the Sunday Tasmanian, David Ekins, the president of the Tasmanian Club in Hobart said while the membership voted 74-22 in favour of changing the by-law, “the divisiveness engendered by this matter is significant”.

The bitterness from some members included an accusation that the move would see the “loss of the last safe space for mankind”.

“Even though there was a clear majority in favour of this change, the outrage expressed by those ‘against’ was a shock to the Committee,” Mr Ekins wrote.

“Whilst some comments in the negative were objective, polite and welcome, the Committee was genuinely surprised by the tone of others.

“Demanding the resignation of the management team for undertaking its duty to members is neither fair nor gentlemanly.

“Accusing it of ‘woke’ politics, turning the club into an hotel and decrying the loss of the last safe space for mankind apart from the men’s toilets is offensive.”

Tasmanian Club in Hobart will continue to not allow females in the bar area of the club. Picture: Nikki Davis-Jones

Mr Ekins said the committee had hoped for “unequivocal, not just majority, support” after consulting members for the second time on the change.

“However, the divisiveness engendered by this matter is significant and not in the best interests of the Club,” he said.

“Therefore, your Committee decided not to use its prerogative to change the bylaw even though there is majority support.”

The rules of the club, described on its website as “one of Australia’s finest and oldest clubs” do not exclude women from the bar but the by-law does.

Mr Ekins said that it had been brought to the committee’s attention that some members found it “embarrassing and impractical to deny their wife or a lady guest entry to the bar when, in their judgement, no other member in the bar would have protested and would, indeed, have welcomed them”.

“Instead, a member is required to entertain his lady guest in the Reading Room or Library/Card Room,” he said.

“It was put to the committee that this is embarrassing and there is nothing in the Club Rules excluding a lady from the Bar; indeed, under Rule 49, the committee is empowered to give permission for a member to entertain gentlemen and ladies in any room in the club which, patently includes the bar.

“This has occurred spontaneously on numerous occasions and, when it has, it was impractical to initially consult the committee.”

The change to the by-law, Mr Ekins said was not inconsistent with the club’s rules.

However, he said the argument that the change to the by-law was “contrary to the basic ethos of the club is compelling and carries considerable weight”.

“Accordingly, the committee does not propose to pursue the matter any further,” Mr Ekins said.

Mr Ekins declined to comment further.

“This was a private email to members.”

Originally published as Bitter split in Tasmanian gentlemen’s club over allowing women in the bar