Hobart’s Athenaeum Club “joins the 21st century” by allowing women to apply for membership

One of Hobart’s all-male bastions is now accepting female members, a move applauded as “embracing equality.”

Hobart’s Athenaeum Club has begun accepting female members. Picture: LEIGH WINBURN

ONE of Tasmania’s men-only clubs has yielded to pressure to “join the 21st century” and allow women to also become members.

Promoting itself as “Hobart’s finest private social club for business, professional and academic people”, the Athenaeum Club, founded in 1889, was only accepting men as members until May 3.

A statement on the club’s website now states: “Members of our club overwhelmingly voted in favour of changing the wording of the constitution to remove any mention of gender.

“Our club looks forward to welcoming its first female full members, hopefully in the near future.

“The Athenaeum Club has now become Hobart’s only private social club for business, professional and academic people that does not use gender as a basis for membership.”

The club was contacted for further comment, but did not respond.

CALL FOR CLUBS TO DITCH FEMALE BAN

In Hobart, there had been two social clubs that were all-male bastions, the other being the Tasmanian Club, founded in 1861.

The Sunday Tasmanian also contacted the Tasmanian Club for comment, with no reply.

Tasmanian Speaker Sue Hickey last year confirmed she was barred from entering the members’ bar at the Tasmanian Club.

She said she had been approached by current members of the Athenaeum Club to apply for membership and would be filling out the form this weekend.

“I’d like to congratulate the club for joining the 21st century,” she said.

“I’m prepared to support them in the early stages as they embrace the future. I’m really impressed they’ve finally embraced equality.

“In this day and age with women in so many senior roles it was inevitable. It’s all about building networks and the club will be more vibrant and strengthened by the inclusion of women.”

MORE OF TODAY’S NEWS:

LABOR LEADER ALBANESE TO TOUR TASSIE

TASSIE 'CASTLE’ HAS WOW FACTOR

BARTLETT: HOBART, I LOVE YOU BUT WE NEED TO TALK

YOUR GUIDE TO THE WEEK’S BEST EVENTS

Ms Hickey said the form was fairly standard and asked for name, job and contact details and the application would be displayed on a board within the club for 14 days for members to comment.

“I still have to be accepted and if there’s someone in the club who doesn’t like me, I might not get in,” she said.

Clark MP Andrew Wilkie had previously attempted to nominate former anti-discrimination commissioner Robin Banks and award-winning Tasmanian author Heather Rose.

But the two high-profile women were not granted membership.

Mr Wilkie resigned his membership as a consequence.

He said it was good news the club had changed its rules, but it was “regrettable that it has taken this long to occur”.

“Their prejudice until now against women has been at odds with the Sex Discrimination Act,” he said.

Mr Wilkie said he may consider making an application to rejoin the club.

[e-mail]