Katanning Club

Statement of Significance

The building was designed by prominent Perth architects, Cavanagh & Cavanagh and completed in 1914 and is a well proportioned and carefully detailed, internally and externally.
21 Demonstration of away of life/custom/process or function

The club building demonstrates the common trend in country towns to form a club - predominantly male in the early days.it also demonstrates the affluence of the pastoral community in those early days.

22 Historical Significance/ of development of a cultural phase association with prominent figures

.club has been asocial focus of the town over the years and is associated with prominent people as listed above.

24 Scarcity value

The Katanning Club is one of the few country clubs to be built as a club complete with live in stewards quarters.

Physical Description

The Katanning Club stands on the east side of Amherst Street , Katanning on a spacious lot of over 1 acre.

The streetscape is residential and consists of a wide tree lined street with single storied houses set in gardens.

The building has the appearance of a large house.it is single. storied with a corrugated iron roof painted in the traditional indian red . The roof is of a hipped form covering a basically rectangular plan relieved by twin projections, one of which is hipped and the other gabled . The -face of the gabled projection is elaborately decorated with carved timber and cement rendered motifs. There are numerous chimneys topped with friezes moulded in cement under terracotta chimney pots.

The external faces of the brick walls are in the main treated with red oxide coloring and white tuck pointing. There are two white painted cement rendered horizontal bands, one at window sill height and the other at door head height.

The front facade of the building is adorned with a verandah roofed with a flat pitched corrugated iron roof pitched from under the main roof eaves. The eaves of the main roof and t hose of the verandah roof are decorated with carved dentil brackets.

The verandah is supported on circular col u m ns topped with pseudo doric capitals.

The windows are timber framed double hu ng. The two windows flan king the panel led front door are glazed wit h stained glass lead light panes, asis the
fanlight over the door.. The leadlights are carried out in the Art Nouveau style.

Internal decorations are prolific and include moulded arches, Art Nouveau lead light panels, pressed metal ceilings and cornices,. decorative air vents and a variety of wall papers.

History

Assessment 1991
By 1914 Katanning had three substantial ho t e ls and a Mechanics Institute but no social club.

In January of that year twenty five district identities met and vot ed to . form a club to be known as "The Katanning Club".- A Committee was elected and that committee was empowered. to purchase the land on which the Club now stands . The price was 213-15 and the area 1 ac r e. 2 rood s and 1 2 perches .

Perth architects were invited to submit sketch plans and at a General Meeting of the Club held on the 19 th February 1 91 4 . plans prepared by Messrs Cavanagh & Cavanagh were accepted.
The cost of the building was limited to £2,000 -00 . This amount was underwritten by Messrs Ross and Thomas Anderson , ex Pilbara pastoralists .

Five building contractors tendered for the building works at costs ranging from £1,803-00 to £2,360-00 .

Mr F L Kleeman tender of [ £1, 803-00 was accepted on the 31 st Mar ch 1 91 4 . That tender was shortly thereafter amended to £1, 848-00 due t o an error in the additions .

A special general meeting was held in the completed Club House on the 6 th November 1 91 4 when a notice of motion was moved by Mr H V Piesse that the Commitee have power to invite Members' wives and their lad y friends to the Club House at their discretion but not exceeding f our days in any financial year .

The door of the male preserve was opened but slightly to the admission of females to the Club . However at the ensuing Annual General Meeting "four days" were reduced to "one day" to be known as "Ladies Day" .

It was not until 1985 that The Katanning Club admitted women as Associate Members. - --
As an aside t is interesting to note in the minutes of the 1 8th May 1916 that the price of Whisky per bottle be increased f rom 6 / 68.d, to 7 / 6d Whisky and aerated water was 7d. a glass .

There have been alterations and additions to the premises since 1914 . A room added, the two billiard tables moved and the bar revamped , but the original building is substantially the same .

The Katanning Club is one of the few country clubs to be built as a club complete wit h live in steward ' s quarters . The membership of the Club since its inception has undergone a change .It was founded by graziers and apart f rom doctors and solicitors its members were drawn·from the country as opposed to the town of Katanning. Graziers are now f armers and the influence of the town is more marked . Membership now embraces a wide cross -section of people . Men and women f rom all sectio ns of the community .

The role of women has been actively recognised and though the Club still ret ins its male atmosphere with a billiard room with two magnificent tab les and a card room it has been "softened" so to speak with the advent of the ladies.

Uses

Historic Themes

Creation Date

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This information is provided voluntarily as a public service. The information provided is made available in good faith and is derived from sources believed to be reliable and accurate. However, the information is provided solely on the basis that readers will be responsible for making their own assessment of the matters discussed herein and are advised to verify all relevant representations, statements and information.