Modern Pickwick Club Explained

The Modern Pickwick Club was a young men's literary and social club founded in Adelaide, South Australia, in the 1890s.

History

The club was formed in 1891 as a social club restricted, by invitation, to 30 members, all unmarried men. It was a condition of joining that the prospective member should already be known to the other 29, and members must resign immediately they marry.[1] They met regularly at members' homes for talks and discussions as well as entertainment. It was a hard and fast rule that no refreshments would be taken at the member's house, but after the meeting all would adjourn to the nearest hostelry.[2]

It was not a Dickens society, though it held occasional Dickens nights, rather it was the spirit of Samuel Pickwick that they invoked — riotous good fellowship.[3] They produced plays, and competed in debating, tennis tournaments and cricket matches.[4] "The nights were divided between debate, and music, and elocution. It was a good training ground, and the atmosphere was clean and wholesome." An annual match was held between past and present members. Every year shooting, fishing and walking trips were organised. Their annual ball, held at the North Adelaide Institute, was considered the highlight of the season and eagerly awaited.[5] Meetings were held every Saturday night, except during WWI, when they were held monthly.

Members

Founding members include: James Wardlaw Gordon (died 29 August 1922) (secretary),[6] Benjamin H. Gillman[7] (Chairman), P. A. von Bertouch[8] W. H. Porter, H. S. Brondel, Douglas Malcolm, B. H. Kelsey, and R. H. Kelsey.Later chairmen were Arthur E. H. Evans, William Russell Hambidge and William Newman Twiss.[9] Francis Charles Siekmann[10] (died 1940) was an energetic secretary. Newspapermen Berkeley Conigrave, Roland Harcus Kelsey,[11] Norman Malcolm, William Cormack Calder, Ernest Whitington, Rodney Cockburn and James Chamberlain were all members, as were lawyers George McEwin, Angas Parsons and Mellis Napier, Edgar Layton Bean,[12] and Crown Solicitor Howard Alison Shierlaw.[13] Romilly Harry was a later chairman. Stanley H. Skipper and J. S. Hardy were later members.[14]

Members who died in WWI[15] include Capt. Norman C. Shierlaw[16] and Charles L. Moule;[17] Lieuts. Robert G. Raws,[18] Frank H. Lang;[19] and Angus S. Ferguson;[20] and Ptes. A. Murton[21] and John T. Doswell.[22] Volunteers who survived include Majors Harry Thomson and John James Hughes, Capts. N. M. Malcolm and L. A. Whitington, Lieuts. Leslie Horrocks Haslam and T. D. Hardy, Sgt. N. M. Shaw. Pte. G. C. Ligertwood, Tpr. Horace George Annells, and Gnr. Leopold von Bertouch, also Major Victor Marra Newland, Lieuts. Edward Vincent Clark,[23] L. H. (Lloyd Hayes?) Burgess, J. H. Vaughan, Sgt. W. Henderson, Cpl. Henry Mortimer Muirhead,[24] Ptes. J. Hunter, P. F. Lucas, and H. Stephenson, and Dvr. J. C. Martin[15]

Other members were: R. F. Richardson, who was elected a life member,[25] Harold Wilkinson,[26] one (perhaps Robert) Northey,[27] William H. Porter[28] Herb Degenhardt and Clarence Degenhardt, Harold Kelsey, Bert Hambidge, and (later Sir) Frederick W. Young.[29] Reginald Beeton[30] Murray Buttrose[31] A. M. Simpson.[4] Others of the legal fraternity who were once members, include John Howard Vaughan, Spencer Toler Toler-Rowley, Rudolph Paul Albrecht von Bertouch, Percy Emerson Johnstone, and Edward Warner Benham.The medical profession was represented by Frank Magarey[32] and Edward Ernest Moule, later of Wagin, Western Australia.[15]

From time to time newspapers reported on doings of the club — 1923,[33] 1929,[34] [35] and 1935,[36] but, being a small private club, it usually only rates a mention in obituaries. Its demise has not yet been reported.

See also

Notes and References

  1. News: Table Topics. . . XIII . 638 . South Australia . 27 November 1901 . 6 August 2023 . 15 . National Library of Australia.
  2. News: Fair and Unfair . . X . 483 . South Australia . 22 December 1898 . 5 August 2023 . 10 . National Library of Australia.
  3. News: Help Promised . . XXVI . 3,918 . South Australia . 11 February 1936 . 6 August 2023 . 5 . National Library of Australia.
  4. News: Pickwickian Cricket . . 26 . 1,343 . South Australia . 19 February 1938 . 6 August 2023 . 7 . National Library of Australia.
  5. News: Men and Matters . . XLV . 12566 . South Australia . 31 July 1911 . 6 August 2023 . 1 . National Library of Australia.
  6. News: Concerning People . . LXXXVII . 25,487 . South Australia . 4 September 1922 . 6 August 2023 . 6 . National Library of Australia.
  7. News: Pen Portraits of People . . III . 282 . South Australia . 18 June 1924 . 6 August 2023 . 6 . National Library of Australia.
  8. News: Late Mr Von Bertouch . . XV . 2,281 . South Australia . 7 November 1930 . 6 August 2023 . 9 . National Library of Australia.
  9. News: Personal . . South Australia . 8 December 1933 . 6 August 2023 . 24 . National Library of Australia.
  10. News: 70 Words a Minute in Longhand . . South Australia . 20 March 1937 . 6 August 2023 . 14 . National Library of Australia.
  11. News: Obituary . . South Australia . 20 March 1937 . 6 August 2023 . 14 . National Library of Australia.
  12. News: Enviable Record . . 26 . 1,314 . South Australia . 31 July 1937 . 6 August 2023 . 7 . National Library of Australia.
  13. News: Death of Mr H. A. Shierlaw . . 94 . 29,075 . South Australia . 18 December 1951 . 6 August 2023 . 3 . National Library of Australia.
  14. News: Out among the people . . South Australia . 21 December 1931 . 6 August 2023 . 72 . National Library of Australia.
  15. News: Modern Pickwick Club . . LXXXIV . 22,730 . South Australia . 15 September 1919 . 6 August 2023 . 4 . National Library of Australia.
  16. News: Surgeon-Capt. N. C. Shierlaw, M.C. . . LXXXII . 21,960 . South Australia . 28 March 1917 . 6 August 2023 . 7 . National Library of Australia.
  17. News: Personal News . . LV . 16,476 . South Australia . 9 July 1918 . 6 August 2023 . 1 . National Library of Australia.
  18. News: Late Lieut. R. G. Raws . . LXXV . 5,687 . South Australia . 19 January 1918 . 6 August 2023 . 37 . National Library of Australia.
  19. News: Late Lieut. F. H. Lang . . LXXIII . 5,611 . South Australia . 16 September 1916 . 6 August 2023 . 41 . National Library of Australia.
  20. News: Late Lieut. A. S. Ferguson . . LXXXIII . 22,319 . South Australia . 22 May 1918 . 6 August 2023 . 8 . National Library of Australia.
  21. News: The Late Private A. S. Murton . . LIX . 3,022 . South Australia . 22 July 1916 . 6 August 2023 . 42 . National Library of Australia.
  22. News: Family Notices . . LXI . 18,711 . South Australia . 2 October 1918 . 6 August 2023 . 6 . National Library of Australia.
  23. News: Former Varsity lecturer dies . . 59 . 9,096 . South Australia . 3 October 1952 . 8 August 2023 . 2 . National Library of Australia.
  24. News: Retirement Of Magistrate . . 92 . 28,598 . South Australia . 7 June 1950 . 8 August 2023 . 1 . National Library of Australia.
  25. News: Personal . . LXVII . 5,312 . South Australia . 24 December 1910 . 8 August 2023 . 32 . National Library of Australia.
  26. News: Concerning People . . LXXXV . 23,039 . South Australia . 10 September 1920 . 6 August 2023 . 7 . National Library of Australia.
  27. News: North Adelaide Dickens Club . . LXXXVIII . 25,727 . South Australia . 12 June 1923 . 6 August 2023 . 4 . National Library of Australia.
  28. News: Death of Mr W. H. Porter . . III . 284 . South Australia . 20 June 1924 . 6 August 2023 . 5 . National Library of Australia.
  29. News: Business and Sport . . LXXXIX . 26,138 . South Australia . 4 October 1924 . 6 August 2023 . 9 . National Library of Australia.
  30. News: Pen Portraits of People . . VII . 1,062 . South Australia . 8 December 1926 . 6 August 2023 . 8 . National Library of Australia.
  31. News: Admitted to Bar . . IX . 1,255 . South Australia . 23 July 1927 . 6 August 2023 . 4 . National Library of Australia.
  32. News: Obituary . . LXIX . 5,371 . South Australia . 10 February 1912 . 8 August 2023 . 40 . National Library of Australia.
  33. News: Adelaide Notes . . CXV . 2,997 . Victoria, Australia . 8 September 1923 . 6 August 2023 . 46 . National Library of Australia.
  34. News: Out among the People . . XCIV . 27,359 . South Australia . 23 April 1929 . 6 August 2023 . 6 . National Library of Australia.
  35. News: Out among the People . . XCIV . 27,376 . South Australia . 13 May 1929 . 6 August 2023 . 6 . National Library of Australia.
  36. News: Passing By . . XXV . 3,775 . South Australia . 27 August 1935 . 6 August 2023 . 4 . National Library of Australia.

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