| Western Australian Club | |
| Founders: | --> |
| Type: | Social club |
| Focus: | --> |
| Location City: | Perth |
| Location Country: | Western Australia |
| Area Served: | or |
| Region: | --> |
| Product: | --> |
| Method: | --> |
| Field: | --> |
| Language: | English |
| Languages: | --> |
| Owners: | --> |
| Publication: | --> |
| Parent Organisation: | --> |
| Former Name: | --> |
The Western Australian Club is a defunct social club founded in in Perth, Western Australia. Named Exchange Club until 1897 and then West Australian Club until 1979, it ceased operating in .
The Western Australian Club began in 1893 as a gentlemen's club in the shape of a limited company with capital of, "five hundred pounds divided into 500 shares of £1 each." The original Memorandum of Association described the purpose as:
By 1894 there were 310 members, drawn from the rich and powerful of Western Australia. The gentlemen's club ethos was well established:
In the 1950s membership continued to include many names from business, development, politics and the history of Western Australia. The financial fortunes of the club also tended to rise and fall with the fortunes of the state.
By the 1960s the state itself was changing. There was rapid economic growth in non-traditional areas. This growth brought new people to the state. The club, perhaps because it included accommodation for members, kept its existing members but had difficulty attracting new members:
The economic growth of the state also brought increased competition for club services. In order to survive and grow, the club made changes to its role, its rules and its services. In the mid 1970s, There was a financial crisis, yet the club survived.
By the 1980s the Western Australian Club was no longer strictly a "gentlemen's club". Women were full members. Pastoralist and country members were less than one fifth of membership. Despite the changes, many traditional aspects of the club were maintained. In 1988 the club president wrote,
After the club changed premises, fitting out the new premises, hosted regular events with meals and expert speakers, making rooms available for meetings,[1] the club became defunct in .
Original members of the club included John Forrest and his brother Alexander. Other significant business and political leaders belonging to the club included:[2]