Yachting and the Royal Prince Alfred Yacht Club 1988 | Page 153

the costs were too high and the proposal was dropped .
At tbis point the club was in a ' spend no money ' situation . There had been some lean years behind them and there were noc many brighc prospeccs in sight . Things were to improve , however , pressure was building for better clubrooms .
The Comminee reacted to this pressure and in 1905 they made arrangements with lhe Savings Bank and moved into rooms in the bank building . This is the building in which the Head Office of the Commonwealtl1 Bank is now situated . The club was very happy in these rooms where they entenained many distinguished guests and remained throughout World War J when the clubrooms were used for the encertainmentof personnel on leave . Before the war , with no television or movies , members enjoyed cnterul . inmenL witliin the club . They established many activities , such as a Swords Club , billiards tournaments , I O ยท minute billards , sprint billiards , dominos , bowls , jujitsu and wrestling . In addition , t11ey organised such lhings as assaults at anns . and balls atthe Ambassador ' s and Romano ' s which were huge affairs .
World War I had a dramatic affect on the club . It was good to have the facility to entertain the troops on leave but club life , as it had been e ~ perienced before , was a thing of the past . When the war was over iL was obvious tbat the clubrooms in Martin Place were far too small . And so again the Committee set out in search of new and larger rooms .
Suggestions came from far and wide . On 8 April
The Reading Room housed many items that have beeo passed on to the club today . The comfortable old chairs are now in tl1e Galatea Room at the Sydney Club . Also in 1he club ' s city
clubrooms is the model of Galatea , probably built by
one of the sailors in HMS
Ga / area . Prominently displayed is the Petrel Cup , now at Green Poiot .
The main Reception Room displayed one of the club ' s old billiard tables , the halfmodel now in the Edinburgh Bar at Green Point , and the painting of Wltile
Wi11gs now hanging in the stairwell at Newport .
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