2025-2026 Centenary Celebrations

YEAR OF FESTIVITIES

The Ranelagh Club has a long and prestigious history and with the upcoming celebration of turning 100 in 2025, the Ranelagh Board is thrilled to announce a Year of Festivities to celebrate the Club’s centenary with events running from August 2025 to June 2026.

Members on the first committee met on the 18th August 1925. The Club’s Memorandum and Articles of Association were duly signed on 14th July 1926 followed by the first Annual General Meeting being held on 30th September 1926.

We will be holding a variety of events, celebrating all aspects of the history of our Club including sporting activities and tournaments to recognise the eleven stars that represent each sport.

We will be kicking off festivities with both an Opening Ceremony on Sunday 19th October 2025 and a Centenary Concert featuring Aussie Crawl tribute band RECKLESS on Saturday 25th October 2025.

As part of our celebrations, we invited all members that may have had historic articles including photos, stories, videos, trophies, documents of significance club history to share these for the Year of Festivities to help commemorate of 100 Year Anniversary.

BOARD OF DIRECTORS Historical Custodians

“Was the setting up of the Club an attempt to copy an American fashion, the dream of a sportsman, an idealist or an effort by an investor? Ranelagh Club was to become a company…but with the right to exclude “Pty Ltd” from the title. This arrangement led to the development of a social club safeguarded by a business arrangement”. (McMahon, 1996. p.8)

The first meeting for the establishment of Ranelagh Club was held at 4pm on 28 August 1925. Solicitors in attendance proposed ”that it happened that day..” which was greeted with applause by the 39 attendees of which 5 were women.

The Honorary Solicitor McComas suggested Brigadier Thomas Blamey take the Chair. He did and suggested that W McC Howitt be elected Secretary along with W J Daish be Treasurer.

The following 15 were elected to also form the Committee:

G S Anderson

R M Newton

E K Tolkhurst

S B Bagley

J W McComas

D W L Armstrong

E L Cresswell

R W Powell

Dr B Foster

A C Dredge

R Southey

Dr J N Norris

R G Menzies

J E Taylor

Col Foster

2025-2026 Centenary Celebrations
11 STARS OF RANELAGH

From its inception in 1925, Ranelagh Club’s logo has played an integral part of our history.

The eleven stars in the club’s logo represented each of the original eleven sporting events available at the club.

In honour of our logo’s heritage, we commissioned artist Terrianne Murray to draw illustrations representing each sporting activity.

11 Stars represent:

Archery
Cricket
Croquet
Golf
Hockey
Lawn Bowls
Kayak/Rowing
Polocrosse
Sailing
Swimming
Tennis

2025-2026 Centenary Celebrations

SUB COMMITTEE

The Centenary Sub-Committees have been working behind the scene in developing a Calendar of Events since 2023 and consists of Board Members, Ranelagh Employees and Members.

Our Sub-Committee members have volunteered their time to help plan and organise all centennial events with each committee members ‘placement within a group focused on their area of skillset and interest.

Our Member Committee Groups are as follow:

Centenary Historian Group
To gather club history for the purpose of compiling a Historical display. All information will need to be gathered by March 2025 for publication to be ready June 2025.

Centenary Sporting Group
To help plan and drive sporting events including tennis, football, golf, sailing, swimming, just to mention a few.

2025-2026 Centenary Celebrations

BOARD OF DIRECTORS Historical Custodians

2025-2026 Centenary Celebrations 11 STARS OF RANELAGH

2025-2026 Centenary Celebrations

2025-2026 Centenary Celebrations
11 STARS OF RANELAGH