Royal Perth Golf Clubhouse & Golf Course

Statement of Significance

The Perth Golf Club was initiated in 1895, with a 9-hole course set in rough farmland on Burswood Island, accessible only by boat. By 1900, members were disenchanted by the problems with this site and moved to a more suitable site at Wattle Grove Farm, Belmont, where a nine-hole course was established. When, in 1902, the Club decided to relocate from Belmont, it approached the South Perth Road Board for use of a stretch of land along the river.

The designate land was part of an ‘A Class’ Crown reserve and needed to be vested in the Road Board by an Act of Parliament. This was achieved by means of Act No. 5 of 1906 which reclassified 24.6858 hectares of the A Class reserve to become a public Class C Reserve No. 10250, vested in the Road Board for the purpose of ‘Public Recreation’.

The Perth Golf Club became an incorporated body in 1904. In 1905, the rules were relaxed to permit ladies to play on Saturdays. In 1907, the Club was granted a lease of the Crown Reserve facing Melville Water and the new non-hole Golf Course, situated between Labouchere Road and the river, (now bounded by Labouchere Road, South Terrace, Melville Parade and Amherst Street), was officially opened by the Governor, Sir Frederick Bedford, on 2 August 1908.

One of the advantages of the South Perth site was its close proximity to the Mends Street Jetty, being just a ten minute walk. Lady members were welcome, and by 1909, the Perth Ladies Golf Club had been formed, with about 50 associates.

The Course was planted with couch grass initially, which was slow to grow, and by opening day, there were still areas of ungrassed sand. Ordinary white golf balls were difficult to distinguish from the white sand, so it was decided to use red-painted golf balls.

In the early years of establishment, the Golf Club was able to expand the course area by taking over a lease of land near Amherst Street, held by the South Perth Small-Bore Rifle Club which had opened in June 1907. Another of the early tasks was to request the Water Supply Department for an extension of the water mains to the Golf Course. The Department agreed to supply five million gallons (about 19 million litres) during the first year and three million gallons (about 11.3 million litres) in the second year, at a charge of sixpence per thousand gallons (5 cents per 3,800 litres).

Since its establishment the course has been consistently improved. It is not known when the number of fairways was increased from 9 to 12, but in 1913, it was further extended from 12 to 18 holes. In 1925, a motor mower was purchased to replace the previous hand-pushed or horse-drawn mowers. After the Depression, during 1934, extensive alterations were made to the Course design that served it for many years. During World War II, only essential maintenance work was undertaken and slit trenches were dug in strategic places on the Course.

It was not until 1970 that the old fashioned hose-and-sprinklers were replaced with an automatic reticulated sprinkler system.

In 1937, His Majesty King George VI granted the Club the honour of calling itself the “Royal Perth Golf Club”.

The Club’s first South Perth clubrooms comprised a cottage on the opposite corner of Labouchere Road which it rented from the Diocesan Trustees. On 1 December 1912, the State Government granted the Club a lease of a 2,000 sq. metre site, Perth Lot 431, at the corner of Labouchere Road and Amherst Street, for its Clubhouse. The new Clubhouse, completed by 1914, contained two rooms of 14 ft by 12 ft (just over 4 metres by 3.5 metres), with a 12 ft wide verandah – one room was used as change-rooms and the other as a bar lounge was completed and in use by 1914.

Since the construction of the original Clubhouse it has been subject to ongoing additions and alterations. It has not been established if any of the original building is still extant within the existing building however it is likely that some remnant structures remain. The most significant works were in 1918-20; 1932; 1948; 1957; 1964; 1974; 1981; 1989; c2007 and 2019/2020.

Physical Description

The Clubhouse of the Royal Perth Golf Club is a sprawling low building with a two storey section towards corner to Labouchere Road and Amherst Street.

The club house is a very much a private building that turns its back on the public. The ground floor walls to Labouchere Road and Amherst Street are mainly blank brick walls with high level windows or no windows at all. Larger windows populate the façade overlooking the greens.

The clubhouse is of painted brick construction with a complex roof form. As the club house and associated buildings have been added to, the various separate roof forms have interlocked with each other to create a series of hipped forms around the edge of a large flat roof. The roof is predominantly clad in green colorbond. A deep verandah extends around the main section of the building facing the golf course.

The golf course itself is an expansive green space populated with trees and other plantings around the greens and acts as a green buffer between the suburban development of South Perth and Kwinana Freeway.

History

The Perth Golf Club was initiated in 1895, with a 9-hole course set in rough farmland on Burswood Island, accessible only by boat. By 1900, members were disenchanted by the problems with this site and moved to a more suitable site at Wattle Grove Farm, Belmont, where a nine-hole course was established. When, in 1902, the Club decided to relocate from Belmont, it approached the South Perth Road Board for use of a stretch of land along the river.

The designate land was part of an ‘A Class’ Crown reserve and needed to be vested in the Road Board by an Act of Parliament. This was achieved by means of Act No. 5 of 1906 which reclassified 24.6858 hectares of the A Class reserve to become a public Class C Reserve No. 10250, vested in the Road Board for the purpose of ‘Public Recreation’.

The Perth Golf Club became an incorporated body in 1904. In 1905, the rules were relaxed to permit ladies to play on Saturdays. In 1907, the Club was granted a lease of the Crown Reserve facing Melville Water and the new non-hole Golf Course, situated between Labouchere Road and the river, (now bounded by Labouchere Road, South Terrace, Melville Parade and Amherst Street), was officially opened by the Governor, Sir Frederick Bedford, on 2 August 1908.

One of the advantages of the South Perth site was its close proximity to the Mends Street Jetty, being just a ten minute walk. Lady members were welcome, and by 1909, the Perth Ladies Golf Club had been formed, with about 50 associates.

The Course was planted with couch grass initially, which was slow to grow, and by opening day, there were still areas of ungrassed sand. Ordinary white golf balls were difficult to distinguish from the white sand, so it was decided to use red-painted golf balls.

In the early years of establishment, the Golf Club was able to expand the course area by taking over a lease of land near Amherst Street, held by the South Perth Small-Bore Rifle Club which had opened in June 1907. Another of the early tasks was to request the Water Supply Department for an extension of the water mains to the Golf Course. The Department agreed to supply five million gallons (about 19 million litres) during the first year and three million gallons (about 11.3 million litres) in the second year, at a charge of sixpence per thousand gallons (5 cents per 3,800 litres).

Since its establishment the course has been consistently improved. It is not known when the number of fairways was increased from 9 to 12, but in 1913, it was further extended from 12 to 18 holes. In 1925, a motor mower was purchased to replace the previous hand-pushed or horse-drawn mowers. After the Depression, during 1934, extensive alterations were made to the Course design that served it for many years. During World War II, only essential maintenance work was undertaken and slit trenches were dug in strategic places on the Course.

It was not until 1970 that the old fashioned hose-and-sprinklers were replaced with an automatic reticulated sprinkler system.

In 1937, His Majesty King George VI granted the Club the honour of calling itself the “Royal Perth Golf Club”.

The Club’s first South Perth clubrooms comprised a cottage on the opposite corner of Labouchere Road which it rented from the Diocesan Trustees. On 1 December 1912, the State Government granted the Club a lease of a 2,000 sq. metre site, Perth Lot 431, at the corner of Labouchere Road and Amherst Street, for its Clubhouse. The new Clubhouse, completed by 1914, contained two rooms of 14 ft by 12 ft (just over 4 metres by 3.5 metres), with a 12 ft wide verandah – one room was used as change-rooms and the other as a bar lounge was completed and in use by 1914.

Since the construction of the original Clubhouse it has been subject to ongoing additions and alterations. It has not been established if any of the original building is still extant within the existing building however it is likely that some remnant structures remain. The most significant works were in 1918-20; 1932; 1948; 1957; 1964; 1974; 1981; 1989; c2007 and 2019/2020.

Integrity/Authenticity

High / Low

Condition

Good

Uses

Historic Themes

Creation Date

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Disclaimer

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.