Michael Kelly today publishes Chapter 5 – The Clubhouse.
At first glance, it is hard to see the original clubhouse in today’s building. The changes wrought on the building are not dissimilar to what has happened to the golf course. The original building is in there somewhere though and this is the story of well over a century of expansion, renovation and modernisation.
The original clubhouse, which opened on 25 April 1908, was designed by Crichton and McKay, well-respected and skilful architects whose greatest claim to fame was probably their work for the Wellington Hospital Board. One notable example that remains is the former Fever Hospital (now SPCA headquarters) on Mt Victoria (1918). Remarkably, the firm continued until 2018, most recently as Bulleyment Fortune Architects. The builders were Manning and Broadfoot and their successful tender was £2,112. Construction was supervised, in part, by John Coom, chief engineer of the New Zealand Railways, who was by then on his second stint as captain of the golf club. The timber, all native, was brought in from the Manawatu.
