An elite Australian men’s club whose roster includes former prime ministers on Tuesday overwhelmingly voted to maintain its 183-year ban on women members.
Nearly 700 votes were cast at the Australian Club’s special general meeting, with only 37 per cent in favour of allowing women to join – well short of the three quarters vote required to pass the change.
The Sydney club, founded in 1838, has counted prime ministers John Howard and Malcolm Turnbull, Cardinal George Pell and the billionaire James Packer among its members.
A spokeswoman said: “There was a record turn-out of members to consider and vote on the resolution. The meeting determined that the 75 per cent threshold to pass the resolution was not met.”
Carol Schwartz, a non-executive director at the Reserve Bank of Australia, told the Australian Financial Review the decision was “beyond belief”.
“Can you imagine in the 21st century that we’re actually still having this conversation and that it actually matters?” Ms Schwartz said.
In 2014, then Australian Attorney General George Brandis was criticised in parliament for joining one of Melbourne’s most exclusive men only clubs – the Savage Club, founded in 1840.
Mr Brandis said at the time that “there’s nothing against the law of Australia for there to be men’s only clubs and there’s nothing against the law of Australia for there to be mixed clubs, nor should there”.
Lucy Turnbull, the wife of former PM and Malcolm, told local media that while she would welcome any move towards gender equality she would “have to think about it” if she were ever asked to join the Australian Club with her husband.
A leading male Queen’s Counsel, who is a member of the club, was quoted in the Australian Financial Review in 2019 saying he supported opening up membership to women: “it’s an idea whose time will come,” he said.
“It’s a strange world where the governor, the premier, numerous members of professions, senior public servants, judges, members of the [armed forces] and members of the teaching professions can’t be members of the club simply because they are women.”
