Licencing

It would be difficult for anyone under the age of 30 to comprehend the tangled mess that was set up to regulate alcohol consumption in Australia.  The regulations and convoluted procedures set in place seemed to be there for the single purpose of feeding the families of those who were involved in the regulation industry.

The documents below come from the early 1970s.  The government's licencing board would give permission to sell and serve and dictate where and by whom, the hotels association raised objections on behalf of the pubs and the council handled the objections of the neighbours.  The licencing laws dictated the strict control of the club's membership - you were nominated, you were seconded and a management committee approved, or in some cases, disapproved.  By the early 1970s in Sydney and somewhat later in the more obedient southern states, the whole thing was a farce.  Commonsense eventually prevailed over the interests of the hotels, the church and a parochial & rather rank offspring of conservatism and the laws were 'reformed'.

A visitor's book had to be kept by the club and in NSW you could drink in a pub on a Sunday only if you were a 'bona-fide' traveller of at least 30 miles distance.   You were required to sign a special book with your name, address and distance travelled.  Those books were most amusing to read.  

A permit was given to sell and consume alcohol.  The permit below is for the sale of alcohol  to and consumption of alcohol by members and "one guest per member" for certain hours on certain days of the week for the bar and club area only and for two months to December 1974 only. 

There was the usual chorus of objections, from the Australian Hoteliers Association, from neighbours, from Council.  The licence was to be held by an individual, the licencee.  In the club's case, the licencee was found to be not able to hold the licence because he was a Commonwealth employee.  The applications all   had to go to a hearing of the licencing court.

  The Minutes of the 12th May 1982 record that "visitors book not even used on 8.5.82: drinkers on field - both contravening the club licence.  Committee members must watch this.