ix) Associates
Women were members of the Ipswich Golf Club from the beginning. The original rules of 1897 stated specifically that ladies could be "introduced at the links" and women were eligible to enter the first medal competition.
In many ways, golf was an ideal sport for late 19th century women because the movements involved in swinging a club were not unduly hampered by the long skirts and petticoats of that time.
Women including wives and potential players were invited to witness the first practice day in Ipswich on October 2 1897 and within a few weeks, Mrs Lyons was out on the links. She shared the highest handicap of 81 with Dr McDonald but rather bravely decided to enter the first medal competition. Her play must have improved rapidly because her adjusted score on the first day of competition was a creditable 73 for two rounds, in second place overall to Mr Gillespie at 67.
We do not know any details about this first woman player. As no Mr Lyons was mentioned in the club at this time, she may have been a widow. A later list of players included "Jackie" Lyons - the first name being given in quote marks, so this may have been a nick-name for her. Several years later, she was still a member and a Miss Lyons, presumably a daughter, was also mentioned as a lady player. Although the membership rules were enlightened for the time, Ipswich women appeared reluctant to take advantage of them. When Lord Lamington played in Ipswich in 1898, the crowd of spectators included a large proportion of women and the subject of a ladies’ golf club was raised. The male golfers, probably puzzled by this, replied that the admission of women was already covered by the club rules.
The formal recognition of women as "Associates" took place in 1905. There are no minutes surviving for this period, so it is not clear why this step was taken. However brief newspaper articles give a few clues.
In about July of 1905, a number of women took part in a tournament at the Club and the president, Arthur Mort, entertained the competitors and their friends to an impromptu afternoon tea. The lady players decided to return the compliment. They held a meeting and in mid-August, presented an elaborate entertainment at the clubhouse for Mr and Mrs Mort, other club members and their wives. The well-known local firm Whitehouses was the caterer and the clubhouse was decorated in blue and white, the favourite colours of Mr Mort.
The "lady players" mentioned were Mrs Lyons, Mrs Adair and several unmarried women - the two Misses Harding and the Misses Lyons, Wilson, Gray and Real. Their meetings may well have raised subjects other than afternoon tea arrangements because only a month later, a brief announcement appeared in the newspaper that the Club rules had been altered. Ladies would in future be admitted as Associate members upon payment of a nominal subscription of 2/6.
From the modern viewpoint of the 1990s, it might seem a backward step to replace full membership rights with an arrangement that was separate but always subject to male approval.
The Associate style of membership was already in place in both Brisbane and Toowoomba. Finance may have been a factor, with young unmarried women reluctant or unable to pay the full membership fee, or it may have been thought that women would be more successful with their own organisation rather than continue as a minority group in the men’s domain.
Whatever the reasoning, "lady players" at Ipswich became "Associates" in 1905, soon forming their own committee and holding their own women’s events.
The first Clubhouse built in 1910 had a separate room for lady members and three women appeared in the photograph of important members present at the opening - Miss G. Thorn, Miss Mabel Deacon and Miss Josey Bytheway. The last named was a very well-known singer and may have been present with Cambrian Choir conductor and golfer Leonard Francis as a guest rather than as a golfer.
By at least 1913, the Club was holding an official Ladies’ Championship, won in that year by Mrs E.D. Stewart with Miss Mabel Deacon as runner-up.
We are comparatively well informed about the Associates from 1925 onwards because their Minutes Books from this date, unlike those of the Members, have been preserved.
It is clear from reading these minutes that the Associates took their golf seriously. They played pennant games, discussed local rules, argued vehemently but rationally with decisions of the Ladies’ Golf Union and were serious about golf etiquette.
Because married women rarely worked in that era, they also had time for fundraising and each year, were able to contribute 60 pounds or more to Club funds, as well as passing on their fees. In 1928, for example, they paid for most of the furnishings of the new clubhouse; in 1929, they installed the first septic system; in 1932 they provided a drinking fountain on the 13th tee; and in 1935, they provided a gas stove - the earlier cooking appliance seems to have been a "Blue Flame" spirit stove.
A favourite form of fundraising was a bridge party or a "bridge and golf" day. The annual Golf Ball, organised by the Associates and usually held in the Town Hall, also produced a regular profit.
The Associates raised money for other causes within the community. In 1929, at the beginning of the Great Depression, they contributed to the unemployment fund and in 1938, a bridge day raised money for the new Women’s College within the University of Queensland. In 1974, they raised money for Flood Relief.
In wartime, they raised money for many patriotic funds such as Red Cross and were involved in the QLGU War Chest fundraising. They also decided to undertake some form of patriotic work at the Clubhouse. The type of work is not recorded but making camouflage nets was a common task. In the immediate post-war years, they were prominent in raising money for the Food Parcels for Britain Appeal.
The relationship with the Members was usually, but not always, cordial. The Associates had to ask permission to carry out tasks such as hanging their honour board, but there is little indication that they found this irksome. Even when, for example, they asked to hold a function in the Clubhouse on Melbourne Cup Day, their minutes record no annoyance when Members refused permission.
They undertook a considerable amount of voluntary catering for Members’ afternoon teas and functions, often assisted by a paid woman employee. After the move to the new course, the Associates again took on the catering for many years and the money they raised and the wages they saved were vital to the Club in those lean times of the 1950s. In the 1980s, when the Clubhouse was virtually rebuilt, the Associates were still prominent in fundaraising, contributing $4700 in 1985 alone.
Because most Associates were free to play on weekdays, men claimed priority at weekends and this occasionally created problems. In 1930, the Members wrote to the Associates, demanding that they did not use the Assembly Room on a Saturday. The Associates replied with a letter of protest but eventually agreed; it may have been coincidence but the following month, however, the Associates wrote politely to the Members telling them to make their own arrangements for afternoon tea on Saturdays in future.
The Associates were keen to interest younger women in golf, but many unmarried women worked and could not play mid-week. In 1932, a competition was started for "business girls" on Saturdays with the first draw at 2pm after shops closed. The Business Girls group continued to function during the war and by 1950, was holding its own meetings.
Changes in attitude were in the air by the 1950s. The Associates wrote to the Members in 1951, asking to be allowed to control their own money such as subscriptions, competition money, and afternoon tea profits. This request was accepted.
The question of suitable dress occupied the Associates in 1954: should players be allowed to wear slacks on the course? The QLGU was consulted and replied that there was no definite ruling, but they did not approve. Women in slacks would not be allowed to play in QLGU events unless "abnormal weather conditions were prevailing". This was formalised as a local rule in Ipswich the following year.
Associates were also strict about the ethics of sponsorship. When the representative of a French perfume firm approached them in 1955 with an offer to sponsor a trophy if the company could provide score sheets, they were concerned about the commercial aspects of the offer.
Many exceptional women golfers have come from the Associates ranks in Ipswich and these are profiled later in this book.
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