The Rylstone Club

THE RYLSTONE CLUB….. BY J.W.TINDALE After World War II was finished, the Returned Service Men were invited to join the Rylstone Returned Service League Sub Branch. They held the monthly meetings in the Small Hall at 8 p.m. the first Saturday of the month. It was at one of these meetings that the idea of having their own Club Room was discussed. Several ideas were put to the meeting but no final decision was achieved except that a Committee be formed to seek the possibility of a Club of their own. Six of the new members were selected to form a committee. At that period, Glen Davis Shale Oil was closing and the people were leaving the site. Kerney’s Butchers Shop, opposite the Police Station, was closing so the committee paid the first two weeks rent for this building out of their own pockets We reported back to the RSL Meeting and told them what we had done. It was received with reservation, but the meeting approved of our action and gave us the Green Light to proceed. So now to get some finance: it was decided to have a Wool Drive. We sent out circulars telling people what we had in mind and we would like the Wool growers to donate a Fleece of Wool. It was a success. Some gave several. Mr. R.E Evans of Dabee gave us one hundred pounds which was a lot of money in those days; anyway we sold the wool which was bringing good money then. So now we had the Building and some finance – next, a working bee to convert a Butchers Shop into a Club Room. This completed, we purchased a few simple chairs, a 3/4 size billiard table, A S.H domestic fridge, a six penny S.H poker machine from Randwick Business Men’s Club in Sydney, a dart board, some floor coverings, and small items such as glasses etc.