TODAY (Wednesday 26 June) is the last day of trading for Coonamble RSL Club at their 18 Castlereagh Street premises.
The volunteer Board of Management says that they can no longer continue to trade and staff were given one week’s notice last Wednesday 19 June.
With an ageing building in need of work and a declining customer base, the rumours that have circulated for at least 12 months are set to become reality.
The Club’s nineteen poker machines had been progressively sold with the seven remaining poker machines sold in April this year, marking a turning point for the volunteer board of management.
The last late-nighter was held at the Brumbies Night Club on the ground floor of the Club on Saturday 23 June, with a sizeable crowd helping to ensure that the Board can bow out with a clean slate and with all stocks exhausted.
“We won’t leave owing anything,” said RSL Club Vice President Terry (Eccles) Lees. “We’ve been paying cash on delivery for the past 12 months but everyone knows we can’t keep running at a loss.”
“We didn’t want it to go to the receivers so we will be able to pay off our accounts and our loan from the Sub-branch,” Mr Lees said.
Staff members have only been employed on a casual basis with barman Allan Alberts, secretary Samantha Harris and other bar staff like Ian King, Joanne Leafe and Aiden Lee now having to find other work.
The building and land belong to the Coonamble RSL Sub-Branch, whose memberships consists of nineteen returned servicemen and other members of the armed forces or army reserves.
That group are not involved with the running of the licensed club.
Volunteer Manager Carol Stanley stepped into the role five years ago when it became clear the Club could no longer afford a paid manager.
“The Sub-branch have lent us money on and off,” Mrs Stanley said. “They really stuck by us and even cut our rent to $50 a week.”
In 2014, Mrs Stanley and Von Hodges started the Brumbies Nightclub.
“We had the 24 hour licence and we wanted to provide something for the young ones,” she said.
The nightclub has been a popular attraction with party-goers enjoying the DJ skills of Steven Harris, Bill Carroll, Aubrey Thurston and others.
On Saturday night young Joey Smith began – and ended – his apprenticeship as a RSL Brumbies Nightclub DJ for a crowd of around 200 people who stayed until 3.30am.
The RSL Club Board owns the 24-hour liquor licence as well as all furniture and fittings and has rented the building since it opened in November 1964.
“In those days it was very prosperous,” said volunteer Manager Carol Stanley. “There were a lot more members but it has been neglected over the years.”
The Board lost their President John (Bunda) Walker in April but the writing was already on the wall.
Despite the efforts of Board members Terry Lees, Joe Bellgardt and Robert Stanley volunteering their time towards many of the club’s functions the organisation’s finances were in a downward slide.
“You can rest assured that as a Board we tried everything we could think of,” Mr Lees said.
“We have tried very hard but we realised for a long time that it was just a matter of how long we could go on.”
“If the building is sold the funds go to Head Office,” Mrs Stanley said.
“That is something that I need to investigate further to see whether at least some of the proceeds can remain local but the licence is owned by the Club and is attached to this site so it can’t be taken elsewhere.”
“We will sell the licence so the sub-branch can sell the club as a going concern,” said Mr Lees. “It just won’t be an RSL Club.”
“It’s sad but possibly better – we don’t want to see it closed.”
Mr Lees has confirmed that the Board have received a couple of offers and are currently in negotiations.
“I’m sad for the returned men more than anything,” Mrs Stanley said.
“But the Bowling Club have generously offered to have their meetings and some of their memorabilia there.”
“It’s nice to think that people care enough to offer,” she said.
“The Hospital and the Terminus Hotel have also offered and we’re hoping the Shire Council will take the Returned Servicemen’s Honour Boards that are in the Club’s foyer,” she said.
The ‘RSL Booze Bus’ actually belongs to Mrs Stanley herself and she has committed that the service will continue.
“We have volunteer drivers and the donations cover the petrol and upkeep with whatever’s left going to the sub-branch,” Mrs Stanley said.
“ANZAC Day will run as always,” she said.
“Marchers will still gather out the front of this building and the march will start from here and go up the main street.”
Mrs Stanley and the Board members say they are grateful for the support from their loyal patrons and other supporters.
