Myola Club Building

The Myola Club began as Mrs Flower's Literary Circle through an arrangement she made with Lionel Logue, to coach a group of women in the art of speech making and chairing a meeting. Myola means 'place for knowledge' or 'meet and learn'.

The annual subscription was two shillings and sixpence. Over the next few years the group had many meeting venues and name changes. They began developing plans for their own building in 1930 with architects Margaret Pitt-Morrison and Harold Kranz.

The new building, at 6 Stirling Road, Claremont, built by L H Armstrong, was opened on the 30th April 1935 by the 73 year old founder of the club Ellen Jewell 'Nellie' Flower. When the club first opened, downstairs was a hall for general meetings and entertainment, with a stage at one end. Upstairs was a library and committee room. Club members were particularly proud of the committee room, as it had a mat on the floor worked from fleece in the club's colours by Margaret Pitt-Morison, a foundation member.

The club had to vacate the building during WWII in 1942, when the United States Navy used it as a medical centre, with Dr Wassell in charge. In 1946 the club decided to undertake humanitarian work, such as the Silver Chain Cottages, the Red Cross and the Cancer Appeal.

The Club had a choir, a reading circle, a drama group, held craft classes, formal dances and wedding receptions.

An Aboriginal fund was formed in 1953 to create a Myola Scholarship for a selected Aboriginal student, but for some years its sole use was to aid Jigalong Mission with christmas parcels, sewing machines and materials.

The golden jubilee was celebrated in 1971, with 150 members sitting down to a lunch in the hall. And in 1981 they celebrated their diamond (60 years) anniversary.

Declining numbers, an aging membership and the high cost of maintaining the building forced the Club to close in December 2004.