Otago Club Closes After 78 Years

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31329, 28 March 1967, Page 19

Otago Club Closes After 78 Years

The 78-year-old Otago Club closed last week. The dub’s premises occupied the former Standard Insurance building in Lower High street, Dunedin. The club had 230 members and was one of four chartered dubs in Dunedin, the others being the Dunedin (FernhiU)

Club, the Otago University Club and the Commercial Travellers* Club.

Mr D. B. Parker, the president of the club, said that although it was difficult to carry on against other attractions, efforts were being made to find suitable alternative premises. When the club started in 1888 as a limited company its first premises were in Hudson’s Coffee Palace in Moray place where the Criterion Hotel now stands. At the first meeting of the Otago Club Company Ltd., on October 31 of that year, it was decided to rent part of the Coffee Palace for £lOO a year.

There were 90 foundation members and after a year the number had increased to 115.

In 1889 the club agreed to lease new premises in the Standard Insurance Company’s building at £2OO for the first year and £250 afterwards. The inaugural dinner was held there the same year. The club has remained on the Standard premises since. In 1892, the club became residential and charged 8s a day or £2 2s a week.