Deanmill Workers Club celebrates 70th anniversary

A historic workers club in the South West celebrated its 70th anniversary last weekend with a range of entertainment. Members and friends of the Deanmill Workers Club united in recognition of seven decades of community, camaraderie and mateship across three days of celebrations, including live music, an annual Italian sausage competition and a life members’ get-together. The DWC was built in 1951 to provide a social outlet for the mill workers at State Sawmill Number 1, the largest jarrah and karri sawmill of its kind in the southern hemisphere based in Deanmill, which was settled more than a century ago. It opened in 1952 as a male-only venue where mill workers could gather after work to wind down and socialise. The club is now open to all and is the home of well-known restaurant Club 52 and a family bar atmosphere with pool tables, dart board, Warren-Blackwood Axemen’s Club and plenty of room for hire. The Manjimup-Bridgetown Times spoke with third generation life member Craig Proudfoot and fourth generation life member Nigel Pitts, who reminisced about the club’s history. Mr Proudfoot said his grandfather and Mr Pitts’ great-grandfather were founding members of the club, setting it up as a place for the mill workers to socialise away from work and their homes. “Initially they had to run it not-for-profit for 12 months,” he said. “They had to volunteer and set it all up and run it as a business for 12 months before they could get a liquor licence and prove they were capable of managing it.” Mr Proudfoot said the restaurant was built in 2010 after research suggested the best way for the club to survive was to supply food and a family-friendly atmosphere. “Nigel saw an article in England how they were closing 100 pubs a week through England and Europe ... and the only ones surviving were ones with food,” he said. “So we built the kitchen and the restaurant. It cost us nearly $100,000 but we turned the club over. “That first year we just turned the club straight around.” Mr Pitts said the original building for the club was quite small but had gradually expanded and developed into what it is today. “It’s very much an original club,” he said. “There’s a lot of small clubs in places like this in the State and in Australia that just haven’t survived. “So that’s what I think is the biggest testament is, that it’s seen 70 years and it’s been able to survive and keep its doors open while a lot of others shut their doors and walked away. “So there wouldn’t be a lot of workers clubs functional in WA and in Australia that are still able to be sustainable.” The DWC also held its annual general meeting on the weekend, electing three new committee members while retaining president Ben Enkelman and vice-president Kaylene Roberts. Mr Enkelman said that while the mask mandates earlier this year really hurt the club, it had managed to turn a slight profit which would ensure it could continue to run and provide the community a place to socialise. “(70 years on) it’s still a good spot for gatherings,” he said. “People just come here to have a laugh and to have a good time. “It’s somewhere where people can come and just hang out, see a bit of live entertainment, have a feed and a few drinks. “It’s good for the community to have somewhere to go so they don’t have to travel all the way into town (Manjimup). “Now that Parkside are doing the houses up as well and putting them on the rental market, we should get a whole lot more new faces and new members in the club who are going to carry it forward to the next 15 to 20 years.”