History
CLAREMONT YACHT CLUB
100 YEARS OF HISTORY 1905 - 2005
The move to establish a yacht club in Claremont was initiated in 1903 and finally became a reality in 1905 with the Inaugural General Meeting on 17 February and the initial lease of the riverside property Deepdene in March of the same year. The property was later purchased outright on 20 December 1910. In so doing, CYC became the first yacht club in WA to own its own land and premises. By such ownership, it then had access to all the water in front of its land to the theoretical mid point of the Swan River; a situation which of course no longer exists. Throughout the next 40 to 50 years the Club waxed in boom times and waned during the two World Wars and the Depression. In the 1920s and 1930s, it was one of the largest sailing clubs on the River being the major home to the then popular semi-raters like Rhythm and Swing. Equally it was the recreational home to many of the old, established Claremont families like the Olivers, Potters, Muhlings, Nunns, Motterams, Menglers, Marshalls, Buchanans and many more.
During the 1950s, the Deepdene building was dismantled and the new clubhouse established with much of the work being done by the members themselves. During the 1960s, the jetties were extended and the shore-side parking area constructed, again all with members’ initiative and effort. It has always been a club of close member and local community bonds and action. The pens and jetties were again extended in the 1970s, the 1990s and again in the new Millennium.
In the Club’s centenary year, this was all documented in Claremont Yacht Club – 100 Years of History, 1905 – 2005. This book not only documents the history of the Club; its yachts and launches, its races and functions, its buildings and jetties; anecdotes and character portraits flesh out this story of individual and family endeavours, of strong community bonds and a rich social fabric. The book also contains over 200 photos from the Club’s inception, through yester-year up until today. It is available from the CYC office.