The Mandurah Country Club was buzzing with laughter and reminiscing at October 12's Ladies Tea reunion.
Current members welcomed back 65 past members to catch up on old times and see the changes to the Club after it's most recent renovation a couple of years ago.
The Club was meant to celebrate it's 60th anniversary in 2020 but due to COVID it had been postponed, so the reunion doubled as a birthday party.
Ladies Club captain Margaret Romaior shared some history of the Mandurah Country Club, telling the gathering that when it first opened back in 1960 there had been 75 men and 71 women as members.
It was one of the only clubs at the time who allowed women to be full members and not just associates.
First debentures were issued at 10 pounds for men and five pounds for women to raise capital for the clubhouse.
According to Club patron and foundation member Judith Tuckey, the original "clubhouse" before the official one was built was "a tin shed with a sand floor, a Metters stove down one end and a couple of outhouses out the back".
"This didn't last long because we saved like mad and got a proper clubhouse," Ms Tuckey laughed.
That happened in 1963 and cost 20,000 pounds, which was quite a sum in those days.
Two other foundation members were in attendance on the day, Kaye Christianson and Jo Scott.
Ms Scott, 95, was at the inaugural club meeting on March 9, 1960 and helped Ms Romaior cut the celebratory cake to much applause.
Ms Romaior also thanked the two members responsible for the reunion, Erica Evans and Anne Bryant.
"These two ladies have worked tirelessly in creating this day. They found all the contacts, have organised food with the help of Lyn and staff. It's girls like this that make this club the success it is today," Ms Romaior said.
It was no easy task, either, according to Ms Evans and Ms Bryant.
The idea had come to them back in November 2020, when a chance comment wondering where someone had gone, turned into a full-blown search to track down all of the past ladies' members.
"We thought it would be great to see where everyone was," Ms Evans said.
"It was like a giant jigsaw puzzle; a bit would fit here, then a name wouldn't fit there. We'd hear of someone who had gotten married, then someone else who got married three times," she laughed.
To top off an already wonderful day, member Roz Sutton shared the fabulous news she had just been given the all-clear from the cancer she had been battling.
The room erupted in cheering and there were quite a few tears of joy shed.
The Club hopes to turn the reunion into an annual event and Ms Romaior thanked everyone for coming and said she was "looking forward to seeing you all again next year".
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