End of an era for Surry Hills institution

By Mick Roberts

A part of Surry Hills’ political history will be auctioned-off next month.
The old Labor Club in Bourke Street was established by the influential Surry Hills Branch of the Australian Labor Party as a place where members could socialise, meet and ‘ of course ‘ play politics.
Founding member and one-time East Sydney federal MP Len Devine says it’s disappointing to see such an institution pass into history.
Now 84 and still living in Surry Hills with his wife, Len was a Labor MP for the seat of East Sydney from 1963 until it was abolished in 1969.
Len told The City News that he and other Branch members established the Sydney Labor Club at 464 Bourke Street in the 1960s. He was a founding member with other Labor legends, such as former state MP, the late Fred Miller, one-time South Sydney Mayor Vic Smith and Surry Hills Branch president Eddie Swift.
Len represented what was then a traditional, working-class inner city constituency. The Club catered for one of the most underprivileged communities in NSW, characterised by poor housing, overcrowding, unemployment and sheer poverty.
Len said although the Club was established essentially as a political meeting place, it also served the community, and was a popular entertainment venue.
‘We had some big names performing at the Club in its hey day,’ Len said.
‘There were entertainers such as Judy Stone, Col Joy, and Johnny O’Keefe ‘ boy, were they hanging from the rafters that night,’ he said.
Rose Millward was President of the Club during the 1980s at a time when the landmark venue had seen her best days.
Surry Hills was becoming a much more gentrified community. Trendy cafes, patisseries, and upmarket restaurants, were replacing the blue collar smokey bars and bistros as preferred eateries.
‘We were always busy with workers dropping in for lunch ‘ we had a wonderful restaurant,’ Rose said. ‘Every afternoon, men would drop in to have a drink after work.
‘There was a billiard table, juke box and poker machines.’
Rose, now 72, is married to another local Labor stalwart ‘ 91-year-old Harry Millwood and like the remaining founding members has seen their beloved Surry Hills completely transform.
‘Changing demographics has changed Surry Hills,’ she said. ‘It’s a bit more precious than it used to be.’
Evelyn Swift, widow of one-time Surry Hills Branch president Eddie, also has fond memories of the old Labor Club.
‘Eddie had the butcher shop in Bourke Street for 54 years, and if anyone was looking for branch members discussing local politics, they could always be found at the Club, or down the road in Eddie’s shop,’ Evelyn said.
Former Deputy Mayor of South Sydney Council, Chris Harcourt says it was a sad day when the Club closed its doors in 2005.
‘The Club tried just about everything to keep going, but the writing was on the wall,’ Chris said.
A change of name from the Labor Club, to the Labor and Community Club, to attract a broader clientele was not enough, and in 2005 members were forced into amalgamation as the only chance of survival.
A rescue package from the South Sydney Graphic Arts Club, based at Mascot, came in 2005 and massive renovations followed.
The venue underwent changes with the upstairs lounge preserved, but the old Labor haunt’s role became principally an art-space and eatery, renamed Arts on Bourke.
Rose and Len – both life members – agreed the Club’s demise came about mainly due to a lack of support from its members.
‘It was a sad day when it closed,’ Rose recalled. ‘I was in tears.’
The Arts on Bourke venture was a failure, and the Club closed earlier this year.
Century 21 will auction the piece of Surry Hills’ history, on behalf of the Graphic Arts Club, on June 7. It is expected to fetch around $4 million.