THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE TURNER PCYC
by Dave Wheeler
What are now known as "PCYC'S" (Police and Citizens Youth Clubs) began in NSW as Police and Citizens Boys' Clubs in 1937.They were usually just referred to as Police Boys' Clubs and their primary objective was to give direction to boys to assist them in avoiding lives of crime. Their title and function changed because they have for many years also assisted female youth. I have previously written about the Turner PCYC in a book I wrote in 2011 entitled “TALES OF A CANBERRA BOY” which can be downloaded free of charge from this site above. In it I wrote an essay entitled “JACK DEALY AND THE TURNER PCYC” which describes how the late Jack Dealy was in charge of the Turner club during part of the early 60’s and how he saved it from financial ruin. Jack was a well-known and very tough Canberra policeman and wrestler who served in the ACT from 1949 to around 1973. He died in 2012 at the age of 94.
This document however, is about the early history and establishment of the Turner Police Boys' Club (or PCYC), and in particular the building of the Turner club itself. I have not gone beyond the early sixties other than to describe the Turner club’s closure.
The equivalent of today’s PCYC was founded
in Canberra by the Canberra policeman the late Harry Luton, who in 1957 called
for a public meeting to get the organisation established and a building erected.
Unfortunately only five people showed up at the meeting, but it was enough to
form a committee. Those who fronted were the previously mentioned Harry Luton, another
policeman named Sergeant George Groves, Vic Sagacio who owned a gym in
Queanbeyan, a Mrs Robinson and Dick Redman.
Dick was
the only living member of the original committee when I began gathering information for this document in August of 2012, and I thank him very much for the valuable information he gave
me. I received much of the other information from Jack Dealy, old Canberra
Times articles and PCYC newspapers.
A 2011 photo of the Turner PCYC
Harry became the secretary of the
committee, George became its chairman and all members set about the task of
raising money for the club’s establishment. Within weeks they received £1000 in donations as well as offers of voluntary
labour. The sum was to increase considerably in the next few years.
Fundraising was initially done by the late
Col Hillier, the late Ken Wood, the late Bill Lovejoy and the late Jack Dealy, who
were all ACT policemen. They organised dances and boxing and wrestling
tournaments. The boxing and wrestling was held at the Duntroon Gymnasium.
Rotary also had a lot to do with the
fundraising. More funds were raised by weekly housie held at the Services Club
at Manuka, and committee members and many other persons set about organising an
enormous garage sale covering at least half an acre in Ainslie Avenue where the
Canberra Centre now stands.
The club became an incorporated body in 1958 and the government
granted the lease for the land in Turner. More donations came in from
individuals, local businesses and other charities. When work on the club commenced most of it
was done by voluntary labour, with the volunteer adviser being a local
architect, G.W. Dunlop. The building supervisor was Les Holland, who also
became the vice president of the club.
The building was completed in 1960 and
officially opened on the 3rd of December by Viscountess Dunrossil. According
to Harry Luton in an 11/12/90 “The Chronicle” article, the task of constructing
the building cost around £50,000 but it was officially
valued at £70,000 due to so much money being
saved by way of voluntary labour and donations of material.
Above is a photo of “The Corvettes” playing at the PBC in 1961. They often shared the venue with “The Alpines.“ The Corvettes, as shown in the said photo, are from L to R Jim Miller, Ron Sankey, Ken Weaver, Ray Storey and George Lazenby. George Lazenby played James Bond in the 1969 film “On Her Majestry’s Secret Service.” He was able to get the lead role because he was from Queanbeyan. The Alpines were the first band to play at the club, on the 3/12/60. Other local bands, “The Casuals,” and “The Invaders,” also played at the club, and eventually “Bruce Lansley and The Presidents” became the regular band for the 50-50 dances.
Thanks to Val Starr for providing me with this information and Jim Miller, who, through Val Starr, provided the above photo of his band.
The former World Boxing Champion, Jimmy
Carruthers, assisted the club by purchasing for it a boxing ring and associated
equipment. I believe the current PCYC still possess that boxing ring.Thanks to Val Starr for providing me with this information and Jim Miller, who, through Val Starr, provided the above photo of his band.
A minute from one of the first committee meetings after the completion of the club states:
Names I have received from the CT’s articles
and other sources indicate that the following people were office bearers and
committee members of that era and/or involved in the club's establishment,
fundraising and construction. They are Harry
Luton, Ken Wood, Bill Lovejoy, Col Hillier, G.W. Dunlop, R.L. Odlum, Frank Thornton, Dick
Huckstepp, Bob Smith, Dick Redman, Mrs Robinson, Sgt G.H. Grove, JD Button, K
Schreiner, S East, K Hardwicke, Les Holland, Mal Grace, M.McDonald, Bert Vest, K. Hatcher, Vic Sagacio, Mrs J.W.
Ashton, Mr and Mrs Vincent, Mal Grace, Mr & Mrs BJ Donoghoe, Mr Gruzas, V. Ford, K. Batley, E.W.
Waterman, W Osbourne, Jack Dealy and Bill Reichel. There were many more.
I had two interesting Canberra Times newspaper clippings dated 20/11/59 & 11/2/60 which showed the club being built and named those who were on the committee as well as businesses and individuals who donated labour and materials. Unfortunately a woman from the Canberra Times library informed me the Canberra Times could not give me permission to publish the articles and photos in “ Tales of a Canberra Boy,” as they did not know if they were done by CT’s staff. Maybe The Paparazzi travelled to Canberra specifically to cover the construction of the club. The CT’s library was also not prepared to guarantee the CT’s would not sue me if I published the articles and photos and at a later stage it was discovered that the CT’s did have copyright. What a nice corporation!
Below are the links.
http://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/103069912/11490261
http://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/105902321/11512017
Another photo and article from the CT’s dated 5/4/63 I would have liked to have published in "Tales of a Canberra Boy,” showed the junior PBC Judo team, led by coaches Robert Carveth and Eric McCabe, prior to a trip to a tournament in Griffith, NSW. My mate, Spud Murphy, aged 13 at the time, is in the photo and remembers with fondness the sympathy and support he received from Eric McCabe after he (Spud; not Eric) vomited in the bus on the way to Griffith.
One of the previously mentioned CT’’s photos shows the slab being poured with voluntary labour from the building firm “W.J.Campbell.” It indicates the cement was donated by “Portland Cement,” the metal was donated by “Australian Blue Metal” and the concrete was mixed with the voluntary labour of “Transit Mixed Concrete.” The floor of the club was laid by voluntary Scandinavian labour from the Ainslie Hostel and the builder, Karl Schreiner, and his employees, also spent many hours of their weekends building the club with their donated labour.
I don’t know if any of these businesses still exist; nor do I know if there would be any Canberra businesses today who would be prepared to show the same degree of benevolence as the latter businesses should there ever be a call for assistance in restoring the Turner PCYC.
I had two interesting Canberra Times newspaper clippings dated 20/11/59 & 11/2/60 which showed the club being built and named those who were on the committee as well as businesses and individuals who donated labour and materials. Unfortunately a woman from the Canberra Times library informed me the Canberra Times could not give me permission to publish the articles and photos in “ Tales of a Canberra Boy,” as they did not know if they were done by CT’s staff. Maybe The Paparazzi travelled to Canberra specifically to cover the construction of the club. The CT’s library was also not prepared to guarantee the CT’s would not sue me if I published the articles and photos and at a later stage it was discovered that the CT’s did have copyright. What a nice corporation!
Below are the links.
http://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/103069912/11490261
http://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/105902321/11512017
Another photo and article from the CT’s dated 5/4/63 I would have liked to have published in "Tales of a Canberra Boy,” showed the junior PBC Judo team, led by coaches Robert Carveth and Eric McCabe, prior to a trip to a tournament in Griffith, NSW. My mate, Spud Murphy, aged 13 at the time, is in the photo and remembers with fondness the sympathy and support he received from Eric McCabe after he (Spud; not Eric) vomited in the bus on the way to Griffith.
One of the previously mentioned CT’’s photos shows the slab being poured with voluntary labour from the building firm “W.J.Campbell.” It indicates the cement was donated by “Portland Cement,” the metal was donated by “Australian Blue Metal” and the concrete was mixed with the voluntary labour of “Transit Mixed Concrete.” The floor of the club was laid by voluntary Scandinavian labour from the Ainslie Hostel and the builder, Karl Schreiner, and his employees, also spent many hours of their weekends building the club with their donated labour.
I don’t know if any of these businesses still exist; nor do I know if there would be any Canberra businesses today who would be prepared to show the same degree of benevolence as the latter businesses should there ever be a call for assistance in restoring the Turner PCYC.
The club struggled financially after its
opening, but with a loan from Vic Sagacio, the hard work of committee members
and volunteers, and eventually the enterprising skills of Jack Dealy, the club
survived.
Immediately above is the club while it was being built some time in early 1960. The top photo is of it when it was near completion towards the end of 1960. Thanks to Jim Hosie and Neophytos Pertsinidis who rescued these photos and other documents just before they were about to be thrown out.
Above is the opening of the Police Boys’ Club in 1960 by Kathy Morrison, the Mrs of the then Governor General, Bill Morrison, whose mates called him Viscount Dunrossil.
A highly controversial decision to close the club was made by the 2006 PCYC Board of Directors who had other plans for the site which did not eventuate, and it was closed in that year. Part of the reason for its closure was because a structural report seemed to indicate it should be written off. The report, of which I have a copy, was publicly disputed by a top QLD builder who believed its repair would have been relatively easy and inexpensive, and the PCYC Board of Directors at the time was criticised for not having made a proper effort to call for input from users and the public before making its decision.
A highly controversial decision to close the club was made by the 2006 PCYC Board of Directors who had other plans for the site which did not eventuate, and it was closed in that year. Part of the reason for its closure was because a structural report seemed to indicate it should be written off. The report, of which I have a copy, was publicly disputed by a top QLD builder who believed its repair would have been relatively easy and inexpensive, and the PCYC Board of Directors at the time was criticised for not having made a proper effort to call for input from users and the public before making its decision.
I was the secretary of ACT Wrestling at the time, which trained at the Turner PCYC, and I know nobody within our club who was asked for input prior to the decision to close the place being made. What a disgrace! Had they asked for assistance to fix the place (which I am led to believe the AFP were willing to do at the time) there would have been many tradies who were more than willing to donate their skills and many companies and individuals who would have been prepared to donate financially.
In the above photo facing us is the late Bruce Vincent sparring an unidentified opponent. Bruce, who did much for the club and was a life member, was ACT's best heavyweight boxer of his era and an excellent judoka. The photo was taken in 1975. Bruce died from a heart attack on the 3/3/14. He was a very high quality human being who will be missed.
In the above photo facing us is the late Bruce Vincent sparring an unidentified opponent. Bruce, who did much for the club and was a life member, was ACT's best heavyweight boxer of his era and an excellent judoka. The photo was taken in 1975. Bruce died from a heart attack on the 3/3/14. He was a very high quality human being who will be missed.
The building did not
have a problem with asbestos as has been reported, as that problem had been fixed
several years before its closure. It does however, have some asbestos in it, as
have most buildings of that age, but it is the type that is harmless unless it
is disturbed.
I had previously attempted to have the building heritage listed, but, as expected, it was rejected without my being consulted. The ACT Heritage Council has a reputation of being very much pro-development and lacking true independence. They must have realised the building's heritage value, but it would seem they simply did not care.
I had previously attempted to have the building heritage listed, but, as expected, it was rejected without my being consulted. The ACT Heritage Council has a reputation of being very much pro-development and lacking true independence. They must have realised the building's heritage value, but it would seem they simply did not care.
I have had conversations with various persons who have told me certain things which leads me to believe that at times certain members of the latter Council may have been corrupt, but it is not something I can prove.
So far nothing has been done with the site and the building appears to have been totally neglected. Even though it still stands the vandals and the elements are slowly destroying it.
Are the various Boards of Directors over the years deliberately neglecting it because they are hoping a fire, the elements or vandals will destroy the building to the extent that it is beyond repair, meaning that when what remains of the building is bulldozed the blame will not be directed to the PCYC Board of Directors that make that final decision?
That is one of the oldest tricks in the book when it comes to the art of attempting to get rid of historic buildings in a way that will minimise public discontent. But, the public are now fully aware of that tactic and it can no longer be executed in a credible manner. I believe the phrase is "demolition through neglect."
If at some stage a Board of Directors contemplates demolishing the building it should not make the mistake of the 2006 Board which did not first call for community consultation to ensure the building was not so far gone it could not be saved.
And contrary to what some Board members believe, they have a moral obligation to many individuals, charities and taxpayers to keep the building functioning, as all of the previously mentioned people gave time and/or money in order for the Turner club to be built. Had the past boards and committees accepted no public or private money or labour in establishing the Turner club it would be a different story.
Should the Turner PCYC succumb to fire, the elements or vandalism, to the extent that it is written off and bulldozed, the persons who have held office in the various PCYC Boards of Directors from 2006 onwards will be written into Canberra’s history for all the wrong reasons.
UPDATE 15/5/24
I was sent a link tonight showing a part of a Canberra Times article by a journalist named Brittney Levinson, which announced that the Turner PCYC will be demolished.
I bet we hear more poor and inaccurate excuses for its demolition, such as it being contaminated by asbestos, even though the problem had been fixed years before its closure.
But, maybe the current PCYC Board of Directors were thrown a hospital pass which originated from the 2006 Board, and although I am sure it was repairable in 2006 maybe the years of neglect since then really have ensured it should be written off. I don't know.
I would have preferred that the current Board, before deciding to demolish the place, had called for community consultation so the state of the building could have been independently inspected and assessed to ensure restoration really was not possible, as some people believe a full restoration is still entirely feasible.
It would seem that nowadays there is little appreciation of history and little empathy for kids who need a centrally located place to amuse themselves, as I once did at the Turner PCYC.
An important part of Canberra's past will vanish.
If anyone knows the names of the current PCYC Board of Directors, who presumably were responsible for deciding on the demolition of the Turner building, please let me know. I believe their names should be published in order to complete the history of the club, starting with its birth and ending with its death.
FIRST WRITTEN BY DAVE WHEELER ON 2/4/13
FOR MANY MORE MAINLY CANBERRA-BASED YARNS HIT OR THE “HOME” BUTTON UP THE TOP)
