Mill Club Membership Card

When the Mill Social Club, built by the workers, opened its doors in 1951, women were welcomed as members, unlike many similar clubs at the time which were exclusively for men. This open membership perhaps reflected the fact that ‘The Donnelly’ was one of the first mills to employ women in the mill, where they worked not only in the office, but also in the planning shed, sorting and bundling the milled wood. However, though their club membership was described as ‘equal’, there were, in fact, restrictions on when and where the women could mix. They were allowed only into the lounge and dance hall, and could only mix with men on dance nights and at functions such as dart competitions.