Where We AreSituated at 17 Tinakori Road, in the central city suburb of Thorndon, Wellington Bridge Club is the largest
and most successful bridge club in New Zealand's capital. ♣ 7.30pm Tuesday evenings
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Visitors are welcome to ring Dot Procter, our club manager, on +64-4-972 4311 who will
endeavour to find a partner for you for a nights relaxing bridge. Alternatively,
you can email us for any further information.
Lessons for people who want to learn to play Bridge will be held at the
club rooms on Tuesday evenings. Two sets of lessons are planned for 2009.
The second set of lessons for 2008 started on Tuesday 10 June 2008 @ 7.45pm.
Lessons consist of 12 weeks tuition followed by three weeks play amongst the
new members before they are introduced into the Junior Grade on Tuesday evenings.
The $50 cost includes comprehensive take-home notes, and entitles you to free club membership until the end of the financial year.
Anybody interested in attending the lessons should contact Dot Procter at the bridge club
on +64-4-972 4311 or send her an email.
♣ 10 November 2008
♣ 20 October 2008
♣ 09 September 2008
♣ 11 August 2008
♣ 14 July 2008
♣ 09 June 2008
♣ 2008 Annual Report
♣ November 2008
♣ Late October 2008
♣ October 2008
♣ September 2008
♣ August 2008
♣ July 2008
♣ June 2008
| Postal Address: | Wellington Bridge Club | PO Box 12-370 | Thorndon | Wellington 6144 | Clubrooms: | 17 Tinakori Road | Thorndon | Wellington | Telephone: | +64-4-972 4311 | Email address: | wnbridge@paradise.net.nz |
| President: | Jenny Delany | Vice-President: | Peter Barker | Secretary: | Treasurer: | Jeremy Morley | Immediate Past President: | Charlie Cahn | Committee: | Ruth Edgerton | Suzanne Green | Bridget Hannaway (co-opted) | Sue Johnstone | Kathy O'Halloran | Richard Schneider (co-opted) | Derek Snelling | Heath Tolley (co-opted) | Dayle Wilton |
| Christmas Cheer Tournament | Saturday November 22 2008 |
| Club Cocktail Party | Friday November 28 2008 |
| Suzanne Duncan Memorial Tournament | Saturday-Monday December 27-29 2008 |
Bridge Links (Note - links will open a new browser window)
Designed by Dean Sole and Karl Hayes.
A Short History of Wellington Bridge Club
With the benefit of hindsight, it can be seen that an American bridge player would come to this country
for something more than a fleeting visit, would miss his competitive bridge, and would do
something about it. In Wellington, in 1934, that’s what happened.
An advertisement was inserted in the “Evening Post” by Mr Otto Glen-Doepel with a plea for
anyone interested to contact him. A meeting was called, attended by 80 people,
and “The New Zealand Contract Bridge Association (Wellington Division)” was duly formed and
registered some 13 months later as an incorporated society. In December 1937 the
local club changed its name to The Wellington Bridge Club (Incorporated).
By March 1935 membership numbered 250 names and the Elm Tree Rooms, above McKenzie’s department
store in Willis Street, was the Club’s first home. The first year’s membership
stabilised at 120 players and apart from the years of World War II this figure remained
constant until the world-wide bridge boom of the mid 1960’s. In 1936 the Club
entered into a tenancy agreement with the National Club for the use of its rooms then
situated above Johnston’s Wines & Spirits at the corner of Panama Street and
Featherston Street, and thus began an association which was to continue until late 1949.
Short-lived tenancies included the Boronia Tea Rooms in Lambton Quay
(opposite Kirkcaldies), in Wakefield House on the Terrace, the Catholic Women’s League
rooms in Lower Cuba Street, a brief return to Wakefield House, and in early 1955 the Club
bought its own premises in Pipitea Street.
In the decade following the purchase of this building, membership increased from 120 to 180
and in the following 5 years was to more than double - from 180 to 375. By late
1965 the hunt was on again for new premises and the Club purchased a property from NZ
Breweries Limited at 8 Moturoa Street. In August 1966, after considerable renovation,
these premises were used for the first time and could boast of a playing room to
accommodate 25 plus tables.
The move to Moturoa Street enabled the Club to settle into a regular routine - A grade on
Wednesdays, B on Thursdays and all-comers on Mondays - to cope with its rapidly growing
membership. July 1958 saw the creation of a new grade to play on the vacant
evening each week and so it was found expedient to transfer the B playing night to
Tuesday and the new “A Reserve” grade to use Thursdays, and so it has continued.
Bridge players are a competitive lot and it is interesting to note the first regular
inter club competition made its appearance between the Wellington Club and Crockford’s
Bridge Club in Christchurch (a comparatively cheap overnight ferry trip away), played
annually on a home and away basis until it ended in 1954.
In 1989, with membership hovering around the 500 mark, the Wellington Bridge Club purchased
its existing clubrooms at 17 Tinakori Road, Thorndon.
To quote the late, great Les Schneideman, for many years “Mr Bridge New Zealand”, replying
to a remark that Wellington would be one of the best bridge clubs in New Zealand.
Les bridled and practically trumpeted “IT IS THE BEST BRIDGE CLUB IN NEW ZEALAND.”
Long may it remain so.
[extracts from “Bridging Fifty Years: A history of the Wellington Bridge Club 1934-1984”
by J.G. (Woe) Wilson compiled by Jenny Delaney]
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This page last updated November 24 2008.
© Dean Sole, 2003 - 2008. Feel free to use the links on these pages in the great spirit of the game of Bridge.
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