International House and the International Club

During the planning years for Melbourne’s International House, many community groups and organisations were keen to support the cause. One of these was the International Club of Victoria.

The International Club was established in 1932 by Ivy Brookes (née Deakin) (1883-1970) and Jane McMillan (?-1950) (International Club of Victoria, 1932). Brookes was inspired by International House New York which she visited when her husband Herbert Brookes was Commissioner-General to the United States (“National change in club,” 1953).

The Clubs aims, as set out in its constitution, were:

  • ‘To promote understanding, friendship and co-operation between Nationals of all countries, and to support the principles of the United Nations Charter.’
  • ‘To interest the Australian public in the customs, thought and culture of other countries.’
  • ‘To help Nationals of other countries to settle in Australia and interest them in Australian customs and way of life.’
  • ‘To support International movements for educational and philanthropic purposes as approved by the Club Committee.’ (International Club of Victoria, 1932).
Ivy Brookes, n.d., Lafayette Studios. National Library of Australia, http://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-137117175

In its early years, the Club held events to welcome ‘celebrity’ international visitors: the Waiata Maori Choir (“Maori choir entertained,” 1935), the Russian ballet (“Reception to Russian ballet,” 1936) and tenor Tito Schipa (“Famous tenor honored,” 1937) among others. In the 1950s the Club changed its focus, turning more to finding ways to welcome and support ‘New Australians’ (“Dances, friendship,” 1950). They began hosting weekly social evenings providing opportunities for practising English and learning about aspects of Australian life (“Migrants like club aid,” 1950; see too “All nationalities are welcome,” 1951). These events also allowed the Australian hosts to learn about the cultures of their guests.

At a meeting of the International Club in May 1950, the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Melbourne John Medley suggested another possible endeavour for the Club: finding ways to improve accommodation for the city’s international students. (“Helping new Australians,” 1950).

The importance of making living congenial for these students [is] tied up with the great cultural benefit Australia might expect to receive in the next 50 years.

John Medley quoted in “Helping New Australians,” 1950.

The same idea was taken up by the new Vice-Chancellor George Paton at the Club’s annual meeting the following year. Paton suggested that Melbourne establish a hostel similar to London’s International House. ‘A Melbourne hostel, ‘ he said, ‘would provide an interesting experiment in international relations. It would be an adjunct, on the student level, to the work of the International Club (“Overseas students’ hostel,” 1951).

The International Club had aimed to provide student accommodation from its very beginnings (“Real little un,” 1949). But it was from the early 1950s that members increasingly turned their efforts to supporting an ‘international house’ at the University of Melbourne. At fundraising fairs in 1952 and 1953, they provided ‘international food’. The Age newspaper published some of their recipes for people to try at home: a ‘Danish soup’, ‘Norwegian fish balls’, ‘Greek stuffed peppers’ and ‘Indian relish’ (Mason, 1953). Members also worked with a student-formed group, the Colombo Plan and United Nations Association, to host functions especially for international students (“Colombo Plan students entertained,” 1954; “People, parties,” 1954).

Anis Boedjang (centre) and performers (left to right) Mr Abdurrachman, Mimi Sudarno, Mrs Boedjang, Mr Sumadi and Coby Pangemanann at an Indonesian evening at the International Club, 1957. International House Archives

The International Club continued its support after International House opened to residents. A piano was a ‘Christmas gift’ from the Club in 1957 (Robertson, 1957). This piano is now in the lanai at International House. The Club also provided flags to decorate the International House dining hall (Jones, 1957). In 1958, when the International Club closed and its building was sold, Ivy Brookes donated £5000 from the sale to the International House Appeal (“Women’s letters,” 1958; see too “International Club to close”, 1957). In the early 1960s, former Club members worked with the International House Auxiliaries to raise money for the International House Building Fund, allowing for the construction of the Samuel Wadham Wing (Jackson, 1961).

References and further reading

All nationalities are welcome (1951, January 31). The Age, p. 5. http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article204955528

All nations’ ball held (1950, October 10). The Age, p. 7. http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article205368307

Brookes, I. (1953, April 18). Entertaining our guests. The Age, p. 17. http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article205723078

Club’s work for new Australians (1950, May 8). The Herald (Melbourne), p. 13. http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article244167355

Colombo Plan students entertained (1954, April 28). The Argus, p. 6. http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article26605550

Dances, friendship, for newcomers (1950, February 3). The Argus, p. 7. http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article22808500

Display by migrants (1952, December 1). Good Neighbour, p. 3. http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article176526727

Famous tenor honored (1937, July 1). Table Talk, p. 38. http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article149328057

Helping New Australians (1950, May 9). The Age, p. 6. http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article206223579

International Club helps immigrants (1949, April 28). The Herald (Melbourne), p. 20. http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article248921733

The International Club opened (1933, April 13). Table Talk, p. 46. http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article149546765

International Club of Victoria (1932). Constitution of International Club of Victoria.

International Club to close (1957, November 26). The Age, p. 8.

Jackson, M. (1961, June 19). International House Building Fund Women’s Committee: President’s report. International House Archives.

Jones, B. (1957, July 8). [Letter to Mrs Herbert Brookes, International Club of Victoria]. International House Archives (Series 11: Appeals, funds and donations).

Maori choir entertained (1935, April 24). The Herald (Melbourne), p. 14. http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article244967342

Mason, A. (1953, April 28). Home-tested recipes: Dishes from many lands. The Age, p. 5. http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article205715885

National change in club (1953, May 4). The Herald (Melbourne), p. 13. http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article245165994

Migrants like club aid (1950, April 25). The Argus, p. 8. http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article22824566

People, parties. (1954, July 19). The Age, p. 7. http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article205686886

Our public women: Mrs Herbert Brookes (1928, May 12). The Australasian, p. 19. http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article140810028

Overseas students’ hostel (1951, May 31). The Age, p. 5. http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article209830073

Patrick, A. (1979/2006). Brookes, Ivy (1883–1970). In Australian Dictionary of Biography. National Centre of Biography, Australian National University. https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/brookes-ivy-5640/text9089

Real little un (1949, June 22). The Argus, p. 9. http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article22736682

Reception to Russian ballet (1936, November 10). The Herald (Melbourne), p. 13. http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article244664094

Robertson, M. M. E. (1957, December 20). [Letter to Mr Brian Jones, Warden, International House]. International House Archives (Series 11: Appeals, funds and donations).

Women’s letters (1958, April 30). The Bulletin, 79(4081), 54. http://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-695399539