The Randwick Literary Institute

By Marian McIntosh on October 28, 2012 in Arts

There are a number of buildings you may pass from time to time in the Eastern Suburbs that really catch your eye for one reason or another and The Randwick Literary Institute (RLI) is one that really speaks to the heart. Located on the corner of Market Street and Clovelly Road in Randwick, and politely tucked into the streetscape, the RLI is architecturally both beautiful and discreet.

With her rich, organic art deco lines sweeping around the cusp of Clovelly Road, the RLI has a meaningful and colourful history in the Randwick community. For nearly a century now, the RLI has welcomed some brilliant minds and champions of social change through its doors and these voices continue to resonate throughout the four halls and ‘secret garden’ that is the composite of today’s dynamic RLI.

It’s probably hard to believe that nearly a century ago the RLI was located at the last tram stop to and from the city and Clovelly. It’s probably also hard to imagine that while there were some cars running along Clovelly Road, there was very little traffic other than pedestrians and tram travelers. The RLI was borne of the idea to bridge this promising network of travelers to and from the city.

Built upon freehold land with monies raised by local residents and contributions of building materials found and donated by the community, the RLI was built in stages as prosperity ebbed and flowed. While the foundation stone was laid in 1913, building was stalled throughout The Great War due to a shortage of supply of building materials. She was finally completed and opened officially in 1925. And then the party started.

For nearly a hundred years the RLI has functioned as a school of arts, a resource library, a billiard hall, a thriving dance hall, an amateur gymnasium, a party venue, a rehearsal space, a meeting space, a reception centre and a movie theatre!

The RLI has hosted an amazing range of talent and active minds from Dr Fred Orr through to Bea Miles; from Alma Johnson to Jum Bevan who used to dive into a tank of sharks at the Coogee Aquarium; from Gillian Armstrong to Mel Gibson; and from Arthur Streeton of the Heidelberg School to Patricia Reid of the Randwick Art Society. These people and many others are a very rich part of the RLI story and they’ve all helped make the RLI what it is today.

The modern father of the RLI is Mr Norm Hoffman, who has now reached the grand old age of 98 years and was the final president of the RLI Board of Trustees in 2002, when the interests of The RLI were sold back to The Crown for $1 in exchange for the RLI’s ongoing protection under the Crown Lands Act.

Today the RLI is a landmark building, hosting over seventy regular space hirers and attracting hundreds of people through her doors every week, all of whom are now sprinkled with the same magic that continues to make the RLI such a dynamic and exciting place.