Elisabeth Popa

Club Marconi

The idea of an Italian Club was discussed between some Italian settlers in 1951, but only in 1958 it started to become a reality. It was born on the necessity of a meeting place for Italians of the district Bossley Park. A place where they could be proud of their heritage and equally proud of the people and nation that gave them a new home and future. Guglielmo Marconi, the name of the inventor of the wireless was chosen because of it's appeal to both Italians and Australians. His scientific genius provided a connection in the form of communication between different cultures. Contrary to it's origins of simply serving an Italian community, the Club Marconi of today provides sporting, entertaining, educational and social facilities for a whole community of varying cultures and origins. However the core of its existence to satisfy a culture remains, rather, has extended and has targeted it's facilities and services equally to a wider branch of diverse cultures. Located on 31 acres of parkland and playing fields at Bossley Park, Club Marconi is the most cosmopolitan Club in Australia. It has over 25,000 members representing 18 nationalities and over 24 different languages plus a team of over 200 staff. Unlike many other like organisations, the feeling of welcoming and satisfying diverse cultures in one Club, was inherited by it's founders and remains today as motivation to continue it's growth and success. To combine one place that which people of many differing origins can call home.