Banned woman still hopes to join boat club
A WOMAN banned from joining an Adelaide boat club because she is female has been awarded $10,000 compensation - but is still forbidden to join the club.
Trish Colquhoun, from West Lakes, said today her sex discrimination case against the South Australian Trailer Boat Club was always about trying to become a member.
"That was the whole issue in all reality," she said. She still hopes that one day she will be accepted as a member.
The Equal Opportunity Tribunal today ordered the club pay Ms Colquhoun $10,000 compensation after finding it had breached the Equal Opportunity Act by not letting her become a member.
The tribunal also ordered the club publish an apology to Ms Colquhoun.
But the tribunal did not order that the club accept her as a member or change its constitution to allow her to become a member because it said it did not have the power.
The tribunal heard Ms Colquhoun had been associated with the club since she was a child through her father, who was a one-time president.
"It is clear from Ms Colquhoun's evidence that she has very fond memories of the activities she enjoyed at the club with her father," the tribunal said.
"Upon her father's death in 1991, Ms Colquhoun ceased to be able to use the club and its facilities, including the boat ramp."
She tried joining in 1979 but her application was refused. An application to join again in 2006 was again refused.
Four months later the club changed its rules to make it a male-only club.
"The club offered no explanation as to why it is so intent upon excluding women from membership," the tribunal said.
"It has gone to the lengths of changing its rules to fulfil the desire of a group of its members that women be excluded."
The tribunal heard Ms Colquhoun has a 16-year-old son who likes fishing and boating and who she would liked to have taken to the club as her father had done.
The tribunal said it accepted that Ms Colquhoun had experienced feelings of "sadness, grief and loss" because of the club's treatment of her.
"She has experienced hurt and disappointment over a number of years because of the actions of the club, and there is now little foreseeable prospect that she will ever attain her objective of becoming a member," it said.
Ms Colquhoun said she was examining her legal options about whether to go to the Supreme Court to be allowed to join the club.
Members of the club present to hear the tribunal's decision declined to comment.
Viewed 29/08/02 at 15:35
