New Plymouth Club

About the New Plymouth Club

The New Plymouth Club is a chartered club and function venue at 49-57 Gill Street in central New Plymouth, with views over the Tasman Sea and the New Plymouth coastline. Alongside its membership activities it operates the 1908 Bistro and bar, and hires out its function spaces to outside groups.

History

The club traces its origins to a meeting in May 1908 chaired by the then mayor of New Plymouth, held in response to demand for a young men's club. It later evolved from that junior organisation into the Taranaki Club. Women were admitted as full members in 1975. The club describes itself as one of the largest chartered clubs in New Zealand. A redevelopment discussion that began in 2018 led to a substantial renovation, with the revitalised club reopening across 2023-2024; the bistro is named 1908 after the founding year.

Spaces and capacities

The club's function pages list the following hire spaces:

• Auditorium - on the first floor, taking from 100 up to 450 people depending on the function and seating style. Chairs and tables, a bar, dance floor and stage are available, along with a projector and screen. Hire from $350.
• Centennial Room - on the second floor, for up to 200 people depending on setup. Chairs and tables, a bar and a dance floor are available. Hire from $250.
• Founders Lounge - on the main floor, for up to 80 people depending on setup, with chairs and tables plus a projector and screen. Hire from $200.
• Blue Room - on the second floor, for up to 50 people, with chairs, tables, a projector and screen. The club notes it has no catering facilities for parties and is better suited to meetings, lectures and training. Hire from $100.

Rooms are hired as bare spaces that clients can decorate and set up in their own style.

Catering, licensing and access

Catering is available in-house, with buffet-style menus and platters, and downloadable finger food and buffet menu documents on the function pages. Because the venue is a chartered club, a special licence is required where guests are not members of the New Plymouth Club. The club states this licence costs from $30 and must be submitted at least 28 days before the event, with the fee depending on when the facilities were booked and the style of function. Public parking is available close by, and the club offers to walk prospective hirers through the venue to discuss options.

Suitability for meetings and events

With four rooms spread across three levels, ranging from a 50-person training room to a 450-capacity auditorium with a stage and dance floor, the New Plymouth Club can handle conferences with break-out sessions, seminars, training days, awards dinners and large social functions in a central city location. Projector and screen availability in the Auditorium, Founders Lounge and Blue Room, in-house buffet catering and modest published hire rates make it a practical option for regional conferences and business meetings, provided organisers allow time for the special licence process. Browse further New Zealand venues.