Manly’s first clubhouse had a rich history
The Manly Warringah District Rugby League Football Club (the Sea Eagles) was formed at a meeting in the old Luana Hall at Dee Why in November 1946. This hall stood on the site of the present Dee Why RSL Club, hence the name Luana for one of the club’s function rooms.
The Sea Eagles were invited into the NSW Rugby League competition in 1947 and in 1957 they also formed a licensed club for members. The NSW Rugby League also helped it to buy premises to serve as a clubhouse. They bought a large stone house on Pittwater Road at Brookvale, the site where the Manly Leagues Club still sits today.
The house had been built laboriously over a period of 15 years by Daniel Farrell, starting in 1898. He was a descendant of the somewhat notorious Farrell family, very early settlers at Newport. His father John was imprisoned twice for stealing and killing cattle.
Despite this, John (and his wife Mary, Daniel’s mother) ended up running a hotel on The Corso in Manly and also had a butcher’s shop there.
Daniel himself was involved with the Manly butchers and had various other business interests. He was a very active resident of Brookvale, serving in many civic capacities and was particularly active in agitating to build a tramline from Manly.
Daniel built his house entirely with his own hands, even quarrying the stone and shaping it. However, just as the final touches were being made, he died suddenly in 1913 from an internal hemorrhage and never enjoyed living in the finished house.
Forty years after Daniel Farrell’s death, this was the house that the Sea Eagles bought to serve as their clubhouse and headquarters. It was demolished c1982 for the redevelopment that stands on the site today.
