Bill Coulter Bows Out After Five Decades in NSW Clubs

After finishing the HSC at Marist Brothers Kogarah, in Sydney’s south, he had aspirations to study and become a PE teacher. But after commencing casual work at the nearby St Georges Leagues Club, the allure of the industry was too appealing.

“I intended to go to Teacher’s College, but I enjoyed it so much and I guess you could say it was a genetic thing in the family that drew me to hospitality as my grandfather — Bill Davoren — was the first president of North Sydney Leagues,” says Bill.

“The management at Saints at the time were very supportive of me making sure I had the opportunities to learn many operational aspects of the club industry, while in that time I completed a four-year, part-time club managers’ course at Ryde College.”

At a time in which many international acts called the Club home, it’s perhaps easy to see why PE teaching was put on the backburner.

“It was an exciting time at the Club, with St George famous for its entertainment — which was certainly an element which drew me there,” says Bill.

“We had plenty of international artists which was really exciting — and Jesus Chris Superstar ran there for three months with Jon English, Marcia Hines and Trevor White.”

In 1984, it was off to Earlwood Bardwell Park RSL Club where Bill landed the job of Gaming Manager, spending over two years under General Manager Frank Mulhall who he says was a great mentor at the time.

From there it was up to Ballina in June 1987 as Assistant CEO of Ballina RSL, leaving in 2002 to take on the CEO role of Easts in Brisbane, before returning to Ballina RSL in 2003 as CEO — a position he’s held ever since.

“Ballina has grown immensely in itself so the Club has grown to match the needs of the community in terms of services and facilities,” says Bill.

“We’ve got 145 staff now and years ago we had 80 or 90, so we’ve built the workforce up to match the facilities and the services. Our wage bill is $6 million per year which is an incredible community contribution which has a multiplier effect through the town.”

He’s also proud of the different ways in which the Club supports local community organisations and charities, particularly through the ClubGRANTS scheme.

“One of the really satisfying things in my time here has been getting involved with the ClubGRANTS program and what we do with all the organisations in the community. I’ve found that so satisfying,” he says.

“You get to meet so many people who aren’t as fortunate as others and need support, and to think that we can do something in that space has been so rewarding.”

In a career that’s spanned five decades, Bill’s seen all the ups and downs, but believes clubs are well positioned to handle any future headwind — and are up for any regulatory or competitive challenge.

“The industry has faced so many challenges — the smoking ban in 2007, the ‘axe the tax’ campaign, mandatory precommitment; but the industry has been able to get on top of them and move forward,” he says.

“It’s always been said that having access to gaming is a privilege, not a right, that’s why the responsible conduct of gambling is such an important aspect of the industry, but that regulatory environment will always challenge us, and we need to be on the front foot, and I think we are doing that really well at the moment.

“I think naturally the competitive factor will always play a role, that’s society in general, you have to make sure that you’re relevant and able to compete on a whole range of fronts, particularly the F&B and entertainment front — but that’s exciting, a lot of young managers are excited about the opportunities that presents.”

Bill finished up as the CEO of Ballina RSL just before Christmas as he transitions into retirement, although he’ll technically be on three months’ long service leave and will still be on deck to lend a hand or offer advice to new CEO Guy Diven, who’s moved over from Murwillumbah Services Club.

“I think the Board has made a really good selection there, he’s got a proven track record, he’s very skilful, he’s got great people skills, and I think he will take the Club forward in leaps and bounds. I feel comfortable walking away and knowing it’s in good hands,” says Bill.

Despite moving to Ballina for the CEO’s role, Bill’s now officially a local and will stay put in retirement, where he’s looking forward to spending more time with his wife, two kids and grandson — although he maintains a strong connection to Kogarah through his passion for the St George Illawarra Dragons.

“My wife thinks my marriage certificate has a Ballina RSL watermark because I’ve spent more time that I needed to at work, but it was so encapsulating as a job that you just wanted to do more, so I don’t have any regrets in that respect because I feel like I’ve left a reasonable legacy in Ballina,” says Bill.

“We’ve been fortunate enough to do a bit of travelling and we want to do more of that. I also want to spend more time with my family — which I guess everyone says when they retire!”