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CANBERRA - The privileged world of Melbourne's power elite is being rocked by a feud over moves to allow women to join one of the three remaining exclusive men's clubs.
Worse, the feud has become public property with the publication of warring emails by the Australian newspaper, bringing furious demands for the resignation of those responsible for the leaks.
The row at the Athenaeum Club, founded in 1868 and home away from home for some of Australia's most influential men, has already produced a number of resignations from members irate at its refusal to accept women.
And the schism rending the club has sparked a parallel war of words on the internet. Surprisingly, the more than 200 comments posted on news.com.au have weighed heavily in favour of the Athenaeum's right to male exclusivity, even among women.
The club was supported by 71.6 per cent of those joining the fray, a fifth of them women: female supporters in fact outnumbered opponents, male and female.
Just over 10 per cent of comments said women should be admitted.
The war behind the grand Collins St facade of the club - which describes itself as "confident in its heritage and traditions, yet enlightened and contemporary in its outlook" - has exposed deep anger among males who feel unjustly treated.
"If women are allowed to have women-only gyms and fitness spas, why can't men have men's-only clubs?" wrote Geefy of Canberra. "You can't have your cake and eat it."
Women who supported the club either believed men and women should be able to have gender-specific organisations as a matter of social policy, or thought that male-only clubs were so repulsive no woman would want to be part of them, and that they should be allowed to wither into extinction.
"Let them cry about their share market losses in peace," wrote Nicky of Brisbane. "Personally, I've got much better things to do than hang out with a bunch of misogynistic troglodytes."
Opponents argued that beyond gender equality, the Athenaeum Club represented power and the making of business and political deals from which women were excluded.
That was the argument of a group of more than 130 members who lobbied for a change in the 142-year-old males-only policy. In December they presented a discussion paper saying that while Melbourne's civic, business, academic and political leaders might have been predominantly men when the club was founded, that was no longer the case.
Amid a flurry of bitter emails reprinted in the Weekend Australian, the club was hit by a series of high-profile resignations of members dismayed by its "sexist and anachronistic" attitudes.
Yesterday the Australian reported the club's response - fury and outrage at "rats within the ranks" who had leaked details of the war to the newspaper in defiance of the principles of honourable behaviour.
"This act of deceit and cowardice contravened our bylaws," president Don Heathcote wrote in an email to all 1600 members.
