1966: Originally established as the Queensland Alumina Sports Club (QASC), the Club was formed to organise sports and social activities for Queensland Alumina Ltd (QAL) employees and their families. The club’s site was initially a hostel for single construction workers at QAL.
1969: QAL made several buildings available for use as interim club rooms. Over the following years, with significant support from QAL, the Club developed premier sporting facilities on the hostel site, which remain some of the finest in Central Queensland.
1992: As the Club’s membership grew beyond the QAL community, it became independent and was incorporated as Yaralla Sports Club Inc., marking its evolution into a broader sporting facility.
2001: The Club commenced the first of a six-stage development program spanning 12 years. This first stage included a new gaming room, sports bar, reception area, coffee shop, and back-of-house facilities.
2003: Stage 2 of renovations introduced a Members Lounge and a new restaurant, further enhancing the Club’s amenities.
2004: The completion of stage 3 included a new kitchen servery, dining room expansion to accommodate 300 guests, an extended gaming room, and a renovated function room.
2006: Stage 4 renovations brought further upgrades, including a new gaming room, refurbished entrance and reception, outdoor smoking courtyards, a new Asian restaurant with an additional kitchen, expanded parking, a new lawn bowls green, and an extension to the bowling clubhouse and administration facilities.
2009: The Club completed stage 5 renovations, which included an expanded and renovated gaming room, a transformed Legends Bar with a cafe, two new restaurants including a fine dining option, an outdoor dining area, a new canteen for Sub Clubs, and additional parking.
2012: In September, Yaralla opened the Mercure Hotel, offering 60 luxury business accommodation rooms, a functions room, and a two-level car parking facility with 297 spaces.
2013: The next renovation phase included a relocated gaming cashier’s box, expanded administration offices, a new bottleshop, a revamped Member’s Lounge with TAB facilities, a new fine dining restaurant, a 24-hour Lifestyle gym, and a refreshed entrance and reception area.
2020: The hotel transitioned to the Mantra brand under the Accor group of hotels in February. The Club, which employed approximately 200 people pre-COVID, saw a reduction to around 80 employees due to the pandemic. During this time, the club also restructured to Clava Limited to reflect its diverse operations. The Club’s focus remains on maintaining Central Queensland’s premier sporting and accommodation facilities and returning to its pre-pandemic strength.
2024: Yaralla expanded its accommodation facilities to meet growing demand, with the addition of 32 rooms under the Peppers brand, establishing the region’s first 5-star hotel. The iconic Shingle Inn cafe franchise was also introduced to the Club’s offerings, located at the venue’s entrance.
Today, Yaralla Sports Club is proud to be a first-class Sporting, Leisure and Entertainment hub. The facility now offers an international style buffet restaurant, the Shingle Inn cafe, five function and event spaces, a gaming room featuring 103 machines, purpose-built 1000 sq meter fitness facility, a 60 room 4.5 star Mantra Hotel and Apartments, 32 room 5 star Peppers Hotel, and 297 sealed car parking spaces. Yaralla Sports Club also owns and operates the Gladstone Golf Club offering members and guests an 18-hole golf course, driving range, practice facilities, golf simulators and clubhouse.
To date, more than $32 million has been reinvested back into the Club to ensure its members and community have access to the best facilities available in Central Queensland.
In addition to our outstanding facilities, Yaralla Sports Club is proud to be the largest non-government contributor to sporting, community and charitable facilities in the Gladstone community contributing in excess of $1.5 million in cash contributions over the past decade.
The Objects of the Company are to benefit the community through the provision of sporting, social, educational, accommodation, entertainment and leisure facilities for the benefit of members and their guests.
