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The rebuild has been undertaken in stages over recent years in an effort to limit disruption to the Club’s operations and has resulted in the creation of contemporary alfresco and light-filled indoor dining spaces, modern sports bars, a 600-space carpark, sleek offices, new promotions spaces and lifts, as well as an extensive upgrade to the Club’s capacity to entertain locals.

“The revamp was needed to give our members and guests the facilities they deserved,” says General Manager Joe Bayssari.

“To go through some of the features, Wilson's Sports Bar is a state-of-the-art indoor/outdoor sports bar with a large screen and 18 TVs in total.

“Fitzroy Lane is a modern dining facility which has five spaces including Fitzroy Lane Dining, The Glasshouse — with floor-to-ceiling windows, 5.5 metre high ceilings, greenery and natural plants that make you feel like you are outside even though you are in a fully air-conditioned space — The Alcove which is an area to enjoy a drink and watch screens on comfortable seating, The Atrium which is a 100-seat outdoor area with a gas fireplace, heaters and four large TVs, and Fitzroy 360 is our new craft beer and cocktail bar with an extensive list of both.”

The overall refurbishment comes with a price tag around the $30 million mark with the last of the construction to be completed before August this year, giving the popular Club’s 30,000-strong membership base a contemporary and accessible RSL to make use of in years to come.

As a result of the project, which was undertaken in conjunction with Integrated Project Group — an Australian company that specialises in interior fit-out, building refurbishment and construction — the Club has welcomed an additional 1100 square metres of floor space while much of the existing building has been replaced or refurbished, with both frontages gaining new façades.

There are further improvements that are still set to be unveiled before the process is completed.
“We are revamping the old bistro and sports area. This area will be replaced by a massive area for kids, plus a new cafe and a new sports area which will include snooker tables, pool tables and a darts area. Plus, a 200-seat entertainment area and a 100-seat function room,” says Joe.

“And we are revamping our Club entrance, adding a new Cenotaph and memorial area to honour the RSL’s traditions.”

The project has taken place over three years and has impacted trading during that time, while the pandemic added significant difficulty to such a large-scale reconstruction. But the Club is proud of the relative smoothness of the process of the revamp, and the early feedback from those attending the new-look Seven Hills-Toongabbie RSL Club is that the hard work has been well and truly worthwhile in giving the local community a fresh new hub for dining and entertainment.

“The members have embraced what we have done to date and the comments have been great. They can't wait until we finish everything,” says Joe.

“I would like to thank the Board for their confidence in committing to do such a large-scale extension and renovation. I would also like to thank all our members and guests for their continued support during the works.

“We’re excited for what’s ahead and hope to continue to improve the Club’s facilities for our existing clientele, while also appealing to young families that might be looking for a place to socialise over a drink or a meal with other relatives and friends.”