Police are continuing to investigate an alleged break-in at Merewether Golf Club after thieves stole almost $1,000 worth of alcohol.
The alleged burglary happened about 1am on Saturday, 25 July, when offenders forced entry into the club’s external coolroom on King Street, Adamstown.
CCTV captured the group returning about an hour later to take more alcohol before leaving the scene.
The break-in was discovered that morning by staff and police were called to the scene at about 10:30am after CCTV footage was reviewed.
General manager Adam Cecil said the incident was a first during his seven years at the club.
“In my role for around seven years now, this is the first forced entry we’ve had into our facilities,” he said.
“We’ve had minor incidents before, like people stealing sandwiches or slices from our onsite caterers, but nothing like this.”
Mr Cecil said the club later shared CCTV images on social media, not to shame those involved, but to alert nearby residents and help police identify the alleged offenders.
“We’re a community club with a big following,” he said.
“The Facebook post has had more than 200,000 views.
“We were hoping people living nearby might recognise them or check their own security cameras to see if anything else happened around the same time.”
The post sparked an overwhelming response from the community, with several people contacting the club claiming they knew who the alleged offenders were.
“I’ve had four or five different people tell me they know exactly who it is,” Mr Cecil said.
“They’ve all given different names, so everyone wants to be a detective.
“We’ve passed all that information to police so they can investigate.”
The alleged offenders caused damage to the coolroom door after forcing it open with what is believed to have been a crowbar.
The club is now repairing the damage and upgrading security.
Mr Cecil said the theft had not disrupted day-to-day operations, but staff had been forced to change how alcohol stock is stored while repairs are completed.
He said the incident appeared to be part of a broader run of thefts, with builders carrying out redevelopment works at the golf club also reporting tools and a water pump stolen from their site the same weekend.
Despite the incident, Mr Cecil said he had been overwhelmed by the support shown by members and the wider community.
“It’s great to see the level of support we’ve had from people calling us, commenting and trying to help,” he said.
“We’ll just keep moving forward and hopefully it doesn’t happen again.”
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