Venue Hire

With sweeping views across Geographe Bay and the iconic Busselton Jetty, the Geographe Bay Yacht Club is a sought-after venue for weddings, celebrations, meetings, and community gatherings.

However, it’s important to note, we are a not-for-profit, volunteer-run sailing club, not a commercial function centre.

We take great pride in our beautiful location and our welcoming clubhouse, and we’re pleased to offer hire of our facilities when available. But our primary focus is sailing and helping the community, so venue hire is a privilege, not our purpose. All hire fees go directly toward maintaining our venue and facilities, including toilets, gas, electricity, and water.

We ask all hirers to treat our venue, staff and volunteers with kindness and respect, and to understand that you are responsible for setting up and packing down your event. Our team does not provide event styling, setup, or pack down services.

Terms and conditions

Venue Hire Enquiry Form: Venue Enquiry Form

Our Sailing Season: October to April

Please note that the sailing season runs from October through to the end of April, which is our busiest time of year.

During this period:

The club and restaurant are open to members every Friday and Saturday night for dinner.
On Sundays, we host our popular Sunday Sessions from 3:30 pm with live music.
We run regular weekend regattas and sailing events - no venue hire will be available unless granted access and sharing facilities allowed.
It is possible to hire out the BBQ area in summer for your event or the Main Hall, if you are happy to allow either the BBQ area or Main Hall and bar to be used by our members.

Because of these commitments, we cannot accommodate large events or venue hire on weekends during the sailing season, especially Saturdays, when the club is in full use by junior and senior sailing fleets.

Hire options:

Available Spaces for Hire

1. Main Hall (Min. 4 hrs) - includes alfresco area and grass area near beach.

Includes optional alfresco area
Capacity: 200 standing / 140 seated
Great for weddings, parties, and larger events

2. Lounge Room (Min. 2 hrs)

Only available when Main Hall is booked
Capacity: up to 50 people
Ideal for private dining or breakout space

3. BBQ Area & Lawn Area (Min. 2 hrs)

Casual outdoor space
Separate toilet access outside main venue
May be partially available during sailing season (see conditions below)

4. Training Centre (Min. 2 hrs)

Located in a separate building
Capacity: up to 50 seated
Includes kitchenette, accessible toilets, tables, chairs, air conditioning and Smart TV (USB or HDMI input)
Ideal for meetings, workshops, or training sessions

Hiring terms for events:
• Please read our Terms and conditionscarefully before completing your venue enquiry form. We will try and respond as quickly as possible.

Catering:
No outside catering is allowed at our venue.
All catering requirements to be done inhouse by our Restaurant. Contact Southern Flavours directly to organise once your booking form is signed and confirmed.

Event styling and decorating:
You are welcome to decorate for your own event, however, decorating from ceiling or walls is NOT allowed. This may only be done through our recommended event stylist Wes Enterprizes.

Venue Hire – Important Notes

We are not a staffed function centre. You must organise your own setup, decoration (within guidelines), and pack-down (fees will be taken out of bond if you do not)
18 & 21st birthday parties are not permitted and will be shut down immediately.
GBYC does not allow hire for events with political or religious agendas.
No outside catering. All catering must be arranged through our in-house restaurant.
No BYO
We are a licensed club venue. All event organisers must become members of GBYC to hire the venue.

Alcohol Service – Club Licence Rules

As a club with a restricted liquor licence, there are strict rules around alcohol service:

Guests can only purchase alcohol if a meal is provided.
If you would like guests to buy their own drinks without providing a meal, we can apply for an Extended Licence (limited availability, additional cost).
Alternatively, you can run a bar tab, and food is not required.
For not-for-profit or community group bookings: the same licensing rules apply. Please factor this in when planning your event.

**Discounted rates apply for Not for Profit Community Groups and Senior Sailing Members of GBYC.

ROOM OPTIONS FOR HIRE

Entire Yacht Club (inc's Main Hall, Lounge room, BBQ & lawn area)

Lounge room (min 2 hrs booking) - only available when the main hall is open

Could be used for Private Dining Room
Capacity 50 people

BBQ & lawn area (min 2 hrs booking)
Access to toilets is outside around the main hall venue

Training Centre (min 2 hours) - Ground Floor only.
Capacity is 50 people seated

Located to the left of the club (separate from the Main Hall)

Inside the Training centre

Access to a Smart TV, Air-Conditioning, Tables and Chairs.

Access to Kitchette and accessible toilets. Plug into our Smart TV via USB or HDMI

Perfect for training, conferences, meetings.

Wedding Packages (inc's Main Hall, Lounge room, BBQ & lawn area if available)

Weddings at GBYC

Our waterfront location provides a stunning backdrop for ceremonies and receptions. A wedding package includes:

12-hour venue hire
Exclusive use of Main Hall, Lounge Room, lawn and alfresco (BBQ area not included)
2 bar staff included
2 hours of cleaning (extra charges apply for additional cleaning)
Self-managed setup and pack down required

Please note: Weddings are not available on Saturdays during the sailing season (October to April), due to club use. However, if you're open to restricted use of the BBQ and lawn area, we may be able to discuss limited Saturday availability.

Styling is welcome with approval. Decorations must not be affixed to walls or ceilings unless arranged through our recommended stylist: Wez Enterprises

Final Notes & Expectations

We are proud to support the Busselton community and offer community hire rates to local organisations. However, all hirers must respect our volunteer-run model and comply with club policies, including liquor licensing.

Hiring our venue means contributing to the sustainability of our club—not just enjoying our fantastic location.

We welcome respectful, well-organised hirers who understand the value of our unique space.

Ready to Enquire?

Please review our Terms & Conditions before submitting your hire request.

Our team will get back to you as soon as possible—but please understand, we are volunteer-run and responses may take a little time.