Club History  Established: 1926

  In 1926 when Parliament House was being built by the Federal Capital Commission, Canberra looked very much like a construction site. The Commission was doing its best to encourage participation sport for workers and the arriving residents, with facilities being provided for as many sports as possible. A bowling green was built in 1926 at the Canberra Hotel for the use of both residents and visitors. It was at the northern end of the Hotel (the opposite end from the croquet lawn which is still in existence). The green was available for informal play from late summer 1926 until it was closed for that winter. When spring came the enthusiastic bowlers plus newcomers to the game decided not only to play socially but to form a club, seek a lease from the Commission and plan for a great future for the sport in Canberra and the surrounding regions.

The Club that started it all is the Canberra Bowling Club which is a small traditional independent bowling club still running its own affairs. At the time it created beautiful grass greens and warmth and friendliness that it wants to keep sharing for many years to come.

On September 24, 1926 the first meeting was held. That was exactly three weeks after the first issue of the Canberra Times. At a follow up meeting on 27 October 1926 the formal decisions were taken and the Canberra Bowling Club was alive. There were 27 foundation members with Charles Francis being the first President, a position he held for the first three years of the Club’s existence and then from 1932 to 1934 and again from 1936 to 1939. The first Committee was Sir John Harrison K.B.E. (Patron), Messrs. J. H. Butters and C.G. Gorman (Vice Presidents), Colonel P. T. Owen, Messrs. H. R. Waterman, G. A. Crease, T. Hope, D. Sharkey, J.H. Pike, S.E. Bruce, W. Buttler, Roy Smith, W.S. Brownless and H. Loughby. Mr. Francis was often referred to as “strong-minded” and contributed much to the success of bowls in the ACT and was instrumental in the formation of a regional body. In 1928 the Canberra Bowling Club took the lead in forming the Federal District Bowling Association with Yass, Goulburn and Cooma Bowling Clubs and in beginning District Championships and Pennant competitions.

For the use of the green at the Hotel Canberra the Club had to pay the Commission two pounds ten shillings per member for the year. There was never any clubhouse but members kept their bowls in a room in the hotel basement. The Canberra Times duly reported the formation of the Club and on its front page of 11 November 1926 featured a photograph of the official opening of the bowling season on Saturday 6 November 1926 when four ladies were asked to “throw down the first jacks”. The official colours of the Club were green with gold facings.

The young club accepted that its occupancy of the Hotel Canberra green could not be permanent and it wanted a site for its own greens and a clubhouse. Acton was the position where the Club founders hoped to get a site because it would be central and near all the other sporting arenas.

However, nothing was offered there and in late 1928 an offer of the present site at Forrest was accepted. It took a long time to get construction under way and the single green and small weatherboard clubhouse were not handed over until 31 January 1931.  The opening of the season on 14 November 1931 was a great day. It was a bowls custom to have a formal occasion “to open the bowling season” early in summer. The Governor General (Sir Isaac Isaacs) officiated and he was supported by the Civic Administrator (Mr. C.S. Daley) each of whom made fine speeches especially stressing the importance of sport to the young community.

Canberra City was the second bowling club to be formed and in 1930 joined the Federal District Bowling Association with Queanbeyan joining in 1935. All the other clubs in the region were formed after the Second World War when Canberra’s population increased rapidly.

Play continued through the 30’s with a second green being opened in 1936 and in the 40’s membership increased until in 1948 a third green was opened. By 1952 the membership of the Club had increased considerably and confidence was shown in its continued success by a decision of the Committee to limit its bowling membership to 250 but the following year it had grown to 276 anyway. As for the clubhouse it was always inadequate in its facilities. Over the years extensions were stuck on one after the other but somehow the character of the building was maintained and even enhanced. To the end it looked like a welcoming old country clubhouse.

 Tourist buses regularly stopped to see it. Club members complained about the clubhouse but still  loved it. ACT bowlers enjoyed coming and connecting with Canberra’s bowling history.

District Singles championships were won by L.F. Lott in 1945, 46, and 47 and by Grev Sargeant in 1957. District pairs Championships were won by J.S. Weatherston and S.H. Dee in 1935, L. Lott and W. McKinstry in 1942, C.B. May and S. H. Dee in 1948, R. Armstrong and T. Heyes in 1952, L. Bain and T.D. Robbie in 1955 and 1956 and J. Haddrow and G. R. Holden in 1964.

Several District Fours championships have been won by the club over the years and the Canberra Jubilee Sash was won by Bartley, Newman, Armstrong and Nutt in 1962.

In the 1960’s the Club had some success with great players such as Jimmy Haddrow, Keith Grainger and Norman Parkes winning the NSW State Triples championship in 1965. At that time Keith Bird (a Life Member of the Club) won two Club Singles championships, a title he won again 23 years later. And now in the clubs 75° anniversary year he has won the title again.

Canberra’s Golden Jubilee of bowling was celebrated at the Canberra Bowling Club over the weekend of 3-5 September 1976 when the club was 50 years of age. A special commemorative badge was struck and given to everyone who attended that weekend. The graceful old custom of assembling on the green was revived with a warm welcome to the RNSWBA Deputy President, the FDBA President and the presidents of each of the visiting sides.

After some pressure from women wanting to join the members on the green to play bowls a Women’s Club called the Canberra Forrest Women’s Bowling Club was inaugurated on 8 February 1978 with 13 foundation members under the Presidency of Mrs. Pat Nivison-Smith.. Three of the foundation members, Elva Ballard, Mavis Bird and Pam Scott.mixed versatile triples on Friday, an invitation bowls day on Saturday and a formal invitation dinner on Saturday night.

There were difficult years between 1976 and the demolition of the old clubhouse and greens in August -September 1994. The facilities became more scenic and less operational, a new clubhouse was essential and the greens needed total rebuilding. Without some reconstruction the “mother club” would slowly die due to the membership continuing to drift to the clubs now surrounding Forrest. There were many plans and many disappointments. The club needed a high class redevelopment that would provide its own finance. Eventually that was found at the cost of giving up some land to townhouse construction and becoming a two green club.

Max Ballard was the President at the time and was instrumental in the development. He held the position of President for nine years (retiring in 1999), a record at the Club. He supervised the redevelopment and was also instrumental in recognising the need for women to be admitted to the club.

In 1993 the bowlers of the club had some success winning both the men’s and women’s number three Pennants.

After closing in September 1994 for the reconstruction, re-opening day at the old club was on Sunday 30 April 1995. The official photograph of the bowlers massed in front of the new Clubhouse was used as the cover photograph of the ACT Bowls journal in May 1995. The builders, Civil and Civic Pty. Ltd. succeeded in preserving the friendliness of the old building while delivering better facilities, natural light and brilliant use of the site. There was hope for Canberra’s original bowling club to recover from the years of slow bleeding especially financially. The task is still in progress to rebuild membership and to get more people on the greens. Photo on the left featuring Mick Molloy star of the movie CrackerJack

There were difficult years between 1976 and the demolition of the old clubhouse and greens in August -September 1994. The facilities became more scenic and less operational, a new clubhouse was essential and the greens needed total rebuilding. Without some reconstruction the “mother club” would slowly die due to the membership continuing to drift to the clubs now surrounding Forrest. There were many plans and many disappointments. The club needed a high class redevelopment that would provide its own finance. Eventually that was found at the cost of giving up some land to townhouse construction and becoming a two green club.

The women bowlers have been very successful in recent years with Elva Ballard, Diane Lobb, Kaye Freeman, Jimmy Ogle and Lois Waters winning several State Titles. The Club won the Number two pennant in 2000..

The year 2000 was a financially troubled time for all small sporting clubs in the ACT including the Canberra Bowling Club. As a consequence the Club have struck up a mutual arrangement with the Australian Italian Club to help with the management of the clubhouse and to mutually benefit from each other’s facilities. A bocce sand green will be built between the bowling greens and the tennis courts in the near future.

President John Capp who lead from the front with a zeal to secure the Club’s future and keep alive its traditions. All experienced and new bowlers are welcome to the Club any time. The 75 anniversary was celebrated on the 26 October 2001.

To be continued……………………