HISTORY

 

LAWN  BOWLS  ON  THE  MORNINGTON  PENINSULA

 

An aboriginal camp site, located on a cliff top overlooking Port Phillip Bay saw the introduction  of Lawn Bowls to the Mornington Peninsula when the  MORNINGTON BOWLING CLUB was established there in 1917.

 

This club was formed on the 1^st June 1917 and opened with a four rink green in November of that year, but the  task of hand watering by watering can proved to be too big a job for the members and the club closed.     A permanent water supply was not available until 1921. 

 

Another meeting was then held which confirmed the minutes of the 1917 meeting and the green was

re-opened  on the 30^th January 1922 with a one rink match against a team from Camberwell.

 

The year 1925 brought an element of interclub competition when the Frankston Bowls Club was  founded and  established on the Frankston foreshore.

 

Because of the poor quality of both roads and transport of the day, bowlers living at the southern end of the Peninsula found it infinitely more convenient to travel across the bay by ferry to play  at the  Queenscliff  Bowls Club, one of the oldest clubs in Victoria having been established in 1883, just three years after the formation of  the Victorian Bowls Association.

 

In 1934 the Flinders Council approved and constructed a seven rink lawn green in the David McFarlane

Reserve at Sorrento.   

 

It was not until nine years later in 1947 that a fourth club was established on the foreshore at Rosebud opposite the main shopping centre.    The founding President and Secretary of that club Mr F E Wood & 

Mr G H Richardson then went on to  serve as the founding President & Secretary respectively of the Peninsula Bowling  Association in which in turn was founded  on the 25^th September 1951.

 

The idea of an association had been spoken of between the members of the four clubs on the Peninsula,

however it was not  until after Ted Hart ( Fitzroy BC )  presented a cup for an annual competition to be

conducted between the clubs that positive action was taken to form an association.

 

On September 25^th 1951 at a meeting convened by Harry Beck ( Rosebud BC ) and attended by representatives  of  Rosebud, Frankston and Mornington clubs ( Sorrento did not attend the inaugural meeting )  the Peninsula Bowling Association was formed with  F E Wood ( Rosebud BC ) being elected as its first President.

 

The “Hart cup” was contested between these clubs in the format of a pennant competition.   The competition was introduced and played on Wednesday afternoons between the four member clubs of the new Association   :-  MORNINGTON,  FRANKSTON,  SORRENTO and  ROSEBUD.     Wednesdays were selected as businesses  normally closed on that day     The reason being that banking facilities at that time were only available at the major townships, which necessitated a trip to that town by business owners to conduct their weekly transactions.

 

By 1956 the Association had achieved the  RVBA requirement of having not less than three clubs, with a total  membership of not less than 200 for four of its five years prior to 1956.  In achieving  this the newly formed  Association was now qualified to send a councilor to the RVBA.    Harry Beck (Rosebud BC ) was elected as the Peninsula’s first Councillor.

 

The 1950’s saw six new club’s established  :-     HASTINGS  –  1953,     DROMANA  –  1954,  SOMERVILLE –  1956,   RYE  –  1958,    MAIN RIDGE  –  1959,   and     WEST ROSEBUD  –  1959.

 

Season 1954-55 saw the introduction of a Saturday Pennant competition..   1955-56 was also the last season in which the Wednesday competition was played.

 

The 1960’s saw a rapid growth in the population in the area, this being largely due to its attraction to the many people who were approaching retirement.   The Peninsula with its cheap land,  relaxed style of living ,and a mild climate combined with splendid beaches and its close proximity to Melbourne had long been a favourite

holiday area for Victorian holiday makers.

 

This period saw yet another nine clubs established : -  LONG ISLAND – 1962,  YAMALA PARK – 1964, 

FRANKSTON  RSL – 1964,  RSL  PARK – 1965,  MOUNT ELIZA – 1960,  CARRINGTON PARK – 1968, 

ROSEBUD COUNTRY CLUB – 1968,  KARINGAL – 1969,  and  ROSEBUD  RSL – 1977.

 

In 1970 the  FRANKSTON BOWLS CLUB  was renamed the  CITY OF FRANKSTON BOWLING CLUB and in 1978  was relocated to its present location.   This site was developed into a magnificent complex and was chosen to be  the host venue for the 1980 World Bowls Championships.

 

1980 also saw the establishment of the  MOUNT MARTHA BOWLS & SOCIAL CLUB  and in 1982 the formation  of the  MORNINGTON CIVIC BOWLS CLUB  brought the number of member clubs of the Peninsula  Bowling  Association to  21.

 

 

    Mornington  Bowling  Club

       The Esplanade,   Mornington,  Victoria,   3931   

 

          ( Postal Address :   P O  Box  159 )

 

        Phone : 03 - 5975 - 2470       Fax : 03 - 5975 - 2474