Royal visit as club turns 100 | Northern Rivers Bowls | Lawn Bowls in Northern Rivers

t the 100th birthday celebrations of the Bangalow Bowling Club on Saturday are (from left) Wilf Clark, NSW State Bowls Council; Ian McKnight, president Royal NSW Bowling Association; Noel Johnston, president Bangalow Men’s Bowling Club; and Member for Ballina Don Page.

More than 125 people attended the Bangalow Bowling Club’s 100th birthday last Saturday.

 The club is the oldest lawn bowling club in the Tweed/Byron district.

Past and present bowlers were joined by representatives of Northern Rivers and Tweed/Byron clubs to pay homage to the centenary of bowls in Bangalow.

 Also present was the president of the Royal New South Wales Bowling Association, Ian McKnight, who is a member of Tweed/Byron Cudgen Leagues Club.

The birthday celebrations began with a display by the Northern Rivers Vintage and Veteran Car Club.

This was followed by an official welcome for visitors by Bangalow Bowling Club president Noel Johnston.

More than 110 guests enjoyed lunch sponsored by the Summerland Credit Union, before experiencing Bangalow’s renovated greens with an afternoon of social bowls, reminiscing over past glories, victories and defeats and partying.

Many Bangalow and Clunes businesses, as well as individual club members, supported the celebrations, both financially and in kind.

Mr Johnston said he was proud the club was celebrating not only its centenary, but also its unity and commitment to supporting and playing lawn bowls in Bangalow.

 “The fact that many former members now resident elsewhere are making the effort to come to this significant event is evidence of the team and club spirit of lawn bowls in Bangalow,” he said.

A unique feature of the day was a short club history by Maurie Dunn, who was a member for 30 of the club’s 100 years.

 Until recently he was the custodian of the original club minute book, in which the first meeting took place on February 21, 1910.

The book is now held by the Bangalow Historical Society.

 The book and many photographs of the club’s history were on display on Saturday.