By Jed Lanyon
This year marks the 130th anniversary of the Healesville Bowls Club, one of the oldest bowls clubs in Australia.
Formed in 1891, you can see the history and development of the organisation when standing on the club’s green, where the two original clubhouses stand and are now used as storage sheds.
Today, Healesville Bowls Club prides itself on being a family club faulting many longtime members, in some cases 50 plus years. Some Healesville families have several generations tied to the club’s membership.
President Adrian Beales said the club is the fourth oldest sporting organisation in Healesville after the football, cricket and tennis clubs.
“We’ve been situated here for the entire time over the past 130 years,” he said.
The club was one of the founding members of the Yarra Valley Bowls Association and when the competition dissolved, moved to the Metropolitan Melbourne Bowls Association just over ten years ago.
Club treasurer Leonie Fitzpatrick is coming up on five generations of her family playing bowls for Healesville.
“My grandfather was a member, my father is a life member, my husband and I are members, both my sons were members and my grandson is an upcoming member.
“The club’s in a lovely spot… It would be nice to think that the club will be here for another 50 years for a few more generations.
“I like seeing the people out here having fun. That’s what I enjoy most. People coming together with a common interest and just enjoying themselves.”
Long serving member Ted Upton said, “It’s a good sport to take up. You meet a lot of friendly people across the state from over the years.”
Mr Beales said the club plans to host formal celebrations later in the year without the burden of Covid-19 restrictions. His aim is to align the bowls club with Healesville’s other sports teams by incorporating some of the iconic red and white featured by the football, netball and cricket clubs.
“We’ve been green and gold since 1906, but it will be nice to incorporate a little bit of the other sporting club’s colours, while keeping our own identity.”
Mr Beales said the club is always looking for new members and encourages locals to get involved and break the stigma of lawn bowls being considered a game only for the elderly.
“It’s anyone’s game, but oftentimes old people are the ones who can afford to play it in terms of having the time to practice.”
Mr Beales moved to Healesville nearly 20 years ago and said that some of his friends, who have lived in Healesville their entire lives admitted they’ve never set foot in the historic bowls club, something he wishes to change.
