Kingborough Bowls and Community Club Platinum Jubilee

Ms WEBB (Nelson) – Mr President, before I start, I also offer my congratulations to the member for McIntyre and the member for Elwick on their re-election, and to the new member for Huon on his election to represent his community.  Welcome here.

We have already spoken in celebration of one important platinum jubilee this year.  Today I rise to speak about another, closer to home.  I rise to speak in celebration of the Kingborough Bowls and Community Club, which celebrated its platinum jubilee last month, marking 70 years of sport, friendship, and service to the local community. 

I had the pleasure of joining the club for several commemorative events, one of which was the morning tea where members have the chance to come together and celebrate the achievements of the club throughout its 70 years.  At this event I was fascinated to look at the history boards that were presented and displays that had been assembled, including photos, newspaper articles, bowling equipment and trophies.  It was also heartening to hear stories from a wide range of members both past and present who spoke about the impact the sport and club had had on them and their lives.

The second event was a reception that the club held for its sponsors.  It was a great chance to join other supporters of the club, including many local business owners, to acknowledge the club’s work and reaffirm our support. 

The Kingborough Bowls Club was established in 1952 to provide locals with the ability to play lawn bowls and through the years they have gone from strength to strength.  In 1996, following a bequest from the late Phil Nichols, the club was able to construct a modern clubhouse that is still in use to this day. 

In 2015, the members of the club carried a motion to change its name to the Kingborough Bowls and Community Club to reflect the true nature of the club and reflect its use as a community facility.  Today the club has more than 250 members, and is home to many regular events which reach far beyond just the bowling greens.  The club fields 10 competitive bowling teams across a range of divisions, where they have seen much success over the years.

The club’s indoor centre, which was established in 2012 and named after the late lifetime member Donald Hazel MBE, has proven to be an invaluable resource for the club.  The centre is one of the few indoor bowls facilities in the south of the state, and it ensures that the sport of bowls can be enjoyed year round by members, rain, hail, or shine. 

The club has opened its doors for social, barefoot, and corporate bowls, and members here may well have participated last December when the club hosted our parliamentary barefoot bowls night.  Special thanks must be noted to the member for Mersey who organises this event, and my view is that the Kingborough Bowls and Community Club is such a good venue, I am hopeful we will again have the chance later this year to enjoy its facilities for our parliamentary event.

Mr Gaffney – October 24.

Ms WEBB – There you go, why would we go anywhere else? 

Mr President, the club is also utilised by a wide range of sporting groups, including football, cricket and volleyball clubs to support their indoor training sessions.  Beyond the greens, each week the club is home to a range of other community groups, including the Kingborough Darts Club and the Rotary Club of Kingston which hold their weekly meetings, as well as hosting regular activities including sewing groups, and even a ukulele group. 

The clubrooms are available to members and to the community for use for personal functions and special occasions, and I must say, the club has an incredible catering team and no doubt many birthdays have been very well celebrated in its clubrooms.

Mr President, I note the incredible work and commitment of the club’s new president, Lorraine Walker, vice-presidents Alan Sculthorpe and Leonie Price, secretary Dale Freeman, treasurer Michael Andersech, and indoor centre co-ordinator Michael Harris, as well as members of the club’s tournament and selection committees. 

As many of you would know from your own experience and in your own electorates, clubs like this offer so much more than just sport to their members and their communities.  They offer a sense of community and shared purpose, a chance to create friendships, to gain new skills and to build confidence. 

Just this past week we celebrated National Volunteer Week.  Volunteers are the lifeblood of our communities and the Kingborough Bowls and Community Club is no exception.  We know that those who volunteer their time and effort do not simply benefit the community that they serve, they also see benefits in their own health and happiness. 

This club has been able to function for 70 years as a result of the selfless work of its past members and volunteers, and continues through today as its current patrons build on this work. 

I congratulate the Kingborough Bowls and Community Club for a successful and memorable first 70 years, and wish them all the best for the 70 years and more to come.

Members – Hear, hear.