Pauline Hitchins
MAFFRA Bowls Club has started its second century with a multi-panel mural on its Princess Street façade.
The mural has been painted by Loch Sport artist Simon White depicting the club’s evolution.
Cr Alex McAdam officially opened the club’s original greens in Foster Street beside the town hall in November 1923.
The land had been reserved in 1914, and a committee was formed in 1921.
The first recorded play was on February 17 1923, with a game against Sale in April.
Regular Central Gippsland Association pennant began in 1924, and a pavilion was built in 1926.
In 1934, the ladies’ club was formed, opening in October.
By 1939 there was talk of a move, with options ranging from Frenchs Park to Thomson St or the Chinamans Garden (where the pool and tennis courts are now located).
Eventually, a corner of Victoria Park was selected, and work commenced in 1952. A ‘Farewell to Rinks’ tournament was held in April 1960, and Cr Geoff Webster officially opened the new rinks in Victoria Park in October.
The club has moved with the times in its century, often leading the way in new initiatives taking place.
It has adopted synthetic turf, provided modern member facilities and restructured the club to suit today’s standards.
When the first Maffra Ladies Bowls Club was formed in 1934, it was considered quite unusual and was believed to be the first and only one in Gippsland.
Initially, the Ladies Club was granted use of the greens for just two hours a week, although this was later extended.
In 1959, the members became Associates of the Club, and in 2018, they became full members of Maffra Bowls Recreation Club.
Today, the ‘ladies’ are full club members and play a vital leadership role, as well as continuing their significant financial and in-kind contributions to club activities.
Other changes reflected in the mural have seen all-white uniforms replaced with colourful team uniforms or casual clothes, and the removal of the need for a marker to ensure the ladies’ dresses were no more than 13 inches from the ground.
When the club celebrated its 60 years, it released a detailed early history by Eric Kirk in 1983.
The following few years saw plenty of activity with extensions and renovations.
In 1984, a new kitchen and ladies’ room was added. The following year, the shed was extended.
The two greens were rebuilt – the Honey Green in 1986 and the Colman Green in 1987.
In 1988, a significant extension was completed, enlarging the clubhouse to its full length and moving the secretary’s office. Shire President, Pat Cameron opened Maffra Bowls Recreation Inc. extensions on September 16 1988.
There was another significant initiative around this time, with the formation of the Maffra Community Sport Club.
In an attempt to curb the loss of local businesses to gaming machine venues in other towns, several local groups explored several options. Eventually, the Maffra Chamber of Commerce partnered with the bowls and football clubs to form the Community Sports Club, which took over the Maffra Hotel.
Within a short time, the Sports Club could repay debt holders and borrow from the bank to purchase the freehold. The club, a non-profit incorporated association, has proven successful and has distributed generous amounts to ‘sporting clubs and individuals for sporting endeavours’ and undertook significant renovations in 2015.
(The Maffra Hotel, once known as Pollard’s Hotel, has long been associated with the bowls club and regularly accommodated visiting bowlers.)
In 2004, the bowls club installed a new kitchen, improving the catering facilities. This was complemented in 2010 by a purpose-built barbecue shelter, moving the barbecue out of the work shed.
In 2007, the club took another significant step, replacing the lawns with synthetic turf. This was a massive investment of around $300,000, and a committee spent a long time investigating the options and recommending it to the board.
Although the new turf requires weekly vacuuming and other maintenance, it was still saving on the $30,000 annual cost of greenkeepers and the ever-growing water bill.
These were replaced in 2016, so the regular income from the Community Sports Club and its membership and events remain viable.
In 2020, further clubroom renovations were funded by the state government as part of the Latrobe Valley Authority’s Community and Facility Fund.
A restructure in 2018 saw the Ladies’ and Men’s groups replaced with a Bowling Section. This looks after all bowling activities and club competitions. Other groups, such as match, social, selection, catering and coaching committees, report to the bowling section, which in turn reports to the board of management.
With its progressive changes and wise investments, the club remains a popular venue with regular indoor carpet bowls, social days, and local and pennant bowls tournaments.
