Bowling Club
This plaque is located at the Bowling Club, 9 Rix Ave.
In 1946, Reg Rix received a letter from the Victorian Bowling Association about establishing a bowling club in Cobden. A month later, Leo Thompson and provisional president Reg Rix donated blocks of land in Smith Street and another was purchased from L K Brown. The last block to complete the site was purchased in 1970.
Seventy-five foundation members paid £3/3/- to join. The membership list included businessmen, farmers and many who didn’t bowl at all.
The green was being played on by 1947 and the club affiliated with the Colac association. Cobden’s one pennant team competed against Colac, Colac Central and Camperdown clubs. The Corangamite association now has 15 clubs.
In 1949, although the clubhouse had not been started, the VBA suggested it be extended 12 feet and a sanitary system be included. A string of lights was installed in 1948, lighting half the green and another string was added in 1957 to light the whole green. For safety reasons, the lights were disconnected in 1986.
The clubhouse was completed about October 1950 – the building and green were officially opened in January 1951. Celebrations took place with VBA guests, district club representatives and the Cobden Pipe Band attending.
Improvements to the clubhouse came in 1974 and the Presbyterian Church annexe, purchased for $300 in 1979, was added to the western end of the clubhouse to become the men’s room.
Proposals for a new clubhouse in 1989 didn’t eventuate until 1999. When the old building was demolished and possums were set free to terrorise the neighbours, it only took three months to proudly build the new clubhouse with volunteer labour under the guidance of Trevor Roberts, assisted by Cliff Cobbledick and Gerry Sullivan.
More recently, sheds have been rebuilt with an outside toilet and BBQ area included. The first COVID year saw the clubhouse interior get a face-lift with the floor varnished, some alterations and a paint.
More land was purchased in 1970 and the second green was opened in 1979 with Bill McIntyre delivering the first bowl. ‘A’ green became synthetic in 1991 followed by’ B’ green in 2006. In 2013, a Government grant made possible the installation of lights over both greens.
A bar, built in 1986, operated with a limited licence. Previously, the men’s room offered refreshments on Saturdays and, for tournaments, a booth was set up by a local hotel. In 1981, lady associates could be invited to take refreshments in the men’s room – only when appropriate.
Outstanding bowlers have included Elaine Harrison (11 club championships plus association events) and Doreen Coverdale (nine championships plus runner-up in the Victorian State Championship Singles at Bendigo in 2022). Keith Grinham won many championships and John Blake was also very successful representing Victoria on a couple of occasions. Several pennant flags have been won.
Bingo has been a major fundraiser since1988 – thanks to Miss Joyce Roberts who took over the running of the activity in 1992 along with Kevin Hinkley, Allie Long and callers Bazil Hammond, Elizabeth Fryers, Evelyn Grayland and Elaine Harrison.
Since 1994, a successful fundraiser has been the traders’ pennant enabling the recruitment of new members. The ladies’ section has handed over thousands of dollars for club projects.
Club life members (2022): Jack Dunford, Reg Rix, Alison Rix, Dorrie Orton, Jim Wilson, George McConachy, Tom Underwood, Merle Wilson, Ralph Wheaton, Jock White, Bill Roberts, Cliff Biesse, Lorna DeClercq, Bill Marwood, Gwen Niblett, Basil Pekin, Cliff Cobbledick, Kevin Hinkley, Betty Roberts, Betty White, Trevor Roberts, Keith Simmonds, Ken Farquharson, Jeff Hester, Elaine Harrison, Heather Lydford and Bazil Hammond.
