Bowls back at VB

Rolling the arm under: Members enjoy having Victoria Barracks - Sydney’s bowling green back in top form. Photo by Cpl Michael Kiker

ARGUABLY Army’s (and possibly Defence’s) oldest, and only remaining, lawn bowls green at Victoria Barracks Bowling Club in Sydney reopened last month after having a $15,000, six-month refurbishment.

Club president WO2 Mick Flew, said the club had seen some halcyon days since it opened in 1951, but had fallen into a sorry state of disrepair before the refurbishment.

“After fund-raising, and a co-incidental meeting of motivated individuals, in the past year there has been a transformation of the green,” he said.

With $12,000 assistance from the Army amenities fund, the green had its wooden surrounds replaced with brickwork, and the green top-dressed and levelled.

The official reopening was held after Victoria Barracks’ annual “Diggers Day” remembrance service on November 13, and was conducted by the patron Brig Brian Dawson and Chap Martin Langron.

Brig Dawson praised the efforts of the club members who contributed to the refurbishment of the green and acknowledged that it was only by the commitment of a few that the “embarrassingly shabby mess outside the Land Commanders Office” had been transformed “to the first class venue it is today”.

He presented Certificates of Appreciation to WO1 Barry Miller, Mr and Mrs Gill and Dell Clarke, Mr Stan Rugless, Sig Cassandra Dalgleish and made special mention of club stalwarts Mr Robert Andrews and Mr John Neely.

The club has 40 sets of bowls available for use by all Defence groups, and plays on Thursday and Saturday afternoons. New players welcome.