History

A group of bowlers, sometime in 1960, who were members of the Lismore RSL Club and who were members of other Bowling Clubs within the City of Lismore commenced visiting these City Clubs as representatives of a future Lismore RSL Bowling Club.

This group of bowlers was known as ‘a RSL Bowling Club without a green’ something unique in those years.

With the support of the then management committee, the RSL Club resolved that a Bowling Club should be added as an additional amenity to the Club.

A Bowling sub-committee was elected and formed by this group of bowlers, the President being Clive Wood, Charlie Raison as Secretary and Jack Peters as Treasurer. These executive officers were later elected as the Foundation Executive Officers when the club became affiliated with the Northern Rivers District Bowling Association on the 29th of October 1961 and a short time later affiliated with the Royal New South Wales Bowling Association. Prior to this affiliation, the club was represented at the Annual General Meeting of the Northern Rivers District Bowling Association on the 21st of August 1961, when provisional delegates represented the bowling club.

On the 11th of November 1961, the club applied to the NRDBA for permission to conduct bowling competitions on Friday afternoons. At the NRDBA meeting on this date, permission was granted for two (2) Fridays only, after which the event was to be considered a club event and advertising was prohibited.

By this time the bowling green had been constructed by Foundation Secretary, Charlie Raison, at a cost of A£6,300.00 (six thousand three hundred pounds) and was ready for play.

At the election of Foundation Officers of the club, the following were elected:

Executive

President: C. W. Wood, Vice President: N. Tippett, Secretary: C. Raison, Treasurer: J. N. Peters.

Committee

C. Baker, S. Flaherty, M. McInness, C. Wilson MBE, B. Benham, C. Rankin, P. Borra

The Club House and Bowling Green were officially opened on the 13th of May 1962, by Fred Uren, District President of the Northern Rivers District Bowling Association, who rolled the first bowl.

In 1972 lady bowlers joined the Club, when both men’s and ladies bowls were played under their individual banners.

In 1994 the Lismore RSL Club opened the Sports Club at Goonellabah with a condition on the licence to ensure a second bowling green was supplied. This second green was opened in 1996 with a synthetic mat which was the only one between Newcastle and the Queensland border.

newspaper article

It should be noted that the writer of the article referred to the Lismore Workers Heights instead of the Lismore RSL Bowling Club.

photo of members at the new mat opening

50th birthday picture & article

In May 2006, the Lismore RSL Bowling Club became affiliated with the Lismore Workers Group of Clubs.

Finally, in conclusion, thanks to the foresight of our Foundation Members, the untiring efforts of those who have followed in their footsteps for the contribution to our club, we can look back with pride at our progress and achievements. May we all continue to support our club which has earnt a high reputation of fostering friendship and goodwill, both on the bowling green and in the clubhouse.

Today the Club is known as the Lismore Workers Sports Bowls Club Incorporated and is located next to the Lismore Workers Sports Club at Goonellabah with one synthetic green. While working under the banner of the Lismore Workers Sports Club, the Lismore Workers Sports Bowls Club maintains its own identity and financial management of the sport.

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