THE ENTRANCE BOWLING CLUB
The Beginning – 1938 to 1975
A meeting to form a bowling club at The Entrance was called in August 1938 at the
Memorial Hall which later became the Youth Centre, but only six people turned up.
After a long wait for more arrivals, the meeting lapsed through lack of interest, but
those six were undaunted. Twelve months later, in August 1939, another meeting was
called, this time attracting 37 men and women.
Harry Seargent was elected chairman and it was resolved to form The Entrance
Bowling Club with an entrance fee of one shilling and an annual subscription of five
shillings.
The first site inspected was on the northern side of Dening Street, opposite Park
Avenue, now known as Park Road. It was sufficient for one green and a clubhouse,
but the price, 1,000 pounds was out of the question as far as club finances were
concerned.
However, Erina Shire Council granted the club use of the land on which the club now
stands for a “peppercorn” rental of 10/- a year.
The site was swamp and densely covered with ti-tree, with a shallow watercourse
about six feet wide running where the entrance to our Club is now.
Top soil was carted from Berkeley Vale, and the stones for the green’s foundation
were gathered from the hill behind Tumbi Umbi.
Members loaded these by hand and carted them by truck to the site.
The first roller, an old grinding roller from the brick kilns, was brought for 1 pound
and converted for use on the green. Not being completely cylindrical, it was inclined
to roll in an arc, but it served a purpose.
The womenfolk worked hard, raising funds from which they presented the club with
its first mower.
The first green – now number 3 green – was officially opened on April 9th, 1944.
Mowing, rolling, fencing and top-dressing were all done voluntarily and funds for
fertilisers and seeds came from the pioneer members own pockets. With no water
supply the greens were watered by use of watering cans.
The Club progressed but at the official opening in April 1944, there were still only 18
members. In August 1945, the number had grown to 69, the following year to 88.
A tent used to serve as the club-house and the billy was boiled at the homes of Jim
Barnwell and Jim Hands in Warrigal Street.
In 1946 the clubhouse was the post office building from Rutherford Military Camp.
This building, 39 feet by 18 feet, was transported in sections and re-erected on the
site of the present clubhouse. Original members Mr & Mrs Jim Duffy are said to have
purchased this and donated it to the Club.
The second green – now number 2 – was opened in 1947 after solid work by the
initial workers. This was followed by a third green – now number 1, and a further
green – now number 4 in 1962.
This gave The Entrance, among the biggest bowling clubs in the state, four greens.
From 1939 to 1968 the club had only five presidents: H. J. Seargent (1939-43), E. H.
Duffy (1943-57), T. Shore (1957-60), R. Dunn (1960-64), H. Grace (1964-65) and R.
Dunn(1965-68).
The first executive officers were Messrs. Harry Seargent (President), Ted Stokes
(Secretary) and Andy McElhone (Treasurer).
The first Greenkeeper was Theo Callaghan who was a tradesman and at the time
known as the best in the state.
With the advent of The Entrance into the bowling world, sufficient clubs were now
available to form the Brisbane Water District Association. It comprised of Wyong
(the oldest bowling club on the Central Coast, 1912), Woy Woy, Gosford and The
Entrance. Brisbane Water District Association later became Central Coast District
Bowling Association as it is now known.
Changes in the 1970′s
Tom Shore was President during the 1972-73 periods and during this time a lot of
changes began to take place in the Club.
The Club obtained a loan from the Commonwealth Bank of $200,000 to be used in
the reconstruction of a new Clubhouse. This enabled the committee to go ahead and
have plans drawn up for the proposed alterations and extensions.
In the following months a Building Committee was formed: Bruce McDonald, Roy
Thompson and Jack Gibson (President from 73-75). The Architect was Jeff
Richardson and the person in charge of building was John Farac.
Before the rebuilding could commence, number 2 green had to be relocated 6 feet
nearer to Taylor Park to allow greater access to and from the new Clubhouse.
Whilst the construction work was carried out, in the clubhouse, around the
Clubhouse and above the clubhouse, not one day’s trading was lost. Even though
many times during heavy rains sections of the Club would be flooded.
In November 1975 the 2 storey clubhouse as it now stands, minus the Eastern
Lounge, was completed.
Roy Thompson was President at the time of the Official Opening.
In the late 1970′s we had a big influx of top bowlers. We immediately became one of
the top bowling Clubs in the State.
The Entrance Women’s Bowling Club had a very humble beginning , starting with the Entrance Ladies’ Committee in 1939.
The President was Mrs N McElone and the Hon. Secretary Mrs F Bateman. Their band of hard working helpers were Mesdames Garnham, Royce, Hetherington, Hungerford, Hands, Duffy, Crosby, Seargent, Watkins, Barnwell, Ford, Secomb, Harvey and Miss V. Graham.
These ladies did not play bowls, but assisted the hard working men who were building a green by voluntary labour, money being very scarce at that time. They served the men morning and afternoon tea and held card parties for raising money.
After the Official Opening of The Men’s Club in December 1944, the men suggested that the women form a Club to play bowls.
Eventually the Women’s Club was formed in April 1945, the original members being Mesdames Duffy, Crosby, Hands, Hetherington, Barnwell, Royce, Seargent, Garnham, Watkins, Dupre, Collie, Hungerford, Wyme, Hosking and Ford.
New Member joining 1978
