Melbourne Bowling Club
 |
|
| Names | |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Melbourne Bowling Club |
| Nickname(s) | Demons, Dees |
| Motto | Proud, Feared, United |
| 2015-16 Season | |
| Premiership | Grand Finalist |
| Home and Away | 2nd |
| Club Champions | Curtis Hanley, Tayla Morison |
| Club Details | |
| Founded | 1864 |
| Colours | |
| President | David Morison |
| Secretary | Rodney Bates |
| Treasurer | Haydon Day |
| Premierships | 1892, 1896, 1899, 1925, 1927, 1929, 1957, 1959, 1960, 2000, 2003, 2004, 2008, 2012. |
| Greens | 138 Union Street Windsor Vic 3181 |
| Other Information | |
| Official Website | melbournebowlingclub.com |
The Melbourne Bowling Club, nicknamed the Demons, and affiliated with Bowls Victoria (BV), is the oldest lawn bowling club in Australia. Founded in 1864, the club has been based at Union Street, Windsor, Victoria, Australia on a continuous basis since formation.
Melbourne's uniform consists of a shirt displaying a Red and white devil, on a blue background, and blue pants/shorts with "Melbourne" prominently displayed along their length.
Historically the club has had many successes going back to 1892, and since the formation of the Premier League in 1997 Melbourne has won five premierships. having played in 14 grand finals in 17 years.
The club also currently fields a team in Divisions 1, 2 and 5 in the Bowls Victoria Saturday Metropolitan Pennant competitions.
On 11 March 1864 The Melbourne Bowling Club was founded by John Campbell, obtaining a lease of land at “Chapel” Street (facing Union Street), as recorded as the first entry in the records of the club in the handwriting of John Campbell. The club has continuously occupied this same parcel of land ever since. This record makes Melbourne Bowling Club the oldest bowling club in Australia. By October that year, the bowls greens were in full operation, as was a temporary structure for entertaining, as well as facilities for quoits and croquet.
In 1865 a breakaway group formed the Prahran Bowling club, and this remained so until the 1980s, when Prahran’s greens were closed and the members re-joined Melbourne.
In 1867, the painter S. T. Gill visited the Melbourne Bowling Club and painted two water-colours of a bowls match in progress, one of the summer green and one of the winter green. The paintings were purchased by members, and were presented to the club as a gift in 1892.
In 1887, the original Georgian style double story brick clubhouse was opened, and which still stands today. The original building had upper and lower verandas with ornate iron-lace work, which were removed during renovations over the intervening years. Gas lighting was added in later years.
In addition to bowls, the club catered for a wide variety of activities during this period, including skittles and tennis. Remnants of the skittles alley were rediscovered in the foundations during renovations in the 1900s.
During this time also saw the formation of the Victorian Bowling Association(1880), and the number of inter-club competitions grew, with the first premiership “pennant” trophy being awarded to Melbourne in 1892
In 1899, Melbourne Bowling Club player, Major B.J. Wardill, in England to watch the Australian Cricket team under the captaincy of Joe Darling, met with him and English bowler Mr S.E. Yelland. As a result of the meeting, Major Wardill arranged for the Victorian and NSW Association Presidents, also travelling to England, to meet with Mr Yelland, resulting in the formation of the Imperial Bowling Association, becoming the International Bowling Board, now World Bowls Ltd, the governing body for bowls worldwide.
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Wikipedia