Windsor Celebrates 100 Years
By Alan Brown
In 1921, then-Mayor and avid lawn bowler, Bob Lane of Windsor Town Council, asked Windsor residents if they would like to form a bowls club and 24 people unanimously agreed. They chose to start the club at its current location with construction taking place from May 1921 to May 1922. During the construction, the Windsor Bowls Club had friendly competitions with residents of Auchenflower, Balmoral and Clayfield to promote their soon-to-be-opened club facilities. On the day of the club’s launch, 77 people signed up to be members.
On April 22, 2021 Windsor Bowls Club celebrated its centennial milestone with members and guests including the Lord Mayor of Brisbane, Adrian Schrinner, Trevor Evans MP, Councillor Andrew Wines, Centenary Chairman Mal Greig and distinguished members Bev Whitehead, Lottie Redfern and Dot Kennedy.
After a great rendition of Advance Australia Fair by the local Holy Cross Primary School choir, MC for the day Alan Brown (Brownie) welcomed everyone and introduced Centenary Chairman, Mal Greig. Mal welcomed everyone with a particular mention to the members from the Bribie Island Bowls Club which was established by Windsor Bowls Club members in 1929. He remarked it was a time to celebrate and recognise the club’s many achievements. Mal went on to say that while Windsor Bowls Club had battled floods and storms, embraced technological changes and survived financial crises, 2020 was the biggest challenge when the club’s doors were forced to close for a time during COVID-19. Surviving the shutdown was an outstanding effort.
He thanked the many people involved in helping the club survive particularly our bowlers who returned in numbers to the greens after shutdown and performed so well in the last nine months. The club won a Division 2 Pennant in late 2020 and are now 2021 Champions of the GR8 Bowls Tournament in Men’s Division 1 and in Ladies Division 3. The club may only have 69 bowls members (not quite as many as the 400 of our Bribie Island cousins) but it’s a strong, competitive and proud club.
Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner paid tribute to the club and said that after 100 years, the Windsor Bowls Club remains the heart of the local community where residents love to relax, socialise and play a great game of bowls. This has shown to be true by the local community who have returned in force to celebrate the freedom of the outdoors in 2021. Dining and Barefoot bowls functions at the club are booming in 2021 as many people look to local community clubs for their fun and enjoyment. We are more than a bowls club, we are part of the Windsor Community and proud of it.
Trevor Evans MP took the opportunity to also talk about the club being a community hub to announce a grant of over $10,000 through Stronger Communities Program to upgrade the club’s security system.
Councillor Andrew Wines formally launched the Centenary Booklet which outlined 100 years of achievements by the club. One notable point was that the club hosted the first ever Qld televised bowls event in 1965, the Men’s Metropolitan singles final. A short video was also produced and is available on the club’s website.
The celebration was also a chance for the Windsor Bowls Club to accept Centenary Plaques from Bowls Australia, Bowls Queensland and Brisbane District Bowls Association.
With the formalities over, everyone enjoyed a sumptuous morning tea, followed by a friendly game of bowls in the early afternoon. Cr Andrew Wines, Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner, Centenary Chairman Mal Greig and Trevor Evans MP decided to give the bowlers some expert tips prior to the game starting.
As the club enters its second century, Centenary Chairman Mal Greig noted the need for current and future governments at all levels, bowls administrators, clubs and bowlers to work together, be innovative and take the game of bowls to a successful future.
“It remains important to preserve the club’s history, so that in another 100 years the new generation of bowlers can look back and admire the achievements,” he said.
Small bowls clubs like Windsor are an important part of the bowls community and will remain key to the future development of the sport. The club’s members look forward to being part of the Windsor Bowls Club for some time to come. It is a great club and they are all proud to be members. Members of the club are honoured to remain custodians of this great clubhouse and the sport of bowls for another century.
