The sport of bowls was first played in Australia by enthusiastic Englishmen who arrived in the colony bringing their bowls with them.
The first game on record was played in January 1845 between two English migrants, Fred Lipscombe and T. Burgess, on a green at Lipscombe’s Beach Tavern in Hobart.
Following English tradition, bowling greens were laid out adjacent to hotels.
The first official club opened at William Turner’s Bowling Green Hotel in Fitzroy Place, Hobart, in October 1846.
The first interclub competition began in 1867 between Melbourne, Fitzroy, Prahan, St Kilda, Ballarat, and West Melbourne clubs, who played under a new set of rules governing team competitions. Victoria won the first inter-colonial game against NSW in Sydney in April 1880.
That same year in May, the NSW Bowling Association was formed, and the Victorian Bowling Association two months later.
In 1911, Bowls Australia, originally known as the Australian Bowling Council, was formed at conference of state delegates in Melbourne, paving the way for standardisation of the rules and other aspects of the game.
The first Australian Championships under the new body were held in 1912, and the first Australian representative side played in New Zealand in 1914.
In 1928, the Australian Bowls Council became affiliated with the International Bowling Board, now known as World Bowls Inc.
Australian Representatives
Life members
1996 – Perry Norman Cunico
2004 – John Dobbie
2007 – Geoff Provest
2015 – Betty Collins OAM
2018 – Brian Marsland OAM
Presidents
Presidents of Bowls Australia (following unification in 2001)
2002 – 2003: John McDougall OAM
2004 – 2005: Beryl Brennan
2006 – 2010: Brian Marsland OAM
2010 – 2012: Joe Aarons OAM
2012 – 2015: Des Skinner
2015 – 2017: Nigel Smith
2017 – current: Darryl Clout
Hall of Fame members
Pre ’49 General
Alfred Alley*, VIC
John Monro*, VIC
John Young*, NSW
Pre ’49 Athlete
Charles McNeill*, NSW
1950-74 General
W Jack Spear*, VIC
Keith Wilson*, VIC
Naomi Wolinksi*, NSW
1950-74 Athlete
Glyn Bosisto MBE*, VIC
Errol Bungey OAM, SA
John Dobbie*, VIC
Connie Hicks OAM*, WA
Dot Jenkinson*, VIC
Mary Ormsby OAM, SA
Barry Salter*, NSW
Donald Woolnough OAM*, VIC
1975-99 General
Catherine (Mimi) Frost OAM*, NSW
Charles Frost*, NSW
1975-99 Athlete
Cameron Curtis, NSW
Robbie Dobbins, QLD
Roma Dunn, WA
Audrey Hefford*, SA
Rex Johnston OAM, NSW
Dennis Katunarich, WA
Robert (Bob) King, NSW
Norma Massey OAM, VIC
Mavis Meadowcroft*, VIC
Robert Middleton OAM, VIC
Robert Parrella OAM, QLD
Keith Poole* MBE, QLD
Dorothy Roche OAM, NSW
Peter Rheuben*, NSW
Merle Richardson OAM, NSW
Alf Sandercock*, SA
Ian Schuback OAM, QLD
Daphne Shaw, NSW
John Snell OAM, VIC
Steve Srhoy, WA
Margaret Sumner OAM, VIC
Ken Williams OAM*, ACT
Ken Woods, ACT
Greeta Fahey, QLD
2000-10 General
Beryl Brennan, WA
Betty Collins OAM, VIC
Arnold O’Brien OAM, VIC
2000-10 Athlete
Lynsey Armitage, QLD
Steve Glasson OAM, NSW
Kelvin Kerkow OAM, QLD
Karen Murphy, NSW
Wayne Turley OAM, NSW
Leif Selby, NSW
Mark Casey, QLD
Legends
Glyn Bosisto MBE*, VIC
Rex Johnston OAM, NSW
Kelvin Kerkow OAM, QLD
* Deceased