There were smiles at every end as the Woodville Bowling Club celebrated the opening of its Centenary Season at Oval Avenue.
The club was formed in 1922 with the support of the then Woodville Council and has held an important place in the heart of our community ever since.
Approximately 100 members attended the event on Sunday to reflect on the rich history of the club and launch an eye-catching playing kit to commemorate the 100-year milestone.
Woodville competed and won a friendly clash in August against the Henley Bowling Club which is also celebrating its Centenary Season.
While performance on the green is important, President David Stearne said the club’s connection with the community remained the most rewarding aspect.
“We always emphasise the social side of the game and helping people come together, that’s what it’s all about,” David said.
“We encourage our members or anyone to join us, stick around after games and socialise over a beer, cup of tea or a meal.
“Everything here is done by volunteers. We don’t have any paid staff.
“For me, I get a sense of accomplishment seeing the club succeed and seeing the members happy. To have people come together for a day like this is so much fun and you can see for yourself the smiles on everyone’s faces.”
Like many sporting organisations across our City, the club has had a strong relationship with Council since its inception.
A match was held almost 50 years ago pitting Council employees against club members in 1976 and murmurs are bubbling of a potential rematch on the horizon.
“We’ve had great support from the City of Charles Sturt over the years,” David shared.
“This is the fourth year we’ve had the synthetic greens. They were installed by Council and they’re probably the best synthetic bowling greens in South Australia.
“They’ve also helped us with other improvements at the club over the journey. We’ve got new toilets, a new disabled access toilet with a ramp on the outside of the clubrooms, and we’ve refurbished our front and side doors.
“We’re also working with them on a project to put in a new verandah on the front of the clubrooms.
“They’re a keen supporter of our club and we’ll be forever grateful.”
Woodville has eight pennant sides and two teams in Division One but also hosts more casual bowls experiences such as summer Night Owls and a ‘Meet the Neighbours’ evening on Fridays once a month.
David said there was “always something happening” at the club and he welcomed anyone who was interested to get involved.
“Just come on down. We’re open most days, you’ll find somebody lurking about the place! We’d love to see you,” he said.
The Woodville Bowling Club extends its thanks to the South Australian Government, the City of Charles Sturt and commercial sponsors Community Bank of West Beach, Distinctive Funerals and Adelaide Medical Solutions for their continued support.