THAMES BOWLING CLUB

 

Information from book:

“100 Years of Bowls 1900 – 2000” Thames Bowling Club.

 

The First 50 Years (pages 2-5)

 

·        Public meeting held to get approval for a club

·        Committee decided to lease 4 sections in Baillie Street from the Maori owners. (Term 21 yrs, cost £21pa)

·        Friday 30th November 1900, club officially opened with 66 members

·        Club colours were maroon and gold

·        Early subscription fees were: annual £2 2/-, opening day sub 5/-, Match fees 2/-, Locker rent 2/6

·        1906 Thames Ladies Croquet Club formed, and they used the club facilities till 1990 (Now located Beach Road)

·        1907 First open Tournament was held (Won by Te Aroha)

·        1913 Club bought top green from Brewers Campbell Ehrenfried & Co

·        1916 South Auckland Bowling Assoc ran a 3 day tournament (Won by Hamilton)

·        1920 Land bought for £500, and title transferred 1921 in the Native Land Court

·        1931 Easter tournament began (Still continues today)

·        1933 Sunday Bowling approved

·        1933 Easter tournament abandoned because of the depression

·        1943 new two-storied pavilion opened (cost £777)

·        1945-6 The club re-opened the well used by the former Brewery, for an independent water supply

·        1950 50 year jubilee celebrations

 

Thames Bowling Club: 1900 Office Bearers

President

Mr Alfred PRICE

Vice: Presidents

Messrs A COURT, W McCULLOUGH, A SMITH, W BURTON

Green Superintendant

Mr W BURTON

Match Committee

Messrs L T INGLIS, J W RYAN

Hon Sec. & Treasurer

Mr W PRICE

Hon Auditor

Mr R KILGOUR

 

Newspaper Report on Opening Day

(Observer: 1 December 1900, Volume XXI, Issue 1144, Page 22. Online at http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz )

In a column called “Bowling Spasms” by the Ditcher

 

“I see the Thames bowlers have not forgotten their friends in Auckland. They have sent invites to all clubs to send a rink down for the opening day (St Andrew’s Day) The ‘Ditcher’ sends his compliments, and trusts that the Thames bowling will have a pleasant and prosperous time, and that an exchange visit will be the order of the day.

 

I have not heard what colour the Thames Club have chosen as a distinguishing mark from the Southern clubs. The ‘Ditcher’ fancies yellow would be the very thing, Quartzopolis have produced so much gold. Anyhow, this is the result of my crushing.”

 

HONORARY LIFE MEMBERS

M PAUL (1908), A H WRIGHT (1913), J JORDAN (1913), J T INGLIS (1919), J M MCCLAREN, D MACKAY (1921), A COURT (1922), S ROWBOTTOM, P J HOOK (1924), R WOOD (1928), F ADAMSON (1929), W T SMITH (1945), T W NEWMAN (1949), H C CORDES (1950), F A BURFOOT (1951), E F NEWMAN (1953), H T GALLOP (1955), C PALMER, A E COURT (1958), A DARE, A J DELAMORE, G CORDES (1961), H G MURRAY (1962), T K CURRIE, A J SAUNDERS, G F TWENTYMAN (1970), L E GEE, W A MCCONNELL (1971), A R LOMAS (1973), J E L STRANGE (1974), T H DEATH (1979), A C ESPINER (1981), W I GOODWIN (1982), A K STRANGE, L B WILSON (1983), A B CAMPBELL (1985), R F PATON (1992), I T GRANT (1997)