On Saturday the Harden Bowling Club held their ladies President’s Day and celebrated 60 Years of the Club.
Robyn Apps South West District President, Harden Secretary and long time Harden bowler said, “It was lovely to see so many people there enjoying themselves and we would like to thank everybody in our club who was down there and who worked so well together to put the day on. It was a pleasure to see everybody working down there and it was so successful.”
A brief History of Harden District Women’s Bowls.
The inaugural meeting of the Harden District Bowling Club was held at the Clubhouse on Tuesday, 22nd December 1959.
This was in the era when ladies were not permitted access to the main bar of clubs and pubs in many towns and city’s and the decision for the local ladies to form their own club was met with a stiff opposition at the time.
Having been not allowed to play bowls before, the first Women’s Bowls Committee had the will to have their own day in the sun and a spot on the bowling green was strong. The club was formed with Mrs G E Coddington as President, Mrs G R Sewell as Secretary and Mrs Bruce MacFadyen as Treasurer.
Back then the greens were only available to the ladies on Tuesdays and Thursday and meetings were held on the second Tuesday of the month with green fees of 1 shilling on weekdays and 2 shillings on Saturdays.
The women’s bowls club first Presidents Day was held in March 1962 with the then Club Manager donating £10 towards trophies. By 1975 the club had a very strong side and was able to enter five teams and their Presidents Day. At the time the club had two greens operation. 1975 also included the Harden side winning the South West District number 4 pennants for the first time.
In the 1980s the club went through a number of changes with the ladies catering for the opening of the extensions at the club. The ladies also won several events in the District, including Number 4 Pennants in 1984 and Number 3 Pennants in 1993. The Kelly Rose Bowl in 1985, 1989, 2010. The Callaway Richards Salver in 1984, 1991, 1995, 2012 and 2017, with help from Stockinbingal ladies. Also entered teams in the Towning Shield.
Life membership is never given lightly as only two members have been awarded this honour, Miss Louise Bradford in 1987 and Mrs Theresa Peet in 2009.
More recent events.
2009 Young Cherry Festival winners Chris Hancock, Jenny Ricketts, Robyn Apps.
2012 State Final Championship Senior 4’s Robyn Apps, Joan Clark, Heather Martin and Chris Hancock.
2016 State Final Championship Open Pairs Robyn Apps and Dianne DeBritt.
2016 State Final Championship Mixed Pairs Kelly Daley and David Bodell.
2017 State Final Pennant Number 4’s with Ann Larson, Robyn Apps, Joan Clark, Pat Walker, Jenny Ricketts, Donna Chesworth, Dianne DeBritt and Chris Hancock.
2018 State Final Championship Mixed Pairs, Robyn Apps and Tom Apps.
