New South Wales’ oldest independent, ongoing women’s bowling club, Leichhardt Women’s Bowling Club, is celebrating its centenary this weekend.
Now known as Leichhardt Lynx, the club is celebrating its 100th anniversary on the same Inner West green it started on, with a weekend fundraiser and celebrations at Leichhardt Bowling and Recreation Club, Lilyfield.
The weekend festivities include a breakfast barbecue and morning tea from 9am, a commemorative photograph of members past and present, a display of memorabilia from the last one hundred years, and the Inner West’s Biggest Bowls Spider.
To play Spider, all ages gather around the green with one bowl each. On the call, everyone rolls toward the centre ‘spider’.
The closest bowl wins club merch or a Lily Fields Distilling Co. pack, while young players can win local toyshop Terrific Scientific vouchers.
Entries are via donation.
Funds will be raised for Detour House, which provides trauma-informed safe housing and tailored support programs for women recovering from substance dependence, and crisis accommodation for young women and gender-nonbinary people experiencing homelessness.
Back in 1925 a member’s subscription was ten shillings and sixpence, with another shilling paid monthly. This is roughly equivalent to $1.05, plus around ten cents monthly.
Now, while a membership usually costs $150, new members can join for free as part of the club’s dedication to inclusivity and connection, to share the benefits of the low-impact, accessible sport.
This decision was made a few years ago, when membership fell dangerously low – to only seven individuals.
President Natasha Fairfax led a progressive committee to drive membership. This has been successful, and the club now has over twenty members, with more joining each month.
Bar manager of thirty years, Jan Priest, said the centenary is not only an historic milestone but also a statement about what lies ahead.
“This club started when women were paying in shillings to play bowls,” she said.
“One hundred years later we’re still here, growing again and using that history to support women in the community.
“It’s a story about resilience, reinvention and what happens when local people get behind their club.”
Two years ago, Leichhardt Bowling and Recreation Club (the Bowlo) celebrated its own centenary.
Yet just a few years prior the Bowlo’s future wasn’t as certain, until it was secured by a volunteer-driven community effort.
Alongside the efforts of Leichhardt Lynx, the Bowlo moved to diversity its operations.
An outdoor beer garden, large family area and enclosed playground were added, along with live music, barefoot bowls and a local partnership with Lily Fields Distilling Co offering an on-site gin bar and cellar door.
The club’s resurgence has caught the attention of other clubs across NSW keen to understand Leichhardt’s approach to diversification and engaging the community.
