Mount Gambier District Indoor Bowls Association

SAcommunity volunteers have been covering a lot of recreational clubs recently and had the opportunity to speak to Robert Knightly of Yahl Indoor Bowling Club who introduced us to Secretary Craig Pearson of the Mount Gambier District Indoor Bowls Association to tell us more about the history of the many indoor bowling teams that exist around the Mount Gambier District.

Mount Gambier District Indoor Bowls Association

The formation of the Mount Gambier District Indoor Bowls Association began in 1958 from the vision of a few local gentlemen who put plans together to form a new Indoor Bowling Association.

In 1959, eight teams formed the Kilsby Shield under rules drawn up by the first committee, most of them coming from the Friendly Societies Indoor Bowls Association, which had been operating from 1929, many years before.

Later in 1961 the Mount Gambier District Indoor Bowls Association held a Special Meeting to change its name to the Australian Indoor Bias Bowls Association Incorporated. In 1962 sixteen teams played under the Association and four Australian Championships were held in Mount Gambier them being the Australian Men’s and Ladies Singles, Australian Mixed Pairs and the Australian Mixed Rinks Championships.

In 1963 the Australian title was dropped and the Association reformed under the Mount Gambier District Indoor Bowls Association. 1968 saw the Association peak with thirty-three team nominations, giving the Association approximately 530 members playing for four different shields.

From 1970 the Association competed in a friendly inter association against St Peters in Adelaide, this continued until 1985. The Association continued inter-association competition with the Mid South East Indoor Bowls Association and the Warrnambool District Indoor Bias Bowls Association; from this much experience was achieved.

In 2000 the Mount Gambier District Indoor Bowls Association became affiliated with the South Australian Indoor Bias Bowls Association. This gave the Association members a chance to play at State and National levels. The first being Stephen Von Duve who became our first member to win a State championship, being the 2002 State Men’s Singles. Stephen then played in the 2003 National championships in Caloundra.

This opened the door for many other members to compete in National championships and in 2010 the Mount Gambier District Indoor Bowls Association’s first National Champion was crowned, Fiona Pearson winning the National Ladies Singles and then later in 2013 the first member to be selected in the Australian team.

Consequently, the Mount Gambier District Indoor Bowls Association went on to hold the Australian Indoor Bias Bowls National Championships in 2014 and will again hold the 50th Australian titles in 2019. So from the local competition on Thursday nights with 235 members forming fourteen teams being Mount Gambier RSL & District Bowling Club, Kongorong, Glencoe, Mil Lel, Post-Tel, Commercial Club, Saints, Glenburnie, Moorak Red, Moorak Blue, Mt Gambier Bowls Club, Yahl, Blue Lake Bowlers White and Blue Lake Bowlers Blue the Association has strived to accomplish a lot in its 59 years.

Craig Pearson, Secretary, Mount Gambier District Indoor Bowls Association

If you are interested in taking up Indoor Bowls in the Mount Gambier district, contact Craig in time for the Indoor Bowls season, which runs from April – September, new players are welcome.