Produced and Presented by Joyce Willis.
Sponsored by the Queensland Government Sport and Recreation

"Our History and Direction"

MR GEORGE MCBRIDE, A CHEMIST IN BUNDABERG, HAD TO GIVE AWAY GOLF BECAUSE OF A BACK PROBLEM. HE WANTED TO CONTINUE PLAYING A SPORT AND DECIDED TO TRY BOWLS.

GEORGE WENT ALONG TO THE BUNDABERG BOWLING CLUB WHERE HE TRIED OUT BOWLING AND THOROUGHLY ENJOYED IT.

BOTH BUNDABERG BOWLS CLUB AND THE TANTITHA BOWLS CLUB HAD A FULL COMPLEMENT OF MEMBERS AT THIS STAGE AND HAD CLOSED THEIR MEMBERSHIP.
MR GEORGE MCBRIDE THOUGHT THAT WEST OR SOUTH-WEST BUNDABERG WOULD BE THE PLACE TO FIND LAND AND ENDEAVOUR TO FORM A NEW CLUB.

DRINAN PARK, WAS A LARGE SWAMPY AREA, COVERED WITH TEATREES AND WAS VACANT.
THE LAND WAS AN EYESORE TO THE CITY, IN FACT, THE COUNCIL USED IT AS A DUMPING GROUND FOR OLD TREES AND LIMBS CUT OFF THE BOURBONG AND WOONGARRA STREET TREES. THAT WAS THE MAIN REASON SUCH A LARGE PIECE OF GROUND WAS AVAILABLE.

GEORGE IMMEDIATELY APPROACHED THE BUNDABERG CITY COUNCIL MAKING ENQUIRIES AND REQUESTING THEM TO INSPECT THE AREA WITH THE IDEA OF BUILDING A BOWLING CLUB ON THE SITE.

THE FIRST WEEK OF OCTOBER 1945, THE CITY COUNCIL WORKS' COMMITTEE EXAMINED THE SITE. MR GIBSON AND A PARTY OF QBA OFFICIALS ALSO EXAMINED THE AREA IN OCTOBER 1945 AND PASSED IT IS AS AREA ON WHICH A BOWLING CLUB COULD BE BUILT.

AFTER TRIPS TO BRISBANE AND MANY LETTERS AND WITH QBA BRINGING PRESSURE TO BARE, THE UNDER SECRETARY OF THE DEPARTMENT OF LANDS, QUEENSLAND GOVERNMENT, FINALLY GRANTED A SPECIAL LEASE IN 1947, ALMOST TWO YEARS AFTER THE INITIAL APPROACH.

THE FIRST MEETING OF THE CLUB WAS HELD AT THE BUNDABERG BOWLS CLUB. THE FIRST SECRETARY WAS NORM SECOMBE AND THE FIRST TREASURER, CARL NEILSEN. ALAN FOREMAN FROM THE NATIONAL BANK ARRANGED THE FINANCE.

THE CLUB WAS FINANCED BY DEBENTURE AND GUARANTEES.

MR MCBRIDE CALLED AN INITIAL MEETING IN THE BUNDABERG BOWLING CLUB AND FROM A VERY WELL ATTENDED MEETING, RECEIVED VERY GOOD SUPPORT. SO MUCH SO, THAT 105 MEMBERS JOINED THE FIRST YEAR, MOST OF THESE WERE MEMBERS OF THE BUNDABERG CLUB. THEY KNEW, OF COURSE, THAT THERE WAS NEVER THE INTENTION OF TRYING TO POACH MEMBERS AWAY. THEY WERE TOKEN MEMBERS ONLY, AND JOINED THE CLUB TO GIVE IT A KICK-OFF.

THE NAME BURNETT WAS SUGGESTED BY ARCH MURPHY. TENDERS WERE CALLED FOR THE GREEN AND ONLY ONE RESPONSE RECEIVED. THE WORKS COMMITTEE OF THE CLUB THOUGHT THE AMOUNT WAS TOO HIGH. . THEY FELT THEY COULD CUT FIVE HUNDRED POUNDS OFF THE TENDER PRICE RECEIVED BY PUTTING IT DOWN ON DAY LABOUR AND THEY DID - IN FACT, THEY PUT THE GREEN DOWN FOR UNDER NINE HUNDRED POUNDS.

THE WORKS COMMITTEE CONSISTED OF LES KING, C.O. BAKER AND ERIC BODEN, WITH BOB MCKINLEY AS GREEN KEEPER.

THE FIRST GREEN WAS BUILT FRONTING GEORGE STREET WITH AN ENTRANCE ON MULGRAVE STREET. A TEMPORARY TIN SHED WAS ERECTED ON THE WESTERN SIDE OF THE GREEN TO BE USED AS A MEETING PLACE. AN OLD TABLE, A PRIMUS AND A FEW CUPS AND SAUCERS WERE DONATED.

SATURDAY AND SUNDAYS WERE BUSY TIMES FOR BOTH THE MEN AND LADIES, DOING ODD JOBS WHILST THE GREEN WAS BEING BUILT.

MR MCBRIDE AIDED BY HIS WIFE AND DAUGHTER WERE IN THE THICK OF IT, MRS. MCBRIDE BUSY MAKING PIKELETS AND HEATING UP SAUSAGE ROLLS FOR THE HELPERS! THE DAUGHTER ACTING AS A "GOFER".

MR MCBRIDE ALSO DESIGNED THE BADGE YOU WEAR TODAY!

WHEN PLAY STARTED IN MAY 1948, THE CLUB COULD NOT AFFORD A ROLLER OR EVEN A MOTOR MOWER, AN OLD CRICKET PITCH MOWER WAS USED THAT MR MCBRIDE SCROUNGED FROM THE CITY COUNCIL'S OLD CRICKET TEAM. IT WAS A ROUGH OLD GREEN BUT THE MEMBERS HAD A LOT OF FUN ON IT.

MR MCBRIDE LAID THE FOUNDATION STONE FOR THE PRESENT BURNETT BOWLS CLUB HOUSE ON THE 9 JUNE 1962.

THE NEW BRICK CLUBHOUSE WAS BUILT AND OFFICIALLY OPENED ON THE 8 DECEMBER 1962. EXTENSIONS TO THE CLUBHOUSE TOOK PLACE IN 1971 AND 1972 AND AGAIN IN THE EARLY 1990'S TO ACCOMMODATE THE INTRODUCTION OF THE POKER MACHINES.

MR GEORGE MCBRIDE APPROACHED MRS BESS BUTLER AND ASKED HER TO FORM A LADIES' CLUB IN 1947. BESS PUT HER BEST FOOT FORWARD AND AT THE END OF THE FIRST YEAR HAD 35 MEMBERS. THE MEMBERSHIP OF THE LADIES' CLUB CONTINUED TO GROW AND BY 1979 STOOD AT 116 MEMBERS WITH THREE LIFE MEMBERS.

ON THE 24 OCTOBER 1950 A SPECIAL GENERAL MEETING WAS CONVENED AT THE REQUEST OF THE MEN'S COMMITTEE TO CONSIDER THE LAYING DOWN OF A "LADIES' GREEN". TO QUOTE FROM THE ANNUAL REPORT "AFTER CONSIDERABLE DISCUSSION IT WAS EVENTUALLY AGREED THAT A SECOND GREEN WOULD BE PROCEEDED WITH AND IT WOULD BE USED CONJOINTLY BY BOTH THE LADIES' AND THE MEN'S CLUB!

THE FIRST STEP TOWARDS WHAT TODAY IS KNOWN AS AMALGAMATION!

WHAT COMES THROUGH ALL THE ANNUAL REPORTS THAT I HAVE READ IS THE FACT THAT THE MEN AND WOMEN WORKED IN UNISON TO ENSURE THAT THE BURNETT BOWLS CLUB WOULD BE AS GOOD AS THEY COULD MAKE IT. THEY ARE TO BE CONGRATULATED.

THE BURNETT BOWLS CLUB BECAME INCORPORATED IN THE LATE 1980'S AND THE LADIES CLUB AND MEN'S CLUB AMALGAMATED IN MAY 2001 TO FORM A GENDER EQUITY BOWLS CLUB.

THE YEAR OF 2003 IS THE FIFTY SIXTH YEAR OF OPERATION AND, HOPEFULLY, WITH THE ASSISTANCE OF ALL MEMBERS, THE CLUB WILL CONTINUE TO FLOURISH.

NOTE: THE INFORMATION ABOVE IS TAKEN FROM THE ADDRESS BY MR GEORGE MCBRIDE ON THE UNVEILING OF THE FOUNDATION STONE FOR THE CLUB ON THE 9 JUNE 1962 AND FROM AN ARTICLE WRITTEN BY IDS DAUGHTER, YVONNE DOUGLAS, ENTITLED "THE FOUNDING OF THE BURNETT BOWLS CLUB".