Balmain Bowlo’s Future Uncertain Following Closure

Until last drinks on the night of Saturday 13 June, the Balmain Bowling Club was the oldest operating in New South Wales. Its closure — hoped to be temporary — is a stark reminder of the dire challenges facing bowlos, a beloved kind of community institution. Some have defied these pressures, while others have not.

Its owner, the St. Johns Park Bowling Club, this year received council approval for a $4.43 million renovation of the site, and the St Johns board of directors is holding out hope for its future. It is understood that members will retain access to the greens for the short term, although the building’s fate is uncertain.

Nearly half of Sydney’s clubs shut between 1980 and 2022 according to a University of NSW study, with their number plummeting from 280 to 128.

Loss of “identity and history” with closures

Baz Compton is the secretary of the Leichhardt Bowling Club, which will be hosting Balmain members on Sunday for a friendly challenge. They are offering them free access to their greens and facilities for the near future, as is Gladstone Park.

“The closure of the Balmain Bowlo is incredibly sad news, not just for bowlers but for the wider Inner West community. Small clubs have been disappearing for decades and while buildings can be rebuilt, community and culture are much harder to replace.”

“For struggling clubs fortunate enough to own their land, the choices are often stark: redevelop or amalgamate. Amalgamations have their place and have saved some clubs, but they are no silver bullet. Too often, a larger club acquires a smaller one with the promise of revival, only for years to pass before redevelopment becomes the only viable option.”

“Communities risk losing not only their club, but the identity and history that comes with it.”

Compton said that the Leichhardt Bowlo is fortunate to have “genuine support” from the Inner West Council, through programmes including Love Your Club and the Inner West Small Clubs Network championed by mayor Darcy Byrne.

Support your local club, urges secretary

“The Inner West hasn’t lost its appetite for hospitality and community. Just look at the thriving local pubs; people still want places to gather.” The Petersham Bowling Club has also flourished in recent years.

“At Leichhardt, we’ve focused on evolving with our community,” Compton continued. “That means welcoming everyone, trying new things and making sure people see the club as somewhere to gather, not somewhere they need permission to enter. Ultimately, these clubs are community-owned institutions and they live or die on whether people use them.”

He has a simple message for those concerned about their survival: “get down there.”

“Have a drink, have a meal, play bowls, volunteer or simply spend time there. Your local club needs you. And I promise you, once you get amongst it and understand what these places are really about, you’ll realise you need your local club too.”

Locals rallying around members, says MP

Kobi Shetty, the Greens MLA for Balmain, has spoken with members of the club about the closure. “The bowlo is deeply rooted in our local community and we’ve got fourth generation bowlers from families still bowling there today.”

“It may be some time before we know what will happen, but I know people are rallying around the Balmain bowling community. No one wants to see this local institution disappear.”

Ray Stevens is a committee member of the Balmain Association. “We do have concerns that it’s a loss of a community activity, but having said that, we recognise that things change.”

“More importantly, it’s a loss of a community, which had a broader base with the barefoot bowling and birthday parties and even weddings.”

“The sad thing is that a few years ago they sold off a couple of their greens and built townhouses on them, and that was supposed to have secured the future, but obviously it’s not enough. So what do you do with a community asset that can’t support itself?”