Founded the year World War I ended, the club has weathered the Great Depression, World War II, alongside the Korean and Vietnam wars.
But the club is now fighting a losing battle.
Because its clubhouse – which has served members for half a century – is now simply worn out and in dire need of replacement.
With about 160 members, the club is facing the difficult reality of funding a major redevelopment.
Rather than giving up the fight, members have begun fundraising on an unprecedented scale, hoping to build a war chest which will eventually allow the club to approach governments for a grant.
The club continues to provide a place for people to come together, compete and socialise, but they are doing it in clubrooms not just becoming outdated, but plagued with leaking roofs, rotting stumps and asbestos challenges.
According to life member John Blair, the club has changed significantly over the years and is constantly finding new ways to raise money and keep itself running.
And most recently, the Echuca-Moama Rotary Club has also stepped up, donating $2000 towards the redevelopment.
The donation was presented to club president Trevor Lidell, providing another boost – and some renewed hope – as members work towards their financial goal.
John said the new clubrooms were expected to cost about $2.5 to $3 million, making fundraising a critical part of the project.
He said there were “no big plans” for fundraising. Instead the club is relying on the public to help support it, with everything from quiz nights to the recent smash hit Raise the Roof ball, which added thousands to the bottom line.
“The new clubrooms would give the club greater opportunities to host functions and events, as well as helping raise money, attracting new members and maintaining our strong connection with the Echuca-Moama community,” John explained.
“Our existing facilities are very limited, even the commercial kitchen we have is a struggle to cater for around 200 people,” he said.
“The need for modern facilities has become increasingly clear.”
John said for the members – and him – the redevelopment was about more than replacing an old building. It represented an opportunity to preserve the history of the bowls club while creating a space capable of serving future generations.
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