The battle to save community bowlo from redevelopment
At 91, Bill Murphy is one of the longest-serving members of Gosford City Bowling Club.
It is the reason he gets out of bed in the morning.
“My wife passed away 18 years ago, so bowls is my only social life these days,” Mr Murphy said.
“I can come in, have a chat to the fellows, and play the game.
“It’s a very good social outing and exercise.”
Bill became a life member of the club last year but he is worried that honour will not last long.
The venue faces imminent closure, with its Central Coast Council-owned land earmarked for reclassification from community to recreational, which will open the door for commercial or residential development.
A very similar scenario was the basis of Crackerjack, the 2002 Australian film starring Mick Molloy that told the story of a bowling club facing a potential takeover due to dwindling membership and increasing overheads.
The Gosford City Bowling Club in 1974. (Supplied: Central Coast Council Archives)
Club staff of Gosford City Bowling in 1969. (Supplied: Central Coast Council Archives)
For almost 40 years, the Central Coast Leagues Club has leased the land from the council on behalf of the bowling club.
Despite the council agreeing to another lease with the leagues club, the leagues club has declined the offer saying it is no longer financially viable to be affiliated with the bowling club.
Without a backer, the bowling club cannot afford an annual operating bill that exceeded $180,000 last financial year.
Gosford Bowling Club treasurer Selva Rajan hopes the facility will receive a lifeline. (ABC Central Coast: Shauna Foley)
Club treasurer Selva Rajan said they had asked the leagues club to reconsider and appealed for another operator to partner with them, but no-one has come forward.
“I hope there are some humans here to understand that old people are not dead, we’re a lively community,” he said.
“If that’s the Aussie culture, good luck.”
Social importance undervalued
Louis Heath is a town planning graduate at the University of New South Wales and the lead author of a study into the demise of bowling clubs in Australia.
He said the social value of “bowlos” was undervalued.
“They’re a home away from home for so many people,” Mr Heath said.
“Especially with a lot of development going on in Gosford, people need those spaces where they can interact with other people and clubs are the perfect example of that.
“People can turn up unannounced and know that they’ve got someone to chat to.”
Louis Heath was the lead author of a study into the demise of bowling clubs in Australia. (Supplied)
Mr Heath said there were options the Gosford City Bowling Club could consider, like renting out some space for other uses or modernising to attract a broader crowd.
His 2022 report found greater Sydney had lost nearly half its bowling clubs over the past 40 years, leaving 120 registered bowling clubs across the region.
Mr Heath said the bowling clubs that remained delivered a lot of social capital.
“Councils should understand the social value of bowling clubs for the community beyond profitability and membership numbers,” he said.
Members say the club is a mainstay of their community providing socialisation and exercise. (ABC Central Coast: Shauna Foley)
