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Just 48 years ago some people wondered,
and few cared, what was going to happen to a stretch of gorse covered,
low-lying land on the east bank of Koonung Creek, not far from where
this intermittent and sometimes roaring stream ran under Doncaster Road
on its course to the Yarra River.
Its owner, Mr. Cyril Davey, had an idea, almost an idea, to form a
bowling club where ladies had equal rights with men. His wife, Elsie
might have helped him then as she surely did later. To put his dream
into action, Cyril Davey put up a small advertisement in the local
paper, early in October 1959, inviting anyone who might be interested
in forming a club to contact him.
The morning after the paper was
delivered; Mr. Keith (Toby) Cameron was on Cyril’s doorstep to
say that he and his wife were interested. A subsequent meeting
attracted more people who were asked to bring at least one other
prospective member with them. Things moved fast because by October 28,
1959 a further meeting was called in the Church of Christ hall,
Gardenia Street, to form a Men’s Bowling Club.
As the Constitution which was formed
did not meet the approval of the RVBA because it gave equal rights to
ladies and men, the men produced a Constitution which the RVBA then
approved and the ladies a Constitution which the VLBA approved. A joint
meeting formed the “Greythorn Recreation Club”.
All members were required to hold a L50 debenture and annual
subscriptions were10/10 for men and L8/8 for ladies: the difference
being ladies were expected to do most of the fund raising.
It was envisaged that the land would be
paid off over twenty-one years with 41% interest. Members hoped that
when more land could be acquired tennis and croquet clubs might
eventuate. Even at this stage there were some doubters among the
starters, one of whom thought that he “had done his money”
when he saw what appeared to be waste land.
The foundation officers of the
Recreation Club were: Chairman, Mr. C Davey: Secretary, Mr. J Brear:
Treasurer, Mr. V Di Cieri; Trustees, Mr. J Fitzgerald, Mrs. J Brear:
Guarantors, Mrs. E McRostie: Auditors, Messrs. A Kretschmer & F.
Powne: Committee, Messrs. W Cahn, C Davey, C. Di Cieri, J Brear,
Mesdames Edna McRostie, Glad Jones, Elsie Davey and Enid Wild.
Foundation members and early members
were: Wyn Brear, Daisy Davey, Lil Doyle, Glad Jones, Edna McRostie, Dot
McIntosh, Mrs. Outland, Iris Newsome, Joyce Smith, Agnes Shields, Enid
Wylie, Kath Reilly, Thelma Bellham, Wyn Fenn, Ethel Frame, Beryl Powne,
Phyl Bice, Mill Seymour, Olive Cameron, Bess Barton, Edna Stanton, John
Brear, Cyril Davey, John Bull, Vic Di Cieri, Toby Cameron, Ron Deed,
Doc Ellis, Ray Fearon, Tom Jones, Bert Newsome, Bill McRostie, Stan
Williams Wave Semple, Ted Smith, John Fitzgerald, Clive Frame, Tom
Fenn, George Stanton, Frank Powne, Bill Cahn, Bill Ellis, John Bice,
Eric Bellham, Hec Baldock and Eric Barton.
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