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Cyril Davey and Edna McRostie were
foundation Presidents of the Men’s and Ladies Bowling Clubs. Edna
was the only experienced bowler amongst the ladies. Members acted just
as quickly after the Club was formed as they had before, and Christmas
Eve 1960, the area for the first green, now the Cameron green, had been
levelled, filled with rubble and earth and sown. This brought the green
to about 2ft above the lower level and proved a run-off for the
agricultural drains beneath the surface.
Led by Cyril Davey, the men including
Harry Doyle built the first club house which is now a very useful
equipment shed. Toilets were served by a pan system, the men occupying
a very old builder’s hut at the downstream end. Because the club
house was not large enough for all occasions it was supplemented by a
12 ft x 12 ft marquee where the present flagpole stands. Members
provided chairs and card tables as well as lending cutlery and crockery
for these days.
As Cyril Davey was the only retired
person in the early days, quite a contrast from now, the ladies painted
the outside seats, scrubbed the inside of the club house and did many
of the odd jobs including weeding the garden. Members quickly set about
gathering further facilities. Edna McRostie designed the club badge and
made the first flag: the grey and brown colours being derived from the
“grey” of Greythorn and the brown of the Hawthorn Berry.
The bowl and jack were incorporated in the badge. The first flagpole
was donated by Eric Barton who later went to live in Queensland. The
original eight wooden tables were bought second-hand from East Ivanhoe;
the wooden chairs came from North Balwyn at 10/- each. One of the
concrete seats was given by a men’s Roamers team. The wooden
posts, steel posts and barbed wire which surrounded the property came
from an old orchard owned by one of Cyril Davey’s friends. The
original tins for waste at the end of each rink were obtained for the
Club by Tom Jones from Bostik. Many of these have since been replaced
by Phil Thompson. Edna McRostie donated the large clock in the club
house and the long mirror in the Ladies room. She and Isobel Robinson
donated the small clock in the Ladies room. The bell outside the office
was given to Edna by Mr. Patterson, then superintendent of the
Melbourne Fire Brigade (MFB). It was one of the last two bells used on
the first fire carts in Melbourne. We believe that the presentation was
a very stirring event with eight senior fire brigade officers as well
as Edna, in Mr. Patterson’s office. The other bell is in the Fire
Brigade Museum.
It is hoped that we have not missed
recording many generous donations since then which includes a painting
for the Ladies room by Jean Weir, the large Honour Board by Bert
Newsome, Achievement Board by Rose & Arthur Kennedy,
Children’s Charity Day Shield by Bill Ellis & Ron Deed
(supplemented by trophies each year), the Bill Whitfield Memorial
Shield by Keith Kohlman & Frank McKellar, the Indoor Bowls Board by
Bill Dowling, the Men’s Competition Board by Jim Rumpf, The
Elaine Moore Shield by Bob Moore, the wall-barometer by Mary & Rod
Allsop, and the Barbecue by Mercia St.Claire Aram in memory of her
friend Trudy Gleason and Margot Rowse in memory of her husband, Len.
The Club also has the Cyril Davey Club Founder’s Memorial Shield
and, pro tem, the Box Hill & District Hospital Shield and the
Eastern Suburbs Roamers Association Honour Board. We apologise for any
omissions and point out that while these tangible gifts are very
worthy; many members have given their valuable time and skills for the
Club.
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