Reservoir Bowling Club

The Reservoir Bowling Club was formed at a meeting at the Preston Town Hall on November 6th 1958. The site for the club was obtained from the council. It had previously been a stone quarry and was then a council tip, before being levelled and offered for use as a bowling club. The site is in Leamington St, Reservoir, near the Edwardes Lake. The area around the club’ substantial grounds is parkland, giving it a beautiful setting. 

Construction on the green commenced in 1959 and was eventually opened for play on Boxing Day of 1960 after delays due to poor weather and unsuitable soil. It wasn’t until the following year, on September 17th, that the green and the newly completed clubhouse were officially opened. In October of 1963 further extensions to the clubhouse were completed.  By January of 1965 the club’s third green was opened for play. The final extensions to the clubhouse were completed in 1973. The club was chosen as the venue for the Women’s World Bowls Championship event in 1985, a tribute to the Reservoir club’s size and amenities, and an event which ranks as the club’s proudest moment.

Like other Victorian bowling clubs, Reservoir started life with separate mens and ladies clubs. This was due to the different governing bodies of competition. In the 1990’s this changed after a court challenge and today Reservoir is one bowling club with both male and female members.

One of the largest bowling clubs in Melbourne, Reservoir has four bowling greens, of which three are natural grass with one being artificial turf. The land is leased from the Darebin City Council. The substantial clubhouse includes a gaming room and fully licensed bar, while a separate members area includes a dining room with a large dance floor, another bar and meeting rooms. The club currently has 250 members both male and female and is open to new members and to the public to share the club’s amenities. Its patrons include Martin Ferguson, long time Member of Parliament for the seat of Batman.

Information courtesy of Reservoir Bowling Club.

The Victorian Ladies’ Bowling Association: a history from 1907 to the present.  Hawthorn (Vic.): Victorian Ladies Bowling Association, 2003.