Trove Tuesday: On the bowling green

I’ve let my blogging slip a little bit and maybe that’s because I’ve been spending too much time on the bowling green. But that in itself is a good topic for my blog and I’ve used the Trove Tuesday challenge to get started again. Lawn bowls, who in my family has played? Well as it turns out, I have quite a history of ancestors who have played the game at some time or another.

Wonthella Gold Div 2, 2015 -Jenny far right

My cousin, John Herbert, has documented newspaper articles relating to our family in The Herbert’s of Rockingham and Fremantle, Family History from the News. What a wonderful resource this has been, especially when I started to look at my maternal grandfather’s bowling career.

Grandfather, James Harold Herbert is mentioned in many articles in the newspapers. Harold, as he was called, became a member of the Geraldton Bowling Club in November 1933, and was listed numerous times in the newspapers either for winning events or as his position as secretary, which he was elected for in October 1937 and held this position for many years. One article in November 1941, mentions that he was presented with a solid leather bowls case, at the “commencement of his fifth season as club secretary. He had served members well during that period and they were anxious at this juncture to present him with a memento of their appreciation. It was customary in such cases to wait till an official retired or departed from the town before making such acknowledgement of his services, but the members so highly valued Mr. Herbert’s efforts that they felt it appropriate that they should honour him in this way at the present time.” How good is that!?

Grandfather Harold James Herbert, far right
Geraldton Bowling Club. c1930s.

In April of 1939, Harold and Mr. R. Ellison, represented Geraldton at the Country Bowling Carnival in Perth. Harold was also known to have traveled to Sydney and took part in the 11th Australian Bowling Championship Carnival.

Unfortunately, my grandfather passed away at the young age of 58. The Geraldton Guardian newspaper of July 1943, ran his obituary titled Death of Railwayman and from this article, we learn that not only was Harold a keen bowler, he also played lacrosse and tennis in his younger days. I’ve never played lacrosse, but I used to love tennis in my younger days too.